Starstruck

Well, you really knocked that one out of the park, Kara.

Score: Pioneer Woman Book Signing - 1, Kara - anything but.

Before I indict myself (twice), let me say that Ree (the Pioneer Woman) is, if it's possible, even more gorgeous in real life then her pictures let on (and yes, even with mis-matched earrings... that, for the record, we were none the smarter about, though I did have a little chuckle noticing them in my pictures). And her nervousness is nothing but endearing... after all, how do you talk to a crowd of people who know your daily ins and outs but you know... well, nothing about them?

Her sweet personality just oozed both up at the podium as well as more comfortably seated at the table signing books, so you'd think I might have been a little more at ease. Not a chance. It was the heels... that I wore for Ree and her love of all things heeled - it really was. *sure thing, Kara

If the heels were my first mistake (as if she was going to examine my feet, right?), it was only downhill from there. Truthfully, the book signing experience couldn't have gone smoother, for Ree and Borders, that is, but it was a different story for yours truly. When Andrea (my dear friend who I dragged along with me... and the sole reason why we were in and out in under 30 minutes) and I suddenly found ourselves 3rd and 4th in line to get our books signed, my head started spinning. I had approximately 30 seconds to think of something other than a sheepish "hi"... and it didn't happen. On top of that, I'm fairly certain I repeated that prolific word more than once.

I should have stopped while I was ahead. Luckily, the nice woman from Borders broke the silence by offering to take a picture of us. Yes, please, that'd be lovely. After two unsuccessful tries, though, I started to see my chances of any documentation that this actually occurred slipping away. Thankfully the famous blogger-turned-author sitting between Andrea and me took it upon herself to let our photographer know that the camera hadn't actually fired and would she please try again. A few seconds later, we had our picture, and I stepped forward to capture a shot of just Andrea and Ree.

As fate would have it, I took this as my cue... yup, my entree into a meaningful and memorable conversation with the Pioneer Woman would be about photography. (mistake #1) So after snapping a picture of the two of them, I decided to inform Ree, she of Photoshop and Nikon-picture-taking fame, that if my pictures didn't turn out well, it was because she hadn't taught her readers (i.e. me) how to use the flash (which apparently would have cured all of my picture-taking woes). Course she's taught us all about ISO, which would have been an equally good (if not better) solution to my problem, but not tonight... on my one chance to talk to Mrs. Pioneer Woman herself, the only thing I had to say was to blame her for my less-than-stellar indoor (and let's face it, outdoor, too) photography.

She accepted my comments as gracefully as you'd expect, while I, after realizing exactly what I'd just said, quickly slipped away.

But I wasn't done... and I apologize sincerely to both Ree and Borders for what then ensued. As Andrea and I headed for the exit, we realized that we still held our yellow "group one" tickets; we walked almost smack dab into a very cute, very pregnant girl with a pink "last group" ticket - and to be honest, we didn't miss a beat. Andrea whipped out her ticket and offered it to our new friend, gifting her the opportunity to get her book signed right then and there, rather than waiting the countless hours that surely stood before her. I too found a grateful woman walking into the store yet without a ticket and handed her mine, just the same. While it's almost completely out of character for me act out against rules, those yellow tickets were burning a hole in our hands and certainly were right at home with their new owners (who hopefully were at home shortly after we were).

Other than that, it's not like I burned the building down or anything, so let's call it a success... or something. I did make it to meet the Pioneer Woman in one piece, and stupid accusations aside, left intact as well... after all, if you set your standards low, it's almost impossible to miss.

Bonus #1: Some Pioneer Woman recipes I've already scarfed down:

• Pan-Fried Ribeye Steak
• Baked Fudge
• (my horrific massacre of her famous) Cinnamon Rolls *second try, coming soon to a belly near you

**Bonus numero dos... if you've ever wondered why it took the Marlboro Man (Ree's husband, Ladd) so long to call her after they met the first time...

Writing Imperfectly

As I've come to expect from myself, I'd sat through about 3 minutes of day two of training before I was reminded that my memory is far from perfect. Or my interpretation of my memory... however that best makes sense to you.

what I meant yesterday about writing on an 8th grade level. You should still aspire to do this, don't get me wrong, but in doing so, don't talk down to your audience - but rather, write in a way that makes sense to a wide audience and simplify... focusing on that 8th grade level.

One other thing I can't believe I forgot to tell you about (it's true that the most obvious things are often what escapes us) is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Both users (90% of the time people use search engines, rather than a specific pages' Search, for open-ended queries) and search engines have become so much more sophisticated - users are inputting longer search requests so that miniscule little "Search" box is becoming inadequate.

