annie blog

So, What Did We Think
about the new Emma that was on Masterpiece for the last several weeks?

Well, it has been awhile since I read Emma so I’m not going on the novel so much as previous movies and my own sense of the book rather than its particulars.

I really liked the series.

I liked how the interpretation of Emma’s character possessed the youthfulness that it needed while leaving off the snarky-ness that some other adapations have had. I loved the Mr. Knightly character. I thought that it was just wonderful and exactly right. (The actor who played Knightly is Johnny Lee Miller, an actor who I’ve enjoyed in every role I’ve seen him in thus far.) Additionally, the screenwriter for this adaptation of Emma is Sandy Welch who has done a couple of excellent adaptations that I have LOVED, including Jane Eyre and North and South. I frankly can’t wait to see what she’ll do next. Finally, they got some excellent supporting actors, Michael Gambon, to name just one. I just really, really enjoyed it — except, of course, the picnic scene where Emma insults Miss Bates. That will make me cringe from here to eternity. I suppose that only means that they did the scene really well to make it so cringe-worthy.

So that’s my take. What’s yours?

Onion Dip

This is yummy dip is ALDIvore (all the ingredients can be found at aldi). It is also easy to put together. If you’re having people over, you can pop this in the oven and then have 30-40 minutes to hustle around and change the towels in the bathroom, pick up the living room, sweep off the porch and make all the children put on some pants. Don’t you just love recipes that allow you time to get the children clothed? Yes? Crickets chirping?

This dip is not low in fat. So, if you want a low fat dip then please look elsewhere. Definitely don’t make this — because it is very, very good. Addictive, nearly. Oh, wait, I believe that I have a solution. Maybe plan to have some of this and a glass of wine and then you really don’t need dinner. That’ll make everything equal out, right?

Oh, and I’m going to try putting a little dab of it in my omelette tomorrow morning. I don’t see how it couldn’t taste fantastic. And, so, I’m going to post the recipe now and quit thinking about it so that I don’t go raid the fridge for some right now.

Baked Onion Dip

1 8 oz. block cream cheese; softened to the point of being very spreadable
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup onion, small dice
1 cup mayo
1 T. or to taste freshly grated black pepper
tabasco (optional)

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Put in an oven-safe container. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and very golden brown (or darker) on top. Serve with yummy bread.

Onion Dip

This is yummy dip is ALDIvore (all the ingredients can be found at aldi). It is also easy to put together. If you’re having people over, you can pop this in the oven and then have 30-40 minutes to hustle around and change the towels in the bathroom, pick up the living room, sweep off the porch and make all the children put on some pants. Don’t you just love recipes that allow you time to get the children clothed? Yes? Crickets chirping?

This dip is not low in fat. So, if you want a low fat dip then please look elsewhere. Definitely don’t make this — because it is very, very good. Addictive, nearly. Oh, wait, I believe that I have a solution. Maybe plan to have some of this and a glass of wine and then you really don’t need dinner. That’ll make everything equal out, right?

Oh, and I’m going to try putting a little dab of it in my omelette tomorrow morning. I don’t see how it couldn’t taste fantastic. And, so, I’m going to post the recipe now and quit thinking about it so that I don’t go raid the fridge for some right now.

Baked Onion Dip

1 8 oz. block cream cheese; softened to the point of being very spreadable
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup onion, small dice
1 cup mayo
1 T. or to taste freshly grated black pepper
tabasco (optional)

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Put in an oven-safe container. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and very golden brown (or darker) on top. Serve with yummy bread.

Onion Dip

This is yummy dip is ALDIvore (all the ingredients can be found at aldi). It is also easy to put together. If you’re having people over, you can pop this in the oven and then have 30-40 minutes to hustle around and change the towels in the bathroom, pick up the living room, sweep off the porch and make all the children put on some pants. Don’t you just love recipes that allow you time to get the children clothed? Yes? Crickets chirping?

This dip is not low in fat. So, if you want a low fat dip then please look elsewhere. Definitely don’t make this — because it is very, very good. Addictive, nearly. Oh, wait, I believe that I have a solution. Maybe plan to have some of this and a glass of wine and then you really don’t need dinner. That’ll make everything equal out, right?

Oh, and I’m going to try putting a little dab of it in my omelette tomorrow morning. I don’t see how it couldn’t taste fantastic. And, so, I’m going to post the recipe now and quit thinking about it so that I don’t go raid the fridge for some right now.

Baked Onion Dip

1 8 oz. block cream cheese; softened to the point of being very spreadable
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup onion, small dice
1 cup mayo
1 T. or to taste freshly grated black pepper
tabasco (optional)

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Put in an oven-safe container. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and very golden brown (or darker) on top. Serve with yummy bread.

What Kind of Mountain?

On the way to school, out of the blue, my youngest son had a question for me.

