An Evening with Dr. Abraham Verghese

Dr. Abraham Verghese (Google Images)

I went to hear Dr. Abraham Verghese speak this week as a benefit for our local libraries. Dr. Verghese is the author of the best selling novel, Cutting For Stone, along with two autobiographical books, The Tennis Partner and My Own Country: A Doctor's Story.  Verghese generously donated his time for the library cause. Verghese saw the invitation as an opportunity to give back to the institutions that have given him much in his life. It was during his reading of a library book, Of Human Bondage, that young Verghese decided he wanted to become a physician.


Dr. Verghese explains life by telling us that geography is destiny. He thought Freud said this, but he later learned Freud said anatomy is destiny. I found Dr. Verghese's premise that geography is the predeterminer to be a pleasant and likely accurate world view.

Sir Ben Kingsley (Google Images)

Verghese was charming, the way Sir Ben Kingsley is charming, at ease telling jokes and anecdotes. He was interesting, explaining his journey to America by way of Ethiopia. While in medical school, he was forced to leave Ethiopia during the country's civil war. His parents had moved to the United States so he came here and worked as an orderly instead of completing school. Still dreaming of becoming a physician, he went to India as an expatriate, and completed his medical degree. He returned to the U.S. working a residency in rural Tennessee with early AIDS patients. He established a reputation in the medical community writing about the sociology of AIDS victims. Later, by way of Texas and a writing school elsewhere, he came to settle in his current job with the renowned Stanford University. Wikipedia gives Verghese even more of a wanderlust background than outlined for us, or maybe I just lost the thread at some point.

Dr. Verghese has  three books published, which have done very well, but he is keeping his prestigious day job. The good doctor tells us that medicine, not writing, is his passion. He is intensely interested in the patient's experience and learning a diagnosis by observation. Writing his novel was difficult for him, as he struggled for years with characters and plot development. 

One audience member asked a particularly lengthy question that started with how Cutting For Stone had not held the questioner's interest. There was no apparent reason for this self-serving person to be talking. Very politely, Verghese allowed him to talk, and talk some more. Somewhere in the ramblings, there might have been a question.

How to handle the moment? Verghese politely discussed aspects of the main character, a surgeon, in his novel. Minutes later while answering another question, Verghese said that he receives letters from people saying how they tried to read his book and could not get into it. His response was something like "Why write me about how you do not like my book-- just read something else." 

Now that he is famous, Verghese is friends with one of my favorite authors, John Irving. Verghese threw out fascinating tidbits about what John said on the phone concerning his own next novel. At the start, Irving knows what plot lines will be kept hidden and what will be revealed. And John Irving knows, before he puts pen to paper, what the last line of the book will be. In this moment of the evening, I was envious of our visiting author gentleman.


An hour went and the doctor had to say good-night as the next day would come early and the return drive to the bay area would be long. The short lecture did not allow the street singer outside time to reappear in the cold, in her hopes of picking up a few dollars in change for her motel room. I, however, felt warmly contented in what I heard and learned, marveling at Verghese's eloquence and ease. I left the lecture more aware of my potential for self-actualization within the confines of our Central Valley geography. It was not a bad trade off for the price of a twenty dollar seat ticket.

El Rosal's Simple Flour Tortilla Chips

Our favorite restaurant for Mexican food is a little hole-in-the-wall in a grocery store shopping center. The restaurant is part of a Central California chain, El Rosal. The restaurants are known for generous portions, inexpensive, authentic and fresh Mexican food. They have a wonderful seafood dish, Enchiladas a la Vallarta, which is made with shrimp and and salsa verde, that my family loves.  Unfortunately, the restaurant we patronize is less than ideal, with bright lights, tables that are too high for the booths and situated too close to the next booth. They frequently have their television playing. It is not exactly my idea of dining out, but their food is delicious.

Local Favorite for Mexican Food

Despite its atmospheric flaws, the restaurant is almost always busy. We usually forgo dining in the restaurant and just order take-out. El Rosal serves generous portions of both flour and corn tortilla chips with homemade salsa. I noticed my husband always requesting flour chips rather than corn chips with our orders. I decided I could make the chips myself to go with Mexican dinners I prepare at home. The process is quite easy and the results get rave reviews from the family.