I'm personally ready to move on, though. Enough with the Web Usability... and onto Writing for the Web (which nicely picked up right where day one had left off):

• Who are we (us, online)? We don't want to read a lot, we're impatient, and we are on the move. Keep this in mind as you create content (and I'll continue to write more of what you don't want to and don't have time to read).



• Do NOT attempt to take printed material and just 'paste' it onto a website. It just won't work.



• Committed readers (people who stay on a page to read at least 1/2 of the content) are few and far between:



• Pages with 50 words are optimal with 80% committed readers (this doesn't mean to cut all of your pages down to 50 words but to focus on chunking your content into readable sections)


• Pages with 100 words fall down to 50% committed readers


• Pages with 200 words gain an obismal 30% committed readers


• Users love lists!! Bold words! We see these as shortcuts to finding what we're looking for.



• The words "Click here" or "Link here" are lost opportunities to give your readers more information; instead make an 'article heading' (or other content rich text) a link.



• Accessibility is important! But not just for the handicapped. If you write with Accessibility in mind, you're designing a page so that all users can more quickly receive the information they desire.



• Stock photos... oh, stock photos. They present a credibility loss for the site as users find them off-putting and they might incorrectly portray an image for your site. People are more drawn to non-professional pictures that they can relate to.

And with that, I have given you a classic "do as I say, not as I do" as my writing here certainly would be an embarrassment to the lecturer who imparted her wisdom to us yesterday. Hopefully, though, we can all continue to learn and practice together.

Learning!

Embarrassing fact: the term “web usability” meant about well, nothing, to me a month or so ago

Remedy: as of today, “web usability” means a whole lot to me (and it's all sorts of interesting!)

A happy coincidence has found me in the Windy City this week for some work and a little bit of play. With my employer rather keen on professional development and my day-job involving a fair amount of website design and content creation, it was a given that the Nielsen Norman Group’s Web Usability Week Conference would be ideal for me in this time of (strictly work-related) transition (from our current website to our upcoming “spiffy” new site – keeping in mind that “spiffy” is relative).

One day in... consider me a happy customer. I couldn’t be more pleased after my day-long session. I learned so much and had fun doing so. And since we all find ourselves here, right now, on the web, I thought it’d be fun to share some tips that I gathered today during the “Fundamentals in Web Usability” session that might just apply to you (though, admittedly, if you do website design full-time, this will be old hat):

• It turns out that users actually will scroll (beyond “the fold” – the first screen that you see on any given monitor)… but only a total of 2.3 pages worth.



• Less is more! Cluttered (with the wrong images, content, etc.) websites just distract your user from what they came to do in the first place.



• When writing content for a general audience, do so as if your users have the literacy level of an 8th grader (yes, I'm serious... and no, this doesn't have anything to do with the American education system).



• Be consistent within your site, whether in link and text colors, placement of navigation on the page, etc.



• You have a lot more flexibility (i.e. room for error) with a highly motivated or extremely loyal user; do not design with that user in mind.

Now that I've dispensed web design and usability guidelines here (amid this not-so-by-the-book-following-designed if-you-can-call-it-that blog), I will proceed to hide my head and never come out again... or at least not until tomorrow when I'll hopefully have some handy writing for the web tips (and with any luck, written in prose flowing like fine wine).

Getting to Know You

Not that one's asked or anything... but I got to thinking that (approximately 1.009 of) you might be wondering just who the (utterly cluttered, over-thinking, anal) brains behind the madness are around here. And on the off-chance that you weren't sitting around contemplating that, I'll do my best to keep these 10 things that you absolutely positively could have lived a long and healthy life without knowing about me (AKA a semi-personal list of things I'm actually willing to post on the interwebs) kinda light... so if nothing else, you, at the very least, get to walk away knowing that there sure are some strange people out there.

We'll start with a gimme... my favorite little people (and most oft-photographed) in the whole wide world are this crazy bunch, Charlie and Caroline (along with their latest in eyewear fashion).

Number dos... when I tell people I was a cheerleader in high school, they aren't all that surprised. Not sure how I feel about that but I thought you should know.

Trois... my handwriting is 100% (shoot, even 200%) "learned" and I owe it all to Dr. Dewasthali (college professor extraordinaire whose Quant I and II courses kicked my butt). The story's not worth your time but suffice it to say I'm masquerading around in someone else's handwriting.

