From Reading to Eating

It's time for research!






Next week is the "foodies" Christmas Dinner Party...ohhh goody. I'm in charge of the soup course, it's winter and I love making soups, so being assigned this task makes me really.... so very happy.
I used to collect garden books, like a crazy woman. If I was cranky because I was working hard and traveling too much (for work) I would treat myself to a new garden book....and presto...I could pop out of the crankies in no time flat.
Now that work related travel is a thing of the past it seems my cravings for garden books have all but disappeared. Ohhh..but it it's place....
Cookbooks! I must have books by the Contessa, and Rachel, and Nigella...books just about Chocolate or Appetizers...French books, Italian books...books that have a story attatched to each recipe. I read them like novels. It's research!
Today when I was getting groceries I happened to notice a book just about dinner parties, I took a peek...I liked it, I wanted it, I didn't put it in my cart...I'm not over it. I'm having a formal dinner party in a couple of months, I really think I need that book for research.

Vacuum Air...Ewww

Ever since I was a little kid I have had an intense dislike of what I call "vacuum air". My mom was (and is) a fabulous housekeeper. When I'd come home from school she would have quite often just vacuumed the house, the vacuum was put away in the closet but I could still smell vacuum air. I want to be a great housekeeper but it's not really something that this little apple got from the mama tree. My own vacuum air smells a lot worse than hers did because I have a big dog and a lot more dirt than she did...living on a farm and all. "The Husband" aka Messy Man and I track in a lot of garden dirt and barn dirt and just plain - where the heck did that come from dirt! I'm a sucker for any product that manufacturers try to sell us "vacuum air freaks" to eliminate this dreaded odor from our personal spaces. I've bought drops that you put on the bag, spray to put on the bag, sticky sheets you lay over the bag or exhaust filter..you name it. Yesterday I was in Seattle and stopped off at Restoration Hardware, I was looking at the section of sheet sprays and room sprays and a lovely young sales lady started chatting with me about the scents. I wasn't even looking at the Vacuum BB's, but somehow she zoned in on me as a vacuum air sucker (pun!) and I fell for them hook-line-and stinker!
Well, today I fired up the Kenmore and did as she told me..."just sprinkle 25 beads on the floor and your whole house will smell wonderful". Suurrrreee...I sprinkled, vacuumed, sniffed, coughed, changed the bag, sprinkled, vacuumed, sniffed...andddd....ohhhh happy dayyyyy! I smell lemony fresh....wait for it.....wait for it..... dusty dirty ...lemony fresh dog! :-(
Twelve bucks down the tube, hmmmm...let me rephrase that...I guess that should be "up the tube".