A batch of chips in One of My Mexican Redware Bowls

To make the chips, cut packaged tortilla rounds into triangles.  Fry the triangles in a layer of hot vegetable oil, turning them until golden brown. Remove the chips and drain on paper towels. Add salt or other seasonings to the chips while they are still hot. You can also make corn tortillas chips by this same method although corn chips will need to be kept in an airtight container if you want them to stay crunchy for the next day.

You can vary the flour chip recipe by adding fresh garlic to the cooking oil. Remove the garlic from the oil when it starts to burn. Or, to make a desert treat, you can put the freshly fried flour chips in a bag with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Shake the bag to coat the chips with the sugar mixture. The end result tastes like a churro and is also quite yummy.

Feeling Sentimental About Old Clothes

We remodeled our bedroom closet recently, enlarging it by removing an adjacent linen closet. It is a work in progress as I now have the linen contents in the bedroom closet. Subsequently, I have been going through lots of clothing as I attempt to make order out of chaos.


This activity has lead me to think extensively about how we become sentimentally attached to clothing. Recently, my husband expressed displeasure after finding his mother saved his Cub Scout uniform for the last fifty plus years. I recall my mother saving my candy stripe hospital uniform for years also. Hopefully she has let go of it by now although it might sell well on Ebay.

Cub scout memories, not that much fun?

I have my son's first pair of real shoes, two wedding dresses, a black lace shawl from my want-to-be hippie days and the Esprit shirt I wore on my first date with my husband.  I have a sweatshirt from the Berkley Shakespeare Festival dated 1989, that my husband bought me when I was cold at the outdoor play and a Hard Rock Cafe sweatshirt I purchased in London years ago. There is also an old plaid flannel shirt from the 1990's my husband finds sexy and a similar plaid flannel nightgown that he does not.


Talking to a high-school class mate recently, I told her I always remember her wearing her 'fair queen' gown. In fact, I consider the image of the dress burned into my brain. This gown was an enormous wedding dress Nanci wore when she was crowned queen of the local community fair in our hometown. Nanci said that she still has the dress she no longer can fit into. It resides in a big plastic, lidded tub and travels with her whenever she needs to move.

Queen Nanci and THE DRESS

Do we need to keep things to remember them? Sometimes associated memories really are not that great. When I wear the Hard Rock sweatshirt I think of the day the wasp stung me while wearing it, not the day I bought it in London. My pretty Esprit shirt shrunk the first time I washed it and I don't think my husband remembers what I wore on our first date.  Although my Gunne Sax wedding dress was very pretty, the first marriage was a disaster. It is time to let go of some of these so-called treasures.


The Esprit shirt goes, as does the Berkley sweatshirt and the flannel nightgown. The first wedding dress will go to Ebay in the future, as Gunne Sax clothing is collectable. I will keep the baby shoes, the second wedding dress, the Hard Rock sweatshirt (which I still wear, bad memories aside) and the hippie lace shawl that I always loved but rarely wear.


And I will continue to keep that flannel shirt, likely forever.

The "lucky" shirt

Thoughts on New Years and a Highlights Recap

New Years holiday seems to be lasting excessively long this year as the actual day fell on Sunday. It is difficult to decide which day to celebrate New Year's Day on--Sunday or Monday. I went out for coffee at Starbucks on Sunday (January 1)  and the franchise was busy, as always. I also went to Home Depot--usually very busy on the weekend--and there were more employees present than customers. Sunday morning I tried to locate the Rose Parade on television, but it was taking place on Monday (January 2).

Rose Parade Court (source AP / Sacramento Bee)

Someone asked me if I have a New Year's tradition. I do. I work. It is a 'holiday' pay workday for me as nurses are needed in the hospital 24-7. Also I prefer not to be out on the road New Year's Eve with a higher than average number of drunk drivers. This year, I was called off both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day due to chronic over-staffing in our department. Wanting to be productive while other family members were out of town, I started painting a hallway. I am almost done.

If I did have a tradition for this particular holiday, it would be watching Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffen hang out together in Times Square. Most people would believe I prefer Dick Clark's New Years Eve  show as he personifies nostalgia, as well as stroke recovery. However (other than hubby) Anderson Cooper is my personal choice for "Sexiest Man Alive." I love watching Kathy make Anderson squirm as she says the most inappropriate things and this year, stripped to her black lace underwear during the commercial break. Reducing the always appropriate Anderson Cooper to giggles, and hesitant, yet dignified rebuttals, makes me laugh almost non-stop.