It takes me, on average, 18 minutes to dry my hair - sometimes more, rarely less (so... I realized that's not really an average). Do you have any clue how many hours of my life have been spent drying this (so-not-worth-it) hair?

My first-thing-in-the-morning routine consists of spending a couple of minutes going here hoping and praying that Deb's posted a new recipe for me to gawk at just before I check over here to see what's happening on the ranch (and if it's wisdom about photography or cooking, so be it), and then a last turn headed straight here to drool over whatever latest (perfectly-done) home improvement project they've tackled.

Oops! I lost count somewhere along the way back there and only got to five. And I gotta tell you... I'm already tired so I can only imagine I lost you long ago. If I can dream up another couple less-than-interesting nuggets about myself, I'll be back (someday) with a Part II... otherwise, you now know that I'm (very likely) only five-facts-worthy.

UPDATE: I should have known that some of you know me better than I know myself. Christy so generously provided these additional 5 facts so I got to thinking that it might be fun to see what else you kids can come up with. Just imagine (or maybe, don't) the possibilities.

6. [I] can fall asleep ANYWHERE - standing up, leaning against a cinder-block-raised dorm bed studying, after approximately 3 seconds on a plane, etc.
7. [I] am utterly devoted to [my] friends and family and will do anything for them. thanks, CP
8. [I] am half-Chinese, half-Scottish - [an] interesting mix and people often can't tell [I am] either.
9. While [I was] a cheerleader - [I am] also very athletically talented *remember, someone else wrote this in other sports - tennis and softball to name a few... maybe a little *lot less talented at basketball, but [I'm] always up for a game!
10. When [I] laugh - which is often - [I] often cry... think it may be a genetic issue with [my] tear ducts!

A Different Version

Well, this is downright embarrassing... right now, most people who write something masquerading as a food blog (although I'm not completely convinced that's why you're here) are either in the kitchen hurriedly preparing delicious homemade accompaniments to the perfectly roasted turkey or are already at the table, surrounded by dear friends and family, just about to dig into said complements.

Yet... here I am - spending part of my Thanksgiving afternoon sitting at our computer still thinking (and talking, quite frankly) about our recent jaunt up to New York City. Admittedly this is actually a tradition in the loosest sense of the word - as for the past hour or so, I've had one eye on the annual Dog Show (that we always manage to watch in some shape or form) and the other... here with you.

It’s just that I’ve had Wicked on the brain ever since we saw the musical and I thought perhaps one way to transition from Wicked music all-the-time to Christmas music all-the-time (officially acceptable after today, right?), was to finally getting around to sharing this. After all, we all know that the best way to get rid of a song stuck in your head (as Wicked's Defying Gravity and For Good have been - not that I'm complaining), is to sing it loud and clear... er, right?

Regardless, I won't bore you with details except to say that I wish it weren't over... and that I'm fairly certain any Christmas music lulls will be filled with the sounds of Wicked - and I'm okay with that.

Now for that turkey...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Liberty Enlightening the World

As it turns out, holidays aren't just the days that we have off of work, or the ones that are celebrated with large amounts of food or the giving and receiving of presents (so I told myself as I got ready for work this morning knowing that well-over half of my counterparts around this Capitol city that I call home were still fast asleep - "at least I'll get a seat on the Metro" was my only consolation).

On my short trip into work, I had an attitude change... though admittedly, it's not hard for me to embrace a day that honors our servicemen and women, past and present. Once I put my selfish bitterness of wanting a day off behind me, I was able to see much clearer.

I thought about all of the freedoms I have thanks to the service of our brave men and women - those that I all too often take for granted. I'm recently back from a short trip to New York City where we climbed our way up into the crown of the beautiful Lady Liberty; there just isn't another place on Earth in my humble opinion that elicits the emotions that a few hundred steps up a small, winding staircase conjure up about this Country... our home.

I might never have had the same experience with our fair Lady that those who were greeted by her at the end of a very long journey in which they risked their lives to come to our great country had, but we all enjoy the same limitless opportunities and freedoms that she stands for. Those that our founding fathers dreamed into place and those that we as citizens have the responsibility to protect... which, throughout history, has meant that some of our loved ones must be sent into harm's way. It is for those people that we have this holiday.

Who knew so many thoughts could come about during an undisturbed metro ride; and, lest you think otherwise, my ramblings here aren't meant to induce a conversation about immigrant rights in the grand US of A or military involvement... it's just me here, folks.

Though you can't go very far where we live without a reminder of why today is a real holiday, for many, sadly enough, Veteran's Day is just another day... and for those lucky ones, 'just another day' that they don't have to go to work. That's not to say there aren't many companies and people who don't go out of their way to make today special - but somehow, I think most of us miss the real meaning of this important day.

