annie blog

Last August, I blogged about a dress that I had scored at the Goodwill, altered with some thread I had on hand, and then went on to wear all summer long.

Well, today, I was on The Sartorialist and clicked on one of his favorite images.  Guess what I found there?  My white dress!  It is totally the same one though, I don’t think that she paid $4.50.

Funny coincidence.

And, I hope that y’all have had a good Sunday and a great Mother’s Day!!

I made a semifreddo for Cinco de Mayo last week.

It was good, so very good, and was delightedly eaten by all those in attendance.  Except E, my baby (who is 8 but still the baby).  We weren’t concerned because that just meant more for us.

I think that a semifreddo like this one might be the perfect summer dessert.  It is easy to put together, and, except for a little time on the stovetop, doesn’t heat up the kitchen one bit.  Also, we had it with mango, but it would be wonderful with just about any beautifully ripe fruit…..peaches, fresh pineapple, strawberries….you name it.  As long as you like the way the fruit tastes with coconut and lime then it’ll be awesome.  And, as far as fruit goes, I usually employ my dad’s saying,

It goes together if you put it together.

Papa Joe uses this motto for clothing and home design, too, and although I embrace it in theory, I still can’t wear certain things together….because they would never, ever go.  Fruit isn’t clothing, though, so the motto goes here.

So, now that I’ve digressed from the recipe…here you go.

Coconut Lime Semifreddo

(slightly adapted from Shutterbean, who has wonderful step-by-step photos)

Serves 12

• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 oz)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup natural shredded coconut, toasted
• 1 mango, thinly sliced, or whatever seasonal fruit is available

Toast the coconut on a baking sheet in a 300 degree oven until light golden brown.

Line a 4 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on each side. In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk (I used the regular, full fat version)  and the sweetened condensed milk together and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir frequently.  Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water, set aside.  (The bowl should be large enough for you to place the saucepan in, later.)  Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until the mixture starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt & lime zest. Place saucepan over (in) the bowl of ice water and stir the mixture until it’s cool, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the coconut milk mixture. Pour into the loaf pan and top with coconut. Freeze until firm, 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, let the semifreddo sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Invert on a platter, remove the parchment and top with the sliced mango.

This is great, y’all, give it a try.

I don’t know what it is about do it yourself projects….I’m just drawn to them, I guess.  Especially those projects that transform something old and useless into something new and useful.

Like this hanging lamp.

In this article from the New York Times, Andrew Wagner talks about seeing abandoned, rusting bicycles around town and how that made him wonder what could be done with them.  He and his collaborator, Jen Turner, came up with a hanging lamp inspired by Noguchi.

I think that this is very cool — in part because I can’t afford but LOVE Noguchi designs, and in part just because it is awesome all on its own.

Speaking of Noguchi, did y’all know that he designed the ceiling of a building here in St. Louis?

Also, I want one of his coffee tables.

Hope y’all are having a good Tuesday!

is a very interesting place.

I went there a week ago — this happens if you neglect to get the tags on your ancient car renewed on time.  Ahem.  Anyway, any budding authors out there?  Well, I know exactly where you might go to get inspiration. The stories abound.

I really should have known that I was in for a bit of an odd experience when I showed up, wearing my casual t-shirt, cardigan, jersey skirt and flip flop combination that I had been wearing all day — and they asked me if I was a lawyer.  Do lawyers wear flip flops now?  Well, you know, at this court, I think that they just might.

Other highlights:

• Seeing a lawyer that I’ve seen on billboards around town.  I recognized his eye-patch.
• Feeling like I was in high school as the crowd was continually shushed and cell phones taken by those in authority.
• Hearing LOTS of interesting names….like the 18 year old kid that got his trial postponed.  His name?  Dorian Gray.

It was a funny experience and motivating, too.  The next time my plates are due I’ll renew.

I hope that y’all had a good Monday!

I hope that this finds y’all having a great day.

Here are a few things that have caught my eye this week:

Noise Trade is a music site that has free, legal downloads from all kinds of bands. They also have a blog. Way cool.

I’ve been waiting for a  year, nearly, to make this Coconut-Lime Semifreddo with Mango.  I made it tonight and we’ll eat it tomorrow.  Fingers crossed that it turns out great!  It just seemed very Cinco de Mayo-ish to me.

They are reading this book, An Everlasting Meal,  on a blog that I read.  It looks really interesting.  Have any of y’all given it a read, yet?  Hmmmm.

Another food book that I’ve recently read but haven’t cooked anything from yet is Jamie Oliver’s, Meals in Minutes.  In it, he cooks an entire meal in, like, half an hour, and tells you specifically how to do it, too.  I’ve already bookmarked some of the salads and desserts.  Plus, I like the way he has methodically fit it all together like a great jigsaw puzzle.  Is the whole technique awesome?  Yes.  Will I be able to employ it for my army?  Probably not.  But I really like the ideas behind it all and I admire anyone who tries to get folks to cook and value cooking and good food in this busy world.

I’ve been reading The Autism Revolution, lately.  My first thought is that I think that this is a really good book and that every doctor who sees an autistic patient should read it with his mind wide open.  I’m still in the middle — already I will say that I wished that everyone with a dog in the autism fight would just be as reasonable as the authors of this book.  Come together, people, please.

Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three will be performing for free at the Saint Louis Art Museum on June 22nd.  I can’t even express how exciting  this is.  We saw him at the Whittaker Music Festival last August.  It was one of my favorite concerts, ever.  I remember just sitting there, listening to the music,  thinking that both my parents and grandparents would have found it equally entertaining….and there aren’t many musicians that you can say that of.  See you there?