Kathy pucker-up for her New Year's kiss (source Google Images)

There is the on-going problem of what to make as New Year's resolutions, which are likely destined to be forgotten and unfulfilled. This year I have chosen to think in generalities about what I wish to happen in the coming year:

More reading of classic literature

Completed house projects

Down-sizing of unnecessary possessions

Increased time with friends and family

Frequent home-cooked dinners

More flowers and vegetables in the garden

Improved personal health and stamina

The coming year opens before us full of delicious possibilities. I look forward to trips planned and events to attend. I anticipate many wonderful moments spent with family and friends.  Changes may not always be welcomed ones, but hopefully can be embraced as opportunities for personal growth. 

And I will wish to cap the year 2012 off by again spending an evening with a couple of sexy guys-- hubby and Anderson.

Selling (i.e. unloading) Spelling Manor

'Spelling Manor' (source Google Images)

HGTV, which I am mostly addicted to, has a two-part special this month: Selling Spelling Manor. This program, told through the words of Candy Spelling, is about the selling of her 56,500 square foot house in the exclusive Holmby Hills section of the Los Angeles area.

Candy, who seems like a down-to-earth kind of mega rich gal, designed the want-to-be French Chateau and oversaw its seven year construction. It was paid for, at a price of about ten million dollars in the 1980's, with hubby Aaron's money made producing such popular television shows as Dynasty and Charlie's Angels. To construct the house, the Spellings tore down Bing Crosby's former house, a historical treasure in the neighborhood. Thus commenced the Spelling's construction of one of the largest private residences in the United States, while irritating their neighbors and ruining the neighborhood.

Former trophy wife Candy Spelling and her "Gone with the Wind" staircase
(source: Google Images)

In the hour long show, Candy Spelling takes us through the construction of the house, the furnishing process and oh, the parties. Candy tells us naively the reason the house is so large was because she did not understand blue prints, so she kept making the place bigger. She has no doubt been telling this story for years, perhaps to the point where she has started to believe it herself.

The show gives us an abbreviated tour of the house and Candy's possessions. The mistress of the manor wins points with me for having an enormous collection of Madame Alexander dolls, all displayed in climate controlled glass cases. We also get a tour of the 17,000 square foot attic with storage space for the stuff she does not have out. In Candy's defense of being over-the-top in every aspect of her life, I will say that the rooms in the house are decorated beautifully with tasteful, understated elegance and lovely architectural detail.

A small section of Candy's doll room (source: Google Images)

Mrs. Spelling is alone now, family wise at least, as her children have homes of their own. Toward the end of part one of Selling Spelling Manor, Candy sells the home she and Aaron shared, and which he died in and likely haunts.  The lucky real estate agent listed the property for $150 million. A 22-year-old British heiress emerged and plunked down a bargain basement $85 million cash and ownership of the house passed to a new generation of the girl with the most toys. Candy had just 30 days to move her seemingly endless treasures. Hiring three moving companies to work almost round the clock, the emptying of the estate was completed on schedule.

In part two, Candy will tells us about her new "manor in the sky", a 40th floor, two-story penthouse over-looking the Los Angeles skyline. It is another building and decorating project for our heroine. What more could the girl who has everything want? Guess we will have to wait and see.

The second episode of Selling Spelling Manor will air January 2nd on HGTV.

Can't Find My Keys, Sunglasses, Phone, Pen etc.

Heart Throb Paul Peterson Sang About My Dilemma in She Can't Find Her Keys

I have moments where I need my schedule, or a pen, or my phone and it is not in my purse. I attribute my disorganization to changing bags often and thinking I will not need something, so therefore leaving  items at home on the dining table.

Recently a co-worker Amy gave herself a pat on the back on Facebook for having a wine opener in her purse at an opportune moment. I admire this level of ever-readiness, although I do not like carrying a heavy bag full of stuff. Having had a rough day not too long ago, when I needed a pen and did not have one, I've decided I would change my habits.  Forevermore I will carry essential items with me, this I do solemnly swear.