Today during my lunch hour, I was fortunate to have a chance to get involved in an effort to support military families but understandably not everyone has something so convenient. Perhaps, then, just look around... a simple "thank you" to a veteran or active duty military, or the family of a serviceman or woman, works just as well.

Now... off my soapbox - am I the only one who didn't know that the Statue of Liberty's official title is "Liberty Enlightening the World" and that her right foot is raised symbolizing forward movement? Both little (known?) facts are quite fitting however... and even more so on a day that commemorates those who fight for our freedom at home and abroad, bringing that sense of liberty with them.

THANK YOU to all those who have served, are serving or are family of the military sacrificing here on the home-front. We are more grateful than you know.
**Important info regarding crown access (and seriously, you want to get to the crown): It re-opened to the public on July 4, 2009, but for only a limited time - so run, don't walk and reserve your tickets!

Just Like I Remember

Growing up, one of my dreams was to have my birthday party at this cute little food shop, where they hosted many a hands-on food preparation event (and so the story begins... perhaps this is where all of this stems from). Picture a local, everyone-knows-everyone, version of Williams-Sonoma, but with early 1990s pricing (and menus, but we'll get to that later). Even though I never realized my own dream *tear*, I was fortunate enough to attend a few of my friends' birthday parties at the shop, and they were all I'd imagined they'd be... and some deep dish pizza.

You see, at one of those fateful shindigs, the star of the show was a delicious deep dish pizza. It was so good in fact that I did what any obedient little girl in my shoes would do: I brought that recipe home and announced to my mom that we just must make it (and at this point in my life, by "we", I meant "she"). And so, over the course of my childhood, we (err... she) did, again and again and again.

Unlike the original, however, which as I recall is prepared in a 9x13 baking dish, this recipe bakes up in a well-oiled and cornmeal dusted (which, by the way, is the answer to all of your homemade pizza-making woes) cast iron skillet. Also unlike the original, this is done Chicago-style which means the cheese is layered directly on top of the crust (along with your choice of meat and/or veggies) and then the sauce is spooned over the toppings ("over the toppings" - that's ironic).

But like the original (or the version stuck in my head), both are eaten mostly with a fork and knife since their gooey yumminess makes it a bit hard to eat with your hands (though that didn't stop some people from trying).

So while this isn't the recipe I came home with that day, *see, I don't always go running to my mom for ideas or recipes (shhh... mom, can you send it to me?)*, it was a darn good rendition, and perhaps it just might be 2009's answer to cooking-store-birthday-parties-that-dreams-are-made-of's deep dish pizza.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

from Cooking Light

The Forecast

I think it's going to be a good one... this weekend, that is. Sure there are storms in the forecast, but there's also a certain little almost 4-year old's birthday party at a local fire station and baking, cooking, cleaning, and painting to be done. And I'm beyond excited about 3 out of those 4 (and secretly not really even dreading that 4th... yes, I'm one of those weirdos that likes cleaning - well, except for dusting blinds and wouldn't you know... ).

But let's talk about what I'm going to be making... since we're still celebrating another certain someone's birthday (or at least I am), tonight's dinner is his all-time favorite: Chicken Parmesan. This will be my first venture into a non-baked version and I have a feeling it'll be worth every calorie.

I'm also planning on a batch of these after Amber so rudely tempted me with their butterscotch-studded cousins last night. Although I'm feeling guilty even mentioning this as it's like I'm cheating on my very own version. And even worse, as much as I hate to admit it... Joy outdid our recipe (sorry mom).

And lastly, when we actually will eat this one is still to be determined... but for some reason, this spinach quiche struck a chord with me. Maybe it's that my mom used to make a similar recipe with some frequency growing up, maybe it's that I have all of the very accessible ingredients already, or maybe it's just because I want to... but no matter what, I want this - and now (or in the next 3 days, at the very least).

Oh wait - if you're still there. It's fall (you come here for pieces of information like that, I know this) which means lots of baking (course so do spring, summer, and winter to me). I've found these delicious and waist-increasing recipes and can't decide which to make. Would you be so kind as to help me choose one? Plus, if you're local, I promise I'll share!

1) Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

2) Double Chocolate Brownies with Caramel Frosting

3) Death by Caramel Bars

More Than 60 Seconds

Today is all about reflections, remembrances... and of course, that moment of silence (can anyone tell me why just a moment, as I've been wondering since 8:46am EST).