I really like this bedroom.  Both versions are good with me….though I can’t get into monogrammed linens.  Not for me and my dirty bunch.  That isn’t happening.  There is possibility and then there is reality.  And, if reality has me doing more laundry than I’m already doing, well then, count me out.  Can I get an amen?

Finally, I’m so excited to see that the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is on its way.  I really want to get this cookbook and I haven’t even seen it yet.  I rarely buy books these days,  but, I don’t know, maybe I’ll actually purchase this one.  All Deb’s recipes are just right….I mean, look at that french toast casserole!

Okay, that’s all the coherence (or semblance of it, anyway) that will be issuing forth from here tonight.

Grimm’s on y’all!  I can’t wait to see what happens tonight!  And, don’t forget the new Sherlock that comes on PBS this weekend, I think.

Okay, over and out.  And, Happy Friday!

This is a great song from the recently released album, Stars and Satellites, put out last month by the band, Trampled by Turtles.

If you like Bluegrass or AltCountry music you should check it out. Also, make sure to listen to the 2:55 minute mark because that is where they kick it in.

Happy listening and happy Thursday, y’all!!

I drive an ancient car, y’all. And, actually, I really like driving it. It is a responsive little car and reminds me of my first Accord, the car that I had owned for over half of my life when we finally had to let it go.

I loved that car. Her name was Honey Bun.

That reminds me that I haven’t named my current car. I should get right on that.

Anyway, the ancient car also has the best stereo. Nothing special or added (I don’t want y’all to get the image of me driving along in an altered car that pulsates with every beat of the music — though, that is a funny image) just a great system that came with the car.

The other day, I switched the channel from Sports Radio…you know, if someone had told me years ago that I would, later in life, listen to a bunch of Sports Radio I would not have believed them.

Ditto on the wearing of skirts 99% of the time.
Ditto the getting silver hair and not giving a care.
Ditto loving and watching baseball.
Ditto….too many things to ditto.

Anyway, this song came on and it sounded so awesome.

Totally made my day.

Happy Wednesday!!

Well, y’all, sorry for the unintended hiatus.  I didn’t blog for what felt like a week and it turned into a month, lickety-split.  The passage of time is scary, fast.

Anyway, I hope that y’all are having a good Spring!

Mine, so far, has been Spring Break (boys), Spring Break (me), Easter, IEPs, meetings, busy, busy, busy.

I’ve been doing a little ruminating, too.  Those of you who know me in person know that my personality goes more toward the Red Riding Hood direction, skipping along with no thought of a Big Bad Wolf.  That is true — most of the time.  But, Spring is the time of planning for next year and so the ruminations have been rather fast and furious, lately.  I don’t know how the Chicken Littles among us do it…..just a little Chicken Little for me  and I’m done for.  So, back to Little Red Riding Hood….though, I am a little bit older and, hopefully, wiser than Little Red, so maybe I’ll pack a stun gun in my picnic basket and get back to skipping.  Do you hear me, ruminations?  I’m packing.  Be warned.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Mama Susie and #3 and #4 at Cane Creek Nature Preserve

This is some of what we did on Spring Break.  Can you believe that this gorgeous place is 10 miles from where my parents live?  North Alabama is beautiful and unexpected.  You drive down winding country roads, past some chicken houses, and several Baptist churches before going down a rutted road.  Then, you suddenly come upon 700 acres of pure, undisturbed gorgeousness and the nicest hosts you’ll ever meet.  There are beautiful caves, a canyon, a lovely creek with very chilly water and smooth stones for barefoot walking on, waterfalls, rare wildflowers, and lots of  hills for climbing.

I can’t wait to go back….in the fall/winter when the bugs are asleep — totally, completely asleep.  Usually I’m a big fan of bugs.  I find them very entertaining, captivating, really.  They don’t bother me in general, except for the little ticks.  Why?  Because little ticks look a lot like freckles…..which I have like, a million of.  So, it gets a little confusing for me.  Other than that, bugs don’t bother me.  For instance, I now have ants in my kitchen.   They don’t seem to be the type to get into the sugar bowl or onto the mangos, so, you know, we’ll live in peace.

Speaking of mangos, I had a lovely one today in a salad with some avocado.

Speaking of avocado, I got 9 today at Aldi for 10 cents each.

Speaking of Aldi, I love it.  Big time.

Speaking of big time….I’m big time rambling now, so I’ll go.

But not for a month again.

Happy first day of May, y’all!

I hope that this finds y’all having a good Friday!

Here are some songs that have been running through my head this week:

This is “Museum of Flight” by Damien Jurado. It is off his recent album, Maraqopa. It is sort of haunting and beautiful, I think.

Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three sing “So Long Honeybee, Goodbye”. Y’all know how much I love Pokey.

Wilco sings “I Might” off their latest album. First Wilco album I haven’t owned in, like, forever. I need to fix that.

Here’s Nick Waterhouse and the Turn-Keys doing “Some Place”. He’s retro like Buddy Holly. Gotta love some retro-sound.

Finally, y’all may have heard that Earl Scruggs died yesterday. When musical greats die, we commonly say that there will never be another. This is definitely true for him, especially in regards to his talent and innovation. Look at those fingers fly.  Play it Earl!

Happy Friday!!

I don’t think that this qualifies as a recipe, really, but it is what I frequently eat for lunch.  When I make this rice, someone in my family always says, “What smells so good in here?”

I don’t measure when I make this, so these are general guidelines.  Try it if you like rice, spinach, eggs…..and a hot lunch vs. a cold one.