Amy carries a wine-opener in her purse

The first step is my reorganization plan is to determine what should go in my handbag. A little bit of internet research reveals lots of potential items to consider including. Here is a somewhat collective list for you to ponder:

Address book                     Ipod Shuffle                  Water bottle
Calendar                            Keys                              Wine opener
Checkbook                         Mace
Cigarettes and Lighter        Magnifying glass
Comb / Brush                     Make-up and mirror                   
Coupons                             Notebook
Drugs / Medications            Paperback
Flashlight                            Pen / pencil
Glasses                               Phone
Gum / Candy                      Swiss Army Knife
Hair barrette / bands           Sunblock      
Handgun                             Sunglasses
Hand sanitizer                     Tissue
Hygiene products                 Wallet

Put in a pile for adding to my Prada messenger bag, I find I am contemplating carrying around this much stuff:

                                                                  
Of course all of these items would never fit in my chosen bag. I will instead condensed the pile to make the list work for me. I am also going to write out a master list so I can have all items accounted for when I switch bags next time. On my list I will indicate what to leave at home when I am flying on an airline.

I am feeling much more organized now with this jump on my New Year's resolutions. I still need to purchase some smaller items for totting around, such as the notebook and flashlight.  And I still need to buy a gun.
                                                                 

A Short Christmas Note from Channeling Ricky

Christmas with the Nelsons: Rick, David, Harriet and Ozzie

You may have noticed that there has been a long interruption of my posts this year. While in my head I am always composing my next contribution to cyber-space, I easily get side-tracked by the comings and goings that constitute my day-to-day life.

Two thousand and eleven has been a little more challenging for me than most years. Early on I broke my arm in a fall at work. Recovering from the break has been a slow process and my range-of-motion remains less than normal. Learning to live with the results of a fairly minor injury has helped me appreciate my usual good health, as well as my happy life, and work toward keeping both intact.

One of things I did to improve my health this year was go on the HCG diet. I have slimmed down over 30 pounds, a fact that will likely help keep me from falling again soon. In the future, I hope to offer my tips for success with this diet.

I did get some juicy travels in this past year, going to the Western Caribbean by way of a Norwegian cruise ship and a short, fun trip to Las Vegas for a nursing convention. Hubby took me for a heavenly anniversary stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. I also did some over-nighters at beautiful Lake Tahoe with my grand-daughter, and camped in Yosemite with my BFF. Girls just want to have fun.

This year has seen the re-opening of the Natalie Wood case, a topic near and dear to my psyche.  I absolutely do not take any credit for this amazing turn of events, but am over-joyed that the real truth of her death will perhaps finally be made public. Likely I will have more to say about Natalie Wood's unfortunate demise in the future.

I appreciate the requests I have received to continue my Channeling Ricky blog from my readers. I have taken these requests to heart and plan to resume offering regularly occurring posts for the coming year.

Have a lovely holiday,


Sky

The One Minute Manager--Faulty Logic

Problems Solved in
One Minute or Less

My sweet hubby was going to work the other day and I was staying home on a day off. As he was leaving hubby said he had misplaced his checkbook and could I please keep an eye out for it. He had a new full check pad in his hand. He said:

"I am taking this pad of checks with me because I have to stop by the doctor's after work and I will have to write him a check."

The One Minute Manager (me) replied: "Why don't you just take a single check?" I was thinking he could just slip it into his wallet.

My husband frowned and said "No, I do not want to do that. I would be more likely to lose a single check than this larger book of checks."

Huh? Did you not already lose your checkbook? One Minute Manager quietly bit her tongue.

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS

DAVID NELSON

OCTOBER 24, 1936--JANUARY 12, 2011

Miss Landers' Book Club Reviews: The Swan Thieves: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova (2010)

The following post was written for the From Left to Write Book Club. Unlike other book review posts, club members write about what the book inspired them to reflect on.

Judging Books by Their Covers

It has happened to most, if not all, avid readers. You pick a book to read based on what is on the covers, not what is between them. For me, I get my books in stores and on the Internet. Rarely do I read a book I have not purchased, or that has been given me to read. I pick my books mostly by their covers.

So looking at a cover of a book by an author I do not know, I must trust the judgement of the people who have recommended the book. I will read the synopsis and open the book to a random page and read. And, if the book holds my interest, I will read how it ends (never worry about spoiler alerts with me).