It's been a fittingly grey and somber morning here in the DC-area - if I have my way, though, before this day has ended, the umbrellas will have disappeared and a bit of sunshine will poke her head through the thick cloud-cover. How's that for a metaphor (grammar snobs - forgive me if that's not a real metaphor) - not to mention, some good ole' fashioned optimism?!

Along with the rest of the free world, today brought with it a flood of memories for me. Where I was at the time and how I learned about all that had just happened that would change our world, more than we could ever comprehend, or possibly imagine. No, it's not just on this date in September that I relive those events, but today it can't be helped.

And so here we are - another year "post-9/11" (disappointing and strange all at once, to me, that this is now how we mark time) has come and gone. I'm constantly struck by how much even my little insignificant life has changed in these past eight years. So while I don't want to give 9/11 all the credit (ah-hem, perhaps I'm just getting older - nah - and wiser - double-nah), one of the major changes in my life for the better is that I try (and fail miserably, but oh a valiant effort is, and will continue to be, made) to focus on what is important (like the fact that my pie crust didn't look at all like her's or that my photography skills are still, how-do-you-say, lacking?!).

All kidding aside, the events of 9/11 eight short years ago have forever changed us all - it's easy to see how much harder, or maybe just different, life is - but perhaps a better use of our time would be to see all of that we have to be thankful for and (try and) concentrate on what really matters... hopefully, not just for one short moment each year.

Naturals

I'm still reeling from having just watched this video about an accomplished (and adorable) 5-year old with some amazing God-given, natural talent (not to mention having beautifully overcome more trials than most adults, let alone children the age of five).

Kyle Lograsso @ Yahoo! Video

And, while you might not recognize either my cute little golf prodigy or this guy who I'm about to introduce you to, in terms of raw, natural abilities, they both shine.

But in very different ways (what?! I promised I'd get back to food around these parts... so here we go!).

I've mentioned this other guy before... our family's master chef, Ben. He's been around, this is nothing new... he's always been the brains (and brawn, to be sure) behind all of the deliciousness that we are treated to in Penn Yan and he was also the 'hired help' at Chris' 30th birthday shindig, complete with... you guessed it, ribs.

I should stop lest I mislead you into thinking our chef is a one-dish man, though. He just has some things (ah-hem, ribs) perfected so it's hard us mortals of the kitchen to get past them.

Poor Ben can't spend more than 5 minutes with all of us before we are inquiring when he'll finally be opening a restaurant and (since he asked our opinions) naming items that 'absolutely must' be included on the menu. Sure he's never had a formal cooking lesson - but you wouldn't know it visiting his kitchen (or grill, for that matter). Our last visit to his local kitchen produced a meal worthy of royalty... pan-seared foie gras, sauteed duck breasts, and mushroom risotto, all paired with the perfect crisp white wine.

With that said, you can understand why this last time that we saw him, we got down to business... coming up with the perfect name for his restaurant - and an advertising campaign to boot.

I know I'm hedging bets pretty quickly but I think it's fair to say that you should keep an eye out for both of these guys. There's just something about hard-working, figure-it-out-yourself-types that gives me the confidence to know they could go the distance.

Blah Blah Blah

The new season (talking about football here, folks) hasn't even officially started but I am officially done with all of the hype. My gosh...

First it's (I dare spill his name here) Vick and his ongoing antics... or rather, his (ah-hem) new-found state of honesty and remorse. A happy ending to that story, though - he's signed with Philly and is right where he belongs (no offense to any Eagles fans out there).

Next up is Favre... oh dear. Nothing sketchy here, just drama around a future hall-of-famer who can't give up the game. I've got nothing for or against the man, but it does seem like his time has come... and gone. It is a shame, though, as I'd previously thought Favre was bigger than a cheap publicity stunt, but it seems as though he's not the only one.

And a quick diversion back to baseball... but this one is closer to home. Perhaps the name Stephen Strasburg doesn't mean anything to you but around here, you can't go far without hearing his name followed by his $15+M price tag. While I really can't understand how the salary (and signing bonus, etc.) is justified for someone who hasn't thrown one pitch in a professional league, I just hope this kid can handle all the pressure and fame that has been heaped up on him. I'm not optimistic... but only time will tell.

