Molten lava cakes are just cakes that are designed not to be baked all the way.  While considered elegant, they hearken back to childhood, when we all wondered if it really was possible to make a finished baked good tastier than the batter.

That said, I'm quite delighted with the recipe for them I just made.  They're baked in custard cups, and they ( Read more... )

The house is making progress but there are still boxes everywhere.  Just one in the bedroom (I'm slowing unpacking penguin figurines); maybe two in the kitchen (one for the thrift store; one to be taken downstairs for storage - don't need the electric wok in the main kitchen area ( Read more... )

 I've been in an office (as in a room with a door) for about two years now.  It occurred to me recently that I really should get an office plant.  The reasoning is similar to why I started growing houseplants in the first place: the oxygen can only do you good.  I've got a window and the office features an area blocked off by a column that would be ( Read more... )

I finally got all the ornamental grass cut down.  I suppose a weed whacker would make this quicker - but it's awfully close to the daffodils so  even if I wanted a weed whacker (we're trying to cut down, not buy more stuff) I probably wouldn't got that route.  I'm really enjoying the flowers this year; I wish I'd planted some more bulbs last fall ( Read more... )

While we purchased a region-free Blu-Ray player several months ago, I've never actually watched the film on it.  So the first time I saw the Blu-Ray was at the House of Blues.  Lots of lighting, though, so I didn't really see that many details.

I didn't like the sound mix at all.  Apparently there is a less offensive sound mix available, as I got to ( Read more... )

The glory of the snow actually came up this year; it never came up at all in Iowa and this is the first time I've seen it here.

It's nice.  I think I'll add it to my list of bulbs I plant when I live somewhere.

The Lenten Rose actually came up too (first time in three years).  Of the five plants, only one has flowered or looks at all well.  It's ( Read more... )

Just because people in the private sector are getting screwed doesn't mean that it's OK to screw people with government jobs ( Read more... )

On Friday, I planned a stop in Geneva on the way home from work.

It's probably too far from work to move to, and the IL-38 can get very bottlenecked around rush hour.  But it's a cute little town, and I could grow fat and happy there.
Stopped at a French restaurant, hit two chocolatiers and two bakeries.  Joy.  I've taken to cutting all the goodies ( Read more... )

Fairly soon I'll be back to working Saturdays at work ( Read more... )

 I just bought a second pair of mass market produced Betsey Johnson Victorian boots.  OK, they're by a designer but they're at major dept stores and unlike my last pair, they aren't made to measure.  They're also a fraction of the price, of course, though they still aren't cheap.  They might actually look slightly nicer than my current ones, though ( Read more... )