Sometimes I write comments on a book blog I follow. There are several other chatty contributors who also leave comments on a regular basis, so much so I feel like I know them personally. I sometimes look down my book snob nose at them because they write comments like "I love the cover! Looks like a great read!" Cover art does not equate with literary greatness. 

Then you have the pages to consider. Most books I start of are short or average length. I am under the impression I do not have time to read long books. I like to keep the readings of my life short and concise, sort of like reading the newspaper. If you suggest a long book for me to read, I might buy it, but it will sit on the bookshelf waiting for the moment I feel I have time. Dr Zhivago is waiting for me to retire, from work, not for the night. 

Books on my nightstand at the time of this post

Recently I had to drive about seven hundred miles over a couple of days. I purchased Keith Richards autobiography to keep me company on the road. When I returned home, after religiously listening to the out-of-control member of the Rolling Stones for ten hours, I realized I had about ten more hours to go. It must have been a thick book and I never realized it.

The Swan Thieves is a thick book, a lovely well-written book, of about 560 pages. It has the elements a book needs for me to read it. It is written by a best-selling author. It has press reviews on the cover and the first several pages. I liked the last sentence in the book and the random passage I read when I first opened the book. However I was annoyed when I received my free book (ungrateful blogger) that the book was thick, because I am first and foremost, a lazy reader and do not pick out long books. 

I started reading, and reading. My reading before bed was not going to get me done with The Swan Thieves in time for my book club review. The club mercifully extended the deadline and I finished in time and enjoyed every minute of my reading. I realize now that the only constraints a long book puts on me are the ones I allow it to. I usually have five or so books going at once. What difference does it make if one book is thick and I am not done with it quickly? I need to let go of this boundary and go exploring.

The Swan Thieves was given to me by the publisher without obligation for the purpose of review as part of my association with the From Left to Write Book Club.

Miss Landers' Book Club Reviews: Tastefully Small Savory Bites: Easy Sophisticated Hors D'oeuvres for Every Occasion by Kim Hendrickson (2010)

Hors D'oeuvres, appetizers if you will, have been evolving over the last few years. They no longer are just cheese and crackers, chips and dips or little frozen foods that you heat in the oven. No, appetizers have gotten sophisticated. The idea is to serve a scrumptious little morsel that is mostly self-contained and consumed in one or two bites, ah, make that one or two heavenly bites. Such is the idea behind the recipes in a lovely new cookbook by Kim Hendrickson, Tastefully Small Savory Bites. 


I have always been a fan of hors d'oeuvres (can not spell the name, but a fan nevertheless). I like to make hors d'oeuvres and serve with soup or salad and call it dinner for hubby and myself. When I received this cookbook for review I thought we should have some friends over and I would make several selections from the recipes and we could collectively critique them. However, the chosen friends will not be available until later in the month, so I decided to start without them.

Sausage Radicchio Tacos

The first recipe I made from my new cookbook was Sausage Radicchio Tacos. The shells on these wonderful morsels are made of melted cheddar cheese. My first batch out of the oven was hopelessly stuck to the parchment paper the author recommended using. Starting over, I used a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and the tiny taco shells were a success. The sausage tacos were an instant hit at with my resident taste testers guys.

Bitterballen

Next I tried the recipe Bitterballen, which are mini meatballs. The recipe called for veal, but I like to give cows the opportunity to grow up so I used ground sirloin. The author suggested wrapping the meatballs in a thin mandolin-sliced blanched carrot, but I think recipes should be adaptable to the laziness of the chef, so we enjoyed our very yummy meatballs without their festive outerwear jackets.

Venison Potato Haystacks

The hands down winner of the recipes I made was Venison Potato Haystacks. Still being a little girl at heart, I do not eat anything that reminds me of Bambi, Thumper or Sheri Lewis' Lamb Chop.  So naturally venison was out, but the author suggested sausage as a substitute. The combination of egg, potato, onion and sausage tasted like a great breakfast. This recipe would be perfect for a brunch dish and I think I will might make them for my co-workers in the near future, although it will be hard to get them out of the house and away from the family.