And then, just when it seemingly can't get more corrupt or drama-filled... along comes a coach talking about why he just won't leave a formerly pitiful program (and it's not for lack of offers!). Really, though (admission of my bias here)... who would want to leave the solid program that he's grown by leaps and bounds, and stuck with... because he "really does believe in family, commitment and all those other values that are nothing more than just motivational buzzwords to so many of his coaching colleagues." Huh? Sure, you might argue that this guy is only in the ranks of college football where the dis-loyalty and corruption don't run so deep, but I beg to differ... especially given whatever is in the water so far this season, I count our Coach Grobe as a true class act, perhaps for once the pros should look to a college coach for some direction!

*For those who literally thought "blah blah blah" at my sports commentary, don't let my lack of (food-related, or otherwise) posting falsely lead you to believe I'm not cooking, or eating, for that matter. And hopefully some of what I've made will catch your fancy as well.

Just a Teaser

Because if nothing else, you know I'm good for a follow-up. Or maybe that should read: "if nothing else, I'm good for a follow-up from Deacon-land". There, much better.

Surely you even saw this coming... with my mention of the summer slipping away and football game-watching foods on the brain. Nice how that worked, huh - really, I'm not nearly that organized to have planned it out - although, I do wish I could claim to be!

But I do realize it's Friday and attention spans are understandably short - so I'll get to my point... this will not weary you in the least (has someone hi-jacked my blog... am I really quoting a movie?).

Aaron Curry... you possibly remember me singing this recent Wake grad's praises a few months ago when he got picked fourth in the NFL draft? Well, he's since moved up to Seattle to join and start practicing with his new team - and about a month ago, the Seahawks released an article that we Curry fans awaited with baited breath... would he live up to the hype?

Well, a quick scan of the article (yes, I eventually read the whole thing but was so nervous about the content that I couldn't do much more than scan it initially) told me everything I needed to know... heck, the title basically gave it away: "Exceeding Expectations".

In case you don't care to read the whole thing (what?! you aren't obsessed with the Deacons like I am?), I'm here to provide the highlights: (my emphasis added)

• "Aaron Curry is every bit of a football player the Seahawks hoped he'd be, and much more."

• “He’s a top-flight kid, and he will really add a lot to this organization both on and off the field,” coach Jim Mora said at the time. “It’s a heckuva pick for us. He’s the kind of guy that we like to draft, both as a football player and as a man.”

And with that fall football-season teaser (this weekend marks the first pre-season game, after all), I will turn back to my summer salads.

Pucker Up!

Here I go at an attempt to "make lemonade out of lemons"... also known as really not that bad of a situation(s) - just one that deserves some "lemonading"... or if nothing else, something at least crack-half-a-smile humorous (pity laugh, anyone?).

Aren't these pretty flowers?! I agree. So how can I even pretend that there's something wrong with this picture... when could getting flowers ever be something to complain about?

Let my sob (err... not at all, really, our life is actually relatively full of proverbial flowers, just not any of the zinnia-variety) story begin... you see, we were supposed to have said gorgeous flowers growing in just the spot in our yard this year; they would have added a much needed pop of amazing color, not to mention hours (days, even!) of happiness as cut flowers in casual vases around our house. Instead, however, after two failed attempts at growing these supposedly fool-proof seeds in the aforementioned bed, I moved my efforts to some pots and managed to grow (what are now) "zinnia seedlings". As we speak, I am (still... yes, I know it's much too late and there's no chance my weak, leafy stems are going to grow into these beauties) waiting (hoping... praying!!) for our inadequate stalks to make good on their promises because I refuse to give up - a lesson in persistence (even if naive)!

Thanks to a visitor last weekend, I got my first (please oh please... not last - grow seedlings, grow!) taste of these flowers - and now, as I (purposefully) walk by the flowers numerous times, I have no doubt that were just meant to grow in our garden (I mean the color!!!! - could they be more perfect for someone so color-obsessed?!?).

Lemon: inability to grow my own zinnias; Lemonade: generous friend bringing me a most glorious bouquet to tide me over until my own flowers pop (they've just got to - I know it).

As if that weren't bad enough (cough cough... I assume you're either heartily laughing now or have moved on)... it's seemingly unfair to pair these color-free (sounds so much kinder than 'colorless') but timeless and unique plates with those balls of color.

Know, however, that while an effort was made to add some color to these plates, it won't get a mention here (Lemon!) but I couldn't pass up the chance to show you what I think are my new (to me - they were in the family, another reason I love them!) favorite appetizer/salad/dessert plates.

Lest I be misunderstood, this isn't about me whining - no complaints here, life really is pretty good. Just a reminder that even when you can't (read: fail miserably 3 times) grow your own beautiful cut flower garden and you serve a cake so sour even the most polite company can't stomach a petite piece, there are always friends who'll bring you flowers and pretty plates on which to serve cake, on another day.

