Tuesday, January 15, 2013

DON'T DROOP

The 'D' sound, the Double D sound, of Don't Droop.  I like it.  It is very Positive.  It gives you a little coaching, a prod, so to speak, of what to do.  It is a good thing.  Think of Beethoven's Ninth.  There is steady progress in those famous notes. And from someone of my generation, one has a cartoon mouse or Sylvester the Cat, creeping by and hiding behind various things to break free to their objective.

But, I must give you the exact quote from which this DON'T DROOP insight (developing and fading) arrived.  I just received thru delivery my Cuisinart Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper Attachment.  Let me first say: Sweet.  I know the rest of you have had blenders and processors and such things before.  I have only had 'experiences', and startling one's at that.  So, without expanding on those experiences, let me get right to the most exquisite instruction I have ever experienced.  The Countess Dowager on Downton Abbey would tilt her head and smile and Wink, I am sure....

BEATING EGG WHITES

"When beating egg whites use a very clean metal or glass bowl, never plastic.  Plastic can contain hidden oils and fats that can ruin the delicate egg white foam.  To help stabilize the egg whites add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white prior to beating them. (If using a copper bowl omit the cream of tartar.)  Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form that do not droop.  Beating the egg whites longer causes them to dry out and become even less stable.  When adding sugar to beaten egg whites add it slowly when soft peaks just begin to form and then continue beating to form soft peaks that don't droop."

If that isn't the High Mass of sweet, clear and helpful instruction, with no deflation or fear, I don't know what is.  And, I did buy a can of Solo Poppy Seed Filling to make their Bundt Cake, because I have sour cream left from Christmas, and it must be used.  And, further, I have the wonderful bundt pan that contains six smaller bundts flowers, and enough left over for a small loaf. (I think I gave that away)


Friday, January 11, 2013

The Lent Tree

First, I must save this link to the Ultimate Caftan: http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/Chaos-and-Classicism/Madeleine-Vionnet-Caftan-1921.htm

Yes, I have a Lent Tree.  The week before Christmas I started saying I was ready for Lent.  Well, I still am, whatever it turns out to be.

Coincidentally I found some little foil medallions about 3/4 in. diameter that are some of the Stations of the Cross.  I have been hoping that I would come across a meditation on the Stations that I got at church with my Grandparents, back in the early 1980's.  The meditations made sense to  me, and were something one needed to think about.  They were probably Franciscan.  I am crossing my fingers I come across them.

But the Lent Tree came into my life when I stopped into a garden center to see if they had a Garden Rocker, which they didn't, but a man was trying to untangle a spiral iron tree, that was garlanded with purple salvia (artificial) and had a lovely purple ribbon on top.  I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise, and he was struggling, much like I am always doing, having something else in his other hand.  He couldn't find the price, and neither could I on the one just like it, and I grew very attached to it.  I was pushing a cart, which I do instead of using a cane, and put one on it as we both paraded off to find out how much the iron spiral tree was.

Other things became attached to me, some flowers he was hoping to use for his mail box.  It was the nature of the material.  When I freed myself, we put those on the cart, in a paper bag, where they could do no further harm.  A clerk went off to look for the price, and 15 minutes later, found that they weren't on the inventory and someone must have pulled them out of storage and she gave us a special skew so she wouldn't have to deal with them again, either of them. We laughed on the way to the check out cottage.  We explained that we didn't want to pay for the garland, only the tree, and needed to remove that.  We were told that the special price included all appurtenances.  Aha.  A Lent Tree.

At home I took the animals off my small Christmas tree, and elsewhere and put them on my tree.  These are made out of some woody material and I like them out an about.  But, the fixture is made to be pushed into soil, and has two circles of four prongs, so I have to get a 12 in pot.  One came to me, but it isn't deep enough.  It will do for the forced narcissus, if I can get that together.

Already I am having to do without music on YouTube because something has gone wrong with the way my computer interacts and my computer is no longer supported.  I have put out a question somewhere, but I don't know how to get back to find out if there is an answer.

I am doing without music in the car because the antenna wiring is messed up from cleaning out the tree debris from the back window area.  Unfortunately, I don't know if I have the fine motor control necessary to fix it myself, and I am over help from 'the people.'  It always costs me triple, never works, and I am supposed to be grateful.  I am, really, but I am also over it, and spent all my reserve savings for the rest of my life because no one would listen to me about the cigarette lighter not working when they went to replace the battery.  So that was three days of labor, and lost programming, and the cigarette lighter thing is still not fixed.  Etc., etc.
I felt so wonderful listening to my Otis Redding cd.  Now I just look at the case and blow him a kiss.

There will be more to this, but this is enough for right now.