Tart Pink Scallops

One of the recipes featured in a cookbook photo, Tart Pink Scallops, is scallops topped with grapefruit and a citrus sauce. I anticipated a delicious result with this selection and was disappointed with the final product. I could not find large scallops at my grocery store so I substituted three small scallops per savory bite. My finished appetizer did not resemble the book's, although it appeared they had left out the cucumber base and did not use alfalfa sprouts when they did their photo shoot. The food was a little messy and the flavor of the cucumber overwhelmed the delicate scallops. Sorry Kim, but thumbs down for this recipe. But doesn't my result look attractive?

Roasted Cauliflower with Blueberry Drizzle

Cauliflower with blueberry sauce? Well it is a cookbook review, so why not? I loved this easy little recipe named Roasted Cauliflower with Blueberry Drizzle. The blueberry sauce was not too sweet, and tasted wonderful over the buttery soft cauliflower. Actually the sauce would be good on a number of foods, like ice cream or pancakes. I think this recipe would make a lovely side dish for Thanksgiving. It is unusual and elegantly flavorful.

Hazelnut-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

The last recipe I tried for the review was Hazelnut-Crusted Brussels Spouts. I seldom cook Brussels sprouts but this item will make a return appearance at our dinner table. The coating on the sprouts is made from hazelnuts and planko (Japanese bread crumbs), which I had never used. Like the cauliflower recipe, I could see serving this yummy appetizer as a side dish for a holiday.

In all I tried six recipes and absolutely loved every one except the Tart Pink Scallops. I found the book to be full of helpful ideas for expanding and changing recipes as well as planning how many appetizers you will need per person for an evening get together. Each of the over 50 recipes is  a mini work of art, and the results are wonderfully delicious.

Disclaimer: Tastefully Small Savory Bites was given to me free, without obligation, for the purpose of review by FSB Media.

Dinner at the Groveland Hotel

The Groveland Hotel built in 1849

With most people still talking about Christmas, I wanted to tell you instead about my Thanksgiving. I was kind of mopey this year because I had to work Thanksgiving day (the plight of nurses). To celebrate the holiday, my husband and I took his 89-year-old mom to dinner at The Groveland Hotel the night before Thanksgiving.

The Groveland Hotel is a lovely restored hotel in the town of Groveland on Highway 120 which leads into the northern end of Yosemite National Park. It is right around the snow line of the sierras so you do not get the rough driving conditions associated with winter weather. The town is one of our neighboring gold rush communities and is beautifully preserved, retaining most of its original buildings and its historic charm.

A cozy spot by the original dining room doors

My husband and I have eaten at the Groveland Hotel on a couple of other occasions and it has always been a special treat. They have holiday meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve that are to die for. The dinning room is intimate and elegant, giving you the feeling of stepping back in time with little touches of upscale modern, like extremely comfortable chairs.

Scenes of Yosemite decorate the historic dining room

We made a early reservation for 5:30 because we live about an hour's drive away and Mom does not usually stay up too late. When we arrived, we were the only guests for a short while so I could snap my photos inconspicuously and not look like the perpetual tourist that I am. It was not too long before the seats in the room were mostly full.

Menu cover

Our waitress Laura was busy and I think she may have been the only server for the evening. But she had time to chat as did the chef Greg who stopped by our table to refill our water glasses. Greg was preparing to leave his position at the Groveland Hotel for a restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. It was an opportunity for him in the city, but he was already missing the quaintness and mountain beauty of Groveland. He told us a replacement search for his position would be completed shortly.

Since I am always interested in ghosts, I had Laura fill me in on the hotel's resident ghost whose name is Lyle. Apparently Lyle lived in the hotel and  died in his room (number 15). Lyle does not seem to mind sharing his room with hotel guests but he sometimes removes a lady's items that are placed on the room's dresser. He is perhaps a little territorial, but not difficult to get along with, so not the scary kind of ghost one should avoid. Staying in his room is popular with the hotel's guests.

My husband's blackened tuna was like a work of art

Our dinner was tasty with ample proportions. The menu had a small ravioli plate that was perfect for my mother-in-law's bird-like appetite. I took a portion of my large lasagna dinner home with me to share with our son Scott, who could not make the evening with us, but loves the Groveland Hotel the same as we do.