Sweet Land of Liberty

However you choose to show it... let freedom ring, today and always.

God bless America! God bless those who have served, serve today and will serve tomorrow! Let us never take their sacrifices to make this country the "land of the free" for granted.

And just in case these images of red, white and blue don't do it for you, read this.

Best Friends Forever

You haven't missed anything (not that you were worried) but I've been hiding something for a while (er... some might call it forever): I'm obsessed with succulents. I recently referenced these glorious little plants in a very roundabout way as that was the closest I could come to an admission.

Before... YES, I knew I liked them and thought one might have a place in our home, but this, this, I wasn't prepared for... I've fallen head over heels. They are just too cute!

I found this one at Trader Joe's tagged with a meager price and in the ideal green-toned planter! I'm on a kick to add more color throughout the house and the bright lime greens running through the water-logged leaves are the perfect complement in almost any of our rooms. My new best friend has found its place on a small table in our living room (when not basking in the sun) providing that exact pop of color we needed.

As I've been talking a lot about things that I can't live without, I considered what I'd pick if given the choice between an adorable potted little succulent (perhaps with one of these little silver markers) and say... Le Creuset. Honestly, I can't fathom the pain and agony of choosing between such beloveds but I'll address it nonetheless.

I think Chris said it best: "it's like being asked which of your children you like the most [not that we have kids]... you love them all equally just in different ways".

My Turn

When I was younger, I was never one of those kids who would just endlessly ask "why" (I think my brother did enough of that for both of us). Sure I had my own ways of prolonging conversations (i.e. trying to get the answer I wanted), but rarely did I just say "why... okay, but why... great and why?"

I know better... never say never.

For your sake (and frankly, my own, too), I've been doing some thinking about why I have this blog (not to mention, why I spend a decent amount of time thinking about it). Even though I had the best intentions, my jump into this little venture was quite haphazard. I was inspired by a good friend's fun blog and since I'd been tinkering around more in the kitchen and with a camera, I thought I might try my own. Not much more thought was put into it.

I should have known that one day I'd be back here, examining the goals I have for this site - after all, the better part of my day job is spent helping our employees set, meet and even exceed their own goals so it's high time that I take some of my own medicine.

So... Kara's Kitchen? Why do I sit at this computer posting pictures and crafting my stories, especially since I talk about decidedly more than just food (and the mediocre pictures I take of it).

I've come up with a very non-exhaustive list to explain my existence here (and it's good for about 5 minutes, until I change my mind):

• First one is easy - a hour and a half flight separates my parents (Hi, Mom!) and us, so this is one way I can keep them posted on what we're doing; other sadly far-away friends fall in this category, too
• To share cooking successes (and learn from failures) although I certainly don't consider myself a real-live food blogger - my pictures aren't good enough and the recipes usually aren't my own, though I'm working on this
• To discuss collegiate (and other) sports, the ACC in particular; it should be said that this highly biased, unprofessional sports-writer happens to believe that the only team worth mentioning is Wake Forest (and Navy, the Nationals, and Redskins)
  
• To talk about entertaining and cooking within a tight food allowance; some occasional budgeting tips and coupon mentions (plus, I can't help it - the frugal part of me just leaps out sometimes)
  
• To keep a list of various things about DC... fun restaurants that we've tried and some of the different events going on in this great city that we are fortunate to call home
  

At the end of the day (or just this post), it turns out that Kara's Kitchen is merely one big record of some (often not) interesting parts of our lives and that lo-and-behold, I'm here just to write and kind of like it! Whatever you do, don't tell my elementary and middle school teachers - back in the day, I wasn't tops in my creative writing endeavors... for a while after a teacher suggested we vary our writing by starting or ending our assignments with a question, I ended everything I wrote with "how about you?"

Thus, and you already know this if you've made it this far, I usually sit down with some topic in mind, sometimes distantly-related to a recipe recently tested, and proceed to ramble.

This time, I wasn't able to come up with even the most remote relation to this delicious, healthy, crunchy, made-from-pantry-staples Coconut-Almond Granola, but you deserve, at the very least, to know where to find the recipe. It's so good that only a good cause such as Baking GALS could keep Chris and I from having an all-out brawl over it; the granola was quickly mailed off with the Celebration cookie bars.

How about you!? Am I the only one who does this blog-soul-searching? Yeah, I thought so.

Come Sit With Me

While I'm on a roll driving away (the droves of) readers with my awkward eulogy to our ice cream maker... I thought there was no better time to toss in a post about the imminent NFL draft. (perfectly logical connection, don't you think?)

