Ask The Helpful Housewife

Sweet, Lazy Sundays

Not having a computer has put a crimp in things around here.  I've been living through my cell phones, but it's just impossible to really function the way I like to.  Yes, Blackberry has all the features that enable me to keep up to date on what's going on; my HTC Pro even allows me to blog as if I'm sitting at my laptop.  But it's just not the real thing!  I like the full size screen vs trying to squint at the small little square on a handheld; and even though the pda's have "Full QWERTY" keyboards, let's face it, no one's fingers are that small! So, needless to say, I am very grateful to have my dinosaur laptop back in operation today. 

While I was unable to post, I was able to be crafty!  Here are photos to prove it....

Headband mania around here!  So fun to make!  If you are interested, you can actually buy them at Twiggies here in downtown DeWitt.  I love Twiggies, one of my favorite places in the world.  I even have had the luxury of watching the shop when Beth has to run out on floral deliveries or spend a day doing a wedding.  I love this cozy little corner of the world.  She one Best of the Best in Knot Weddings for 2008 and 2009!  Well deserved, too.  Her weddings are amazing.  But her boutique?  Full of treasures!  I could get lost in there! 

So today is a lazy Sunday.  Andrew is feeling a bit under the weather.  Although he and Aelin have already gone through the H1N1 bug, he's now got some type of stomach bug.  So he and I are snuggled up on the couch with football on the tv.  Mom has to pay attention!  I've got fantasy football stats to keep up with.  I pulled off a miracle win last week.  No laptop?? No lineup changes. That meant two of my actives were actually on bye weeks!  How did I pull that off????  The girls are off playing, and Dad is yakking on the phone.  It's cold, and icky, and