The hotel bar was empty but my Blood Mary was excellent

CSN Product Review--Nordicware Butterfly Bundt Cake Pan

As I have said in the past, CSN is my favorite destination for on-line shopping. I bought a couple of gifts from CSN for Christmas and it was another perfect shopping experience for me. My selections were hits with their recipient and the only effort I had to make was wrapping the boxes the products arrived in.

My CSN Nordicware Butterfly Bundt Cake Pan

But on to my present, which is the product I picked out for review and received from CSN. I am taking a beginner's cake decorating class in February and I wanted a shaped cake that I could take to work after practicing my frosting techniques. I thought a single layer bundt pan would keep the baking aspect of cake decorating simple.  I have admired Nordicware bundt pans for years for their beauty and quality. Nordicware makes bundt pans in the shape of castles, forests, and other things. You can decorate your bundt cake, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar or just leave it without frosting and it will still be beautiful.

I had a couple of concerns before I used the pan. One worry was that the butterfly would stick in the pan and the other was that a simple store cake mix would not work in a bundt cake pan. But my worries were unfounded. I sprayed the cake pan with cooking spray and the butterfly slipped out when it was done without any problem. My concern that the boxed cake mix would not work as a bundt cake was also not a problem as longer cooking times were listed on the package especially for bundt cake pans.

I ended up cooking the cake about ten minutes longer than the package directions suggested after testing the cake with a long flat metal spatula to see if it was done. The baked cake extended above the height of the pan but it was easy to trim flat with a long knife.

Tah Dah!

As you can see in my photo above, the butterfly cake turned out absolutely gorgeous! I thought I would show you some of other Nordicware bundt pans that CSN has available. There are over 200 listings for Nordicware on CSN, so I can only show a tiny sample of their product line.  Clicking on the title will take you straight to the listing on the CSN website where you can read reviews by shoppers and peruse the rest of the Nordicware line. Nordicware has so many cute designs for their bundt pans, it was hard for me to pick just one.

The Quilted Heart

The Train

The Stadium

The Castle

Disclaimer: CSN provided me with the Nordicware Butterfly Bundt Cake Pan for the purpose of product review. I was not obligated to write about the item or give it a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Vintage Collectables: Christmas Tree Ornaments

A few years ago I saw an HGTV special on decorating the White House at Christmas. During the show, First Lady Laura Bush said that her favorite Christmas tree in the White House was the one in her office, that was decorated with antique ornaments. This little bit of inspiration started me collecting for one of the Christmas trees in our house which I call the vintage tree. While I do not doubt Laura's ornaments were older and nicer than mine, I still think that my collection is pretty sweet.

Some of my favorite ornaments are these angel babies which came in several colors and remind me of my day job in the NICU. They are from British Hong Kong and probably manufactured in the 1960's. They are made from celluloid, which was an early white plastic that would then be painted to the desired color.

This celluloid angel in her original plastic white color with gold embellishments. She is about 5 inches tall and probably from the 1940's.

Mica houses were frequently made in Japan and common in the 1930's and beyond. I have several of mica house ornaments, this one with a celluloid girl with a deer, circa 1950.

This angel has nylon bristles for wings and stands in a cloud of spun glass, also known as angel hair. She is probably from the 1940's, also made of celluloid.

The Three Wise men and their camels live inside this plastic dome. The combo of acrylic dome and celluloid figures date it to approximately the 1960's.

This is a sweet Italian angel standing on a candelabra. Also made of celluloid, I am unsure of its age due to its Italy origin.

Shiny Brite round ornaments from the 1950's are easy to find as are the acrylic cases holding plastic decorations from the 1960's.

Another Mica house, this one with red cellophane windows and the infant Jesus. In front of the house is a twist metal decoration that is a reproduction, as it the red bird on the right. The twisted metal ornaments were made from metal coffee cans, that used to open with a key from about the 1940's and beyond. You would unwind the metal from the can key and then twist it into a spiral of silver tin on one side and painted tin on the other. The hole for hanging was where the metal key originally attached.

This is an older Shiny Brite ornament with a mercury glass coating from the 1940's.

So the vintage tree is just one of eight trees that I put up at Christmas time. This year, I am recovering from an injured shoulder and only put up two small trees. The completed vintage tree, is in our living room for the first time this year and looks very sweet indeed.