Really? Yes, really. And it's important, not to mention being way more interesting than when I babbled about the MLB All-Star game (although that's not saying much).

I think I've mentioned before about being proud to be a Deac - maybe just once or twice. There's no pre-tense here, so I'll say it right upfront... I'm going there again.

But, Kara, you said this is about the NFL draft... what's that got to do with Wake Forest? *for those of you who already know where I'm going with this, please pardon my elementary explanation - you may now proceed on with your day

GLAD you asked!

Type in "Wake Forest" and "NFL draft" into your preferred search engine now. Go ahead, I'll wait here.

I assume you got quite a few hits.

Perhaps one of them was this article about a certain Wake alum, showcased on the front page of USA Today's sports section... saying that it's "hard to find a flaw" in him and asking if he might just be the "draft's safest pick".

Or maybe this one... explaining that even though linebackers rarely go very high in the draft that our alum is such a "sure tackler and versatile player, able to flatten a running back behind the line of scrimmage on one play and drop into pass coverage with speed and agility on the next, that NFL coaches and front-office executives are plenty excited about him." Whatever that means... I know this: most analysts agree that our boy will be picked in the top 5 or 6 (no jinxing!!) tomorrow evening.

But please, whatever you do, don't stop reading just yet. Yes, we love our alum, are proud of him and his accomplishments on the field, and there's no doubt that the whole wide world of Deacons will be waiting with bated breath until his name is called tomorrow... but this article says it all, this is what it's all about.

Thank you, Aaron Curry, for making us proud to be a part of your (rather extended) family. It's true that we will be cheering you on with fervor tomorrow (and beyond) and that we want you to go as early as possible in the draft... but it's things like inviting this leukemia survivor to sit with you as you await the news that will surely change your (and your family's) life that make us truly beam with pride.

Sure, we aren't certain exactly how high you'll go in the draft or what city you'll call home as of tomorrow, but there is one thing I know... when you get there, tell your new team to get ready for a bunch of gold and black wearing fans.

Guilty as Charged

(pardon my rant, and I promise not to make a habit of this - regularly scheduled programming will be back tonight, or at the latest tomorrow morning)

I will admit, maybe I shouldn't have let it, but it's finally gotten the best of me (you know it's 'bad' when I feel like writing about it).

Why is it (and it should be noted that I don't feel this is a result of our economic downturn or the overall tumultuous times we're in the midst of) that people are so quick to take advantage of others and above all, others' money? I find this happens most often with regularly occurring payments, especially cell phone bills, but not always. It also seems to usually involve what they deem as just a 'few bucks'?

To put it lightly, this drives me up the wall - both when it happens to others as well as myself. This morning I made my now regular (only 3 days left!) 20 minute round trip walk up to McDonald's for my free cup of coffee (yes, it's that good). A nice man stood next to me at another register and I happened to over-hear his order - "just a medium cup of coffee, please". However, when his coffee was handed to him, the employee said "that'll be $1.54". He looked both disappointed and slightly stunned and responded "oh, I thought it was free" to which the McDonald's cashier didn't respond (or look up) but ripped up the receipt she was about to hand him and printed out a new receipt, with the complimentary cup of coffee correctly recorded.

This probably doesn't warrant me getting so excited, I realize this. I just continue to be disappointed and have a really hard time understanding why this is tolerated (with the knowledge that sometimes it's simply a mistake - we are all human). The thing is... McDonald's, or at least this cashier, would have gladly taken his payment if he hadn't been aware of the promotion (lucky for the nice customer, I was there and would never have let him pay for it - I'm famous for explaining to random by-standers how they can save more money on a purchase). I've had this happen multiple times on past cell phone bills: seeing a $5-10 charge pop up and calling to inquire - to which the cell phone company nicely removes the charge but had I not noticed... they would have equally nicely taken my extra money.

Nothing said here is to drum up a large group of angry pseudo-food blog readers - I'm pretty well acquainted with the fact that most people don't waste brain cells or stress on this kind of thing. I just happen to be one of the special few (and I do feel special!) who let themselves be bothered by it.

But since misery does love company, I'll leave you with this for fun... have you ever called to appeal a charge on a bill only to have the customer service rep on the line tell you "oh c'mon, it's really not that much money". Don't even get me started.

*just in case I ruined your morning with this, though the risk of that is about this (picture me with my fingers very close together) much... I invite you to join me in finding comfort knowing this adorable little lady awaits us at home, and never tries to take advantage of anyone