E: So, Mom, why do you think that they made Mt. Rushmore?

Me: Well, E, you know, Mommy doesn’t remember the why, exactly. Maybe we can look it up when you come home from kindergarten.

E: Yep. Well, (pause) I think that they just wanted a fancy mountain.

A fancy mountain. You know, I’m sure that was always part of the motivation.

This buster. He’s a thinker.

What Kind of Mountain?

On the way to school, out of the blue, my youngest son had a question for me.

E: So, Mom, why do you think that they made Mt. Rushmore?

Me: Well, E, you know, Mommy doesn’t remember the why, exactly. Maybe we can look it up when you come home from kindergarten.

E: Yep. Well, (pause) I think that they just wanted a fancy mountain.

A fancy mountain. You know, I’m sure that was always part of the motivation.

This buster. He’s a thinker.

What Kind of Mountain?

On the way to school, out of the blue, my youngest son had a question for me.

E: So, Mom, why do you think that they made Mt. Rushmore?

Me: Well, E, you know, Mommy doesn’t remember the why, exactly. Maybe we can look it up when you come home from kindergarten.

E: Yep. Well, (pause) I think that they just wanted a fancy mountain.

A fancy mountain. You know, I’m sure that was always part of the motivation.

This buster. He’s a thinker.

For the Birds

So, I’ve got a few things to show y’all, and they are all avian in nature.

First off, there’s this fabric.

Here is another view.

It is Echino Birds of Summer 2009 by Etsuko Furuya and I think it is lovely.

I love and adore it and want to hug it and squeeze it and name it George. (My silly quote here is from The Abominable Snow Rabbit. You know, maybe I’ll just channel Bugs Bunny all day. It couldn’t hurt.)

Then, I wanted to let you know that the Ka Ka Ka-Coo-Coo bird has been spotted in the wild. He looks something like this.

Finally, I wanted to show y’all something funny. See these

napkins? They are vintage — from my childhood. My mother got rid of them a few years ago and sweetly passed them along to me. I just love them. Well, my sister emailed me the other day about

these pillows that Pottery Barn is now featuring.

Kind of funny resemblance, right?

What have we learned?
1. Annie is crazy about birds. Always was and always will be. (She might be just plain crazy, too, but the jury is out on that one.)
2. Echino is way cool. I’d take one of everything.
3. Ka Ka Ka-Coo-Coo birds bear a strong resemblance to Kevin in UP.
4. Everything old is new again.

Over and out. Y’all have a great Monday!

For the Birds

So, I’ve got a few things to show y’all, and they are all avian in nature.

First off, there’s this fabric.

Here is another view.

It is Echino Birds of Summer 2009 by Etsuko Furuya and I think it is lovely.

I love and adore it and want to hug it and squeeze it and name it George. (My silly quote here is from The Abominable Snow Rabbit. You know, maybe I’ll just channel Bugs Bunny all day. It couldn’t hurt.)

Then, I wanted to let you know that the Ka Ka Ka-Coo-Coo bird has been spotted in the wild. He looks something like this.

Finally, I wanted to show y’all something funny. See these

napkins? They are vintage — from my childhood. My mother got rid of them a few years ago and sweetly passed them along to me. I just love them. Well, my sister emailed me the other day about

these pillows that Pottery Barn is now featuring.

Kind of funny resemblance, right?

What have we learned?
1. Annie is crazy about birds. Always was and always will be. (She might be just plain crazy, too, but the jury is out on that one.)
2. Echino is way cool. I’d take one of everything.
3. Ka Ka Ka-Coo-Coo birds bear a strong resemblance to Kevin in UP.
4. Everything old is new again.

Over and out. Y’all have a great Monday!

For the Birds

So, I’ve got a few things to show y’all, and they are all avian in nature.

First off, there’s this fabric.

Here is another view.

It is Echino Birds of Summer 2009 by Etsuko Furuya and I think it is lovely.

I love and adore it and want to hug it and squeeze it and name it George. (My silly quote here is from The Abominable Snow Rabbit. You know, maybe I’ll just channel Bugs Bunny all day. It couldn’t hurt.)

Then, I wanted to let you know that the Ka Ka Ka-Coo-Coo bird has been spotted in the wild. He looks something like this.

Finally, I wanted to show y’all something funny. See these

napkins? They are vintage — from my childhood. My mother got rid of them a few years ago and sweetly passed them along to me. I just love them. Well, my sister emailed me the other day about

these pillows that Pottery Barn is now featuring.

Kind of funny resemblance, right?

What have we learned?
1. Annie is crazy about birds. Always was and always will be. (She might be just plain crazy, too, but the jury is out on that one.)
2. Echino is way cool. I’d take one of everything.
3. Ka Ka Ka-Coo-Coo birds bear a strong resemblance to Kevin in UP.
4. Everything old is new again.

Over and out. Y’all have a great Monday!