Hello, my loyal 139 blog readers! I moved my blog to a self hosted Word Press blog. The move is mostly due to my blog scare in December, but also because I'm excited to have my blog on my own site. I'm a bit nervous about the switch, as I know a lot of you most likely won't come with me, but for my own sense of security, knowing my blog won't shut down without my knowing or that I'll lose my content, I feel like I have to make the switch.
If you're still interested in reading along with what's going on in my life, please update your google (or other) reader with my new site, www.lauralazewski.com.
I hope to see you in the new space! And if you don't join the fun, I thank you for the days/months/year+ you've been along on my blogging journey with me.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Christmas Breakfast for Dinner
Since 2006 I've made a hashed brown casserole for Christmas Day breakfast along with Hungarian crumb coffee cake. Since we were out of town for Christmas this year I for sure didn't make it on Christmas Day. Because we somehow ended up with three dozen eggs, I figured this would be the perfect meal to use up a bunch of the eggs!
This is so good! I don't follow the recipe exactly, but it still turns out great. Next year I plan to mix everything up in a big bowl and then transfer to the pan, but that's the only real change I plan to make besides adding more hashed browns. I love potatoes the best, and these leftovers are excellent. When I used to bring them to work to heat up for breakfast my co-workers would be jealous and think I was eating McDonald's because it smelled so amazing.
The coffee cake recipe makes two cakes and after I made these I realized I could just cut the recipe in half to make one. Duh. That would have helped my campaign to fit into my maid of honor dress in May!
Although Mom and I ate our Christmas breakfast for dinner a few days after Christmas (Wednesday the 29th) it tasted just as good!
Get caught up on One Tree Hill - 16 of 30 Before 30 List
I know season 8 of One Tree Hill is out on dvd now, but it's still $45 and I refuse to pay that. Lisa got me these seasons for Christmas in 2009 and 2010 and I finally watched them, which to me means "catch up."
I started OTH on dvd and then moved over to watching it on tv. I used to tape it on a VHS tape and then watch when it was convenient. I was for real old school. Mom and I watched them all until Dad got sick and it just got to be too much. Well, I found out I'd seen most of season 6 and the rest was great.
I was concerned about no Peyton or Lucas in season 7, but I like the new characters. While I still miss them, the characters do a good job talking about them like a normal family would mention those who moved away. Things like saying they miss them, remember funny stories about them, etc.
Season 7 ended with a cliff hanger, but I'm okay with it. I am excited for season 8 and the final season, season 9. Maybe I'll wait until they are both on dvd to buy them. Then I won't have to ever worry about a season cliff hanger on OTH ever again!
Something else checked off my 30 before 30 list, and just in the nick of time!
Homemade Doughnuts
Lisa got me a doughnut maker for Christmas. I was excited to try it out, so Lisa made some with me on Tuesday night.
We used the recipe from the book, which is the same as one I found online.
Lisa looks cheerful and she had a good attitude, even though she was tired from work and was not excited for any doughnut making that night.
I can't figure the machine out - the bottoms get brown fast, but the tops don't really cook much and they surely don't brown!
Lisa rolled them in powdered sugar while I put the batter in and baked them.
Overall they tasted like sweet pancakes. I need to find a recipe for a more dense cake doughnut. I'm open for suggestions if anyone has a successful history with their doughnut maker!
We used the recipe from the book, which is the same as one I found online.
Lisa looks cheerful and she had a good attitude, even though she was tired from work and was not excited for any doughnut making that night.
I can't figure the machine out - the bottoms get brown fast, but the tops don't really cook much and they surely don't brown!
Lisa rolled them in powdered sugar while I put the batter in and baked them.
Overall they tasted like sweet pancakes. I need to find a recipe for a more dense cake doughnut. I'm open for suggestions if anyone has a successful history with their doughnut maker!
Wisconsin Historical Society Museum
The historical society emails me all the time, and I actually read their emails. They have a lot of neat things over the course of the year. Right now at the museum in Madison there is an exhibit of toys and quilts, and also a big display of things made in Wisconsin.
My mom the quilter was excited for the quilts, and I love looking at old toys. We headed downtown Tuesday to check it out.
I liked seeing the American Girl dolls. They are from Middleton, Wisconsin (a town just west of Madison where we went to church growing up). As a little girl I remember going to their office sometimes to see the display cases with all of the merchandise they have for sale. I loved it!
Mom and I enjoyed wandering around and looking at the displays. I had no idea so many things originated in Wisconsin. Here are some highlights:
1. Door County Fish Boils (I knew this)
2. Increased Vitamin D in foods/milk
3. Hamburgers
4. Hollow surf boards
5. Typewriter
6. Stem Cells
7. Milk fat testing
8. Pulleys for sailboats
9. Les Paul and the electric guitar
10. Hamilton Beach applicances
I am sure all states have lots of things to be proud of, but being from Wisconsin I take pride in these things. It's fun to realize how many neat things have come from the people of my state over the years.
My mom the quilter was excited for the quilts, and I love looking at old toys. We headed downtown Tuesday to check it out.
I liked seeing the American Girl dolls. They are from Middleton, Wisconsin (a town just west of Madison where we went to church growing up). As a little girl I remember going to their office sometimes to see the display cases with all of the merchandise they have for sale. I loved it!
Mom and I enjoyed wandering around and looking at the displays. I had no idea so many things originated in Wisconsin. Here are some highlights:
1. Door County Fish Boils (I knew this)
2. Increased Vitamin D in foods/milk
3. Hamburgers
4. Hollow surf boards
5. Typewriter
6. Stem Cells
7. Milk fat testing
8. Pulleys for sailboats
9. Les Paul and the electric guitar
10. Hamilton Beach applicances
I am sure all states have lots of things to be proud of, but being from Wisconsin I take pride in these things. It's fun to realize how many neat things have come from the people of my state over the years.
Nashville Vacation: December 26, 2011
Monday, December 26 was the day we drove home from Nashville. But before we left town we stopped by Belle Meade Plantation. The tour was interesting and I loved learning about the horses that can trace their bloodlines back to the plantation. Like every single Kentucky Derby winner since 2003. That is impressive.
Lisa and Mom rocking and waiting for our tour guide to arrive. Such a pretty home! On our tour we learned a lot about what life would have been like for the family. They lived here during the Civil War and there are even bullet marks on the columns to prove it! The house also had Christmas trees representative of different decades in the different rooms of the house. I loved that! The 1940s tree was both Lisa and my favorite. The ornament box was a lot like the one we got rid of at Grandpa's house! We were on the 9:30 tour, the first of the day. We were also the only three on the tour - I loved that! It's a lot easier to see everything when there are only three people competing for space. I also asked some questions, which is unlike me on a tour.
I would love to have a swing like this at my house some day.
This little playhouse would have been a dream come true for me when I was a little girl. They even had a little curio cabinet in there! I hope I can have something like this if I ever have a little girl.
Lisa would love a patio like this in her backyard some day. It's very inviting.
I personally love the big light bulbs. We learned the plantation is the only non profit organization in Nashville to have a winery. They use the profits from the wine to help fund the museum and its efforts. I think that's a great idea!
The family crypt could hold something like 17 bodies. They were all moved, I think when the house was sold out of the family because they ran out of money. When Tennessee outlawed drinking and gambling at the horse track the family's business of raising thoroughbreds hit a rough patch, and not adjusting spending or creating new sources of income did the family in. I think it's really quite sad.
This is the building where they churned 70 lbs of butter each day. Wow.
This is the back of the house. I would love to live in a house like this - it's so pretty! Lisa loved the decorations and furnishings (about 1880s) and was ready to move in immediately. A family even installed a bathroom with indoor plumbing and a shower and a tub (very ahead of their time) in the 1930s, so the house is updated enough.
Here I am, hooked up to the stable and carriage house! I love horses.
The horses were treated well. This is a stall, and it was big! The building also had running, heated water and gas lights in it. Impressive for a stable in the 1800s for sure.
After Belle Meade we hopped in the car and started off for home. We stopped for lunch at one of our best St. Louis food joints, White Castle!
This is the wreckage from our meal. Lisa tried the new sweet potato fries and said they were pretty good. I had a fish, a chicken and a cheeseburger. They are celebrating 90 years, so the bottom of each carton has a fun fact about the company's history. I enjoyed reading them. Especially about the women who were hired to bring White Castles to ladies' meetings to show that a hamburger is a fun and easy food. They are credited with making the hamburger such a favorite in America today.
After lunch Mom started driving so I could nap in the backseat. Before I feel asleep I heard her talking about Metropolis. I asked to stop, and she did.
I was half asleep and couldn't get my camera out and on fast enough.
I'm no Superman fan, but I do love a good photo op. My mom, dad and grandma Hassler all stopped her years ago on one of their road trips to quilt country (Paducah, KY) and I thought it looked like a place I'd like to stop, too. Since Lisa and I are preparing to move out of the Midwest we figured we'd best take advantage of all of the Midwest activities while we can.
Yes! I finally got to be the girl. Lisa always has to be the girl and I have to be the boy. It's not fair.
I don't know a lot about Superman, but I seem to remember he got super in a phone booth. This is me popping out with my superpowers.
It would have been neat to see the Lois Lane statue, but we were too early for that.
Overall the drive home was fine. I think it's about 9.5 hours of actual drive time, but with three drivers taking turns and my napping for a few hours it went quickly. A lot nicer than the 12 hour drive to Knoxville I usually make alone!
Lisa and Mom rocking and waiting for our tour guide to arrive. Such a pretty home! On our tour we learned a lot about what life would have been like for the family. They lived here during the Civil War and there are even bullet marks on the columns to prove it! The house also had Christmas trees representative of different decades in the different rooms of the house. I loved that! The 1940s tree was both Lisa and my favorite. The ornament box was a lot like the one we got rid of at Grandpa's house! We were on the 9:30 tour, the first of the day. We were also the only three on the tour - I loved that! It's a lot easier to see everything when there are only three people competing for space. I also asked some questions, which is unlike me on a tour.
I would love to have a swing like this at my house some day.
This little playhouse would have been a dream come true for me when I was a little girl. They even had a little curio cabinet in there! I hope I can have something like this if I ever have a little girl.
Lisa would love a patio like this in her backyard some day. It's very inviting.
I personally love the big light bulbs. We learned the plantation is the only non profit organization in Nashville to have a winery. They use the profits from the wine to help fund the museum and its efforts. I think that's a great idea!
The family crypt could hold something like 17 bodies. They were all moved, I think when the house was sold out of the family because they ran out of money. When Tennessee outlawed drinking and gambling at the horse track the family's business of raising thoroughbreds hit a rough patch, and not adjusting spending or creating new sources of income did the family in. I think it's really quite sad.
This is the building where they churned 70 lbs of butter each day. Wow.
This is the back of the house. I would love to live in a house like this - it's so pretty! Lisa loved the decorations and furnishings (about 1880s) and was ready to move in immediately. A family even installed a bathroom with indoor plumbing and a shower and a tub (very ahead of their time) in the 1930s, so the house is updated enough.
Here I am, hooked up to the stable and carriage house! I love horses.
The horses were treated well. This is a stall, and it was big! The building also had running, heated water and gas lights in it. Impressive for a stable in the 1800s for sure.
After Belle Meade we hopped in the car and started off for home. We stopped for lunch at one of our best St. Louis food joints, White Castle!
This is the wreckage from our meal. Lisa tried the new sweet potato fries and said they were pretty good. I had a fish, a chicken and a cheeseburger. They are celebrating 90 years, so the bottom of each carton has a fun fact about the company's history. I enjoyed reading them. Especially about the women who were hired to bring White Castles to ladies' meetings to show that a hamburger is a fun and easy food. They are credited with making the hamburger such a favorite in America today.
After lunch Mom started driving so I could nap in the backseat. Before I feel asleep I heard her talking about Metropolis. I asked to stop, and she did.
I was half asleep and couldn't get my camera out and on fast enough.
I'm no Superman fan, but I do love a good photo op. My mom, dad and grandma Hassler all stopped her years ago on one of their road trips to quilt country (Paducah, KY) and I thought it looked like a place I'd like to stop, too. Since Lisa and I are preparing to move out of the Midwest we figured we'd best take advantage of all of the Midwest activities while we can.
Yes! I finally got to be the girl. Lisa always has to be the girl and I have to be the boy. It's not fair.
I don't know a lot about Superman, but I seem to remember he got super in a phone booth. This is me popping out with my superpowers.
It would have been neat to see the Lois Lane statue, but we were too early for that.
Overall the drive home was fine. I think it's about 9.5 hours of actual drive time, but with three drivers taking turns and my napping for a few hours it went quickly. A lot nicer than the 12 hour drive to Knoxville I usually make alone!
A Productive December 17
Since I'm not really working, besides my work at home job sometimes, I find myself feeling really unproductive. While cleaning out Grandpa's house I had a lot going on, but now that I'm in Madison more, I find myself feeling not so productive. However, once I really get started going through boxes in the basement I know all of that lack of productivity will change. Even if I only work two hours a day down there I'm going to feel awesome about myself. But back to December 17.
I took some pictures that day to show off all I accomplished, but just now I realized I never blogged about it. Shame on me. Here goes!
Mom and I went out running errands. Along the way I...
Mailed my Christmas cards! This was after I went to Bryan's and totally broke his printer. For real. Lisa tried to fax the real estate contract for Grandpa's house and it was all downhill from there. End of story - Bryan had to log into his computer from his business meeting in Florida and fix it. He ended up adjusting my Christmas letter to fit on the page (those decorative Christmas papers are kind of a challenge when you write a lot like I do) and printed it for us. Phew.
Once I got home I made sure I got the letters in their envelopes and sealed them, ready to go. I'd already written the actual cards, stamped and addressed the envelopes, so this step was fairly easy. I love sending real mail to my friends, especially in large quantities, so this was a real treat for me to drop them off.
I couldn't believe the line in the post office, and since the people were no longer helping customers, it was all for the self automated area! I decided to get out of the madness, so rather than putting the letters in the slot one by one as is my preference, I just put them in as a few handfuls and got the heck out of there!
Next stop - donation at St. Vincent de Paul.
I had a backseat full of things to donate. The bags were mostly filled with clothes and also the Christmas tree Lisa and I finally said goodbye to.
Lisa and I went through our clothes seriously while we were putting them in our new closet in the remodeled basement. We were both ruthless and I'm proud of both of us, especially me, for how many we said goodbye to. For some reason I always think I'm going to wear the clothes again, but it just doesn't happen. So I took it seriously and donated a ton. Next up - my closet in my bedroom in Madison! But first I need to give the Hassler family photos back (and finish scanning them) so I can get to said closet. I did sort through the closet at Grandpas and got rid of a Michael's bag (bigger than a normal plastic bag, I'll have you know) full of clothes. When I move I won't have to bring so much with me. It feels great to have such a solid start on ridding myself of excess stuff.
I don't know where else we went, but I know Mom and I ran other errands together. Later that night we made our Christmas cookies, and also some cookies for our family friend's annual cookie exchange the next day.
We made Amish sugar cookies. Mom and Lisa love them because they think they melt in their mouths. I think they are just okay. We usually use white sugar, but for Christmas Mom had us use red and green. I think they look very festive!
So that was my productive December 17. It doesn't look that fabulous on the blog, but I know it was a good day, full of getting things done. I loved it! Oh, I know! I just looked on facebook, and according to my status update that day, while I didn't accomplish everything on my list, I was happy with what I accomplished. Including cooking both lunch and dinner, with leftovers from both. I'm fairly certain dinner was split pea soup. Yum.
I took some pictures that day to show off all I accomplished, but just now I realized I never blogged about it. Shame on me. Here goes!
Mom and I went out running errands. Along the way I...
Mailed my Christmas cards! This was after I went to Bryan's and totally broke his printer. For real. Lisa tried to fax the real estate contract for Grandpa's house and it was all downhill from there. End of story - Bryan had to log into his computer from his business meeting in Florida and fix it. He ended up adjusting my Christmas letter to fit on the page (those decorative Christmas papers are kind of a challenge when you write a lot like I do) and printed it for us. Phew.
Once I got home I made sure I got the letters in their envelopes and sealed them, ready to go. I'd already written the actual cards, stamped and addressed the envelopes, so this step was fairly easy. I love sending real mail to my friends, especially in large quantities, so this was a real treat for me to drop them off.
I couldn't believe the line in the post office, and since the people were no longer helping customers, it was all for the self automated area! I decided to get out of the madness, so rather than putting the letters in the slot one by one as is my preference, I just put them in as a few handfuls and got the heck out of there!
Next stop - donation at St. Vincent de Paul.
I had a backseat full of things to donate. The bags were mostly filled with clothes and also the Christmas tree Lisa and I finally said goodbye to.
Lisa and I went through our clothes seriously while we were putting them in our new closet in the remodeled basement. We were both ruthless and I'm proud of both of us, especially me, for how many we said goodbye to. For some reason I always think I'm going to wear the clothes again, but it just doesn't happen. So I took it seriously and donated a ton. Next up - my closet in my bedroom in Madison! But first I need to give the Hassler family photos back (and finish scanning them) so I can get to said closet. I did sort through the closet at Grandpas and got rid of a Michael's bag (bigger than a normal plastic bag, I'll have you know) full of clothes. When I move I won't have to bring so much with me. It feels great to have such a solid start on ridding myself of excess stuff.
I don't know where else we went, but I know Mom and I ran other errands together. Later that night we made our Christmas cookies, and also some cookies for our family friend's annual cookie exchange the next day.
We made Amish sugar cookies. Mom and Lisa love them because they think they melt in their mouths. I think they are just okay. We usually use white sugar, but for Christmas Mom had us use red and green. I think they look very festive!
So that was my productive December 17. It doesn't look that fabulous on the blog, but I know it was a good day, full of getting things done. I loved it! Oh, I know! I just looked on facebook, and according to my status update that day, while I didn't accomplish everything on my list, I was happy with what I accomplished. Including cooking both lunch and dinner, with leftovers from both. I'm fairly certain dinner was split pea soup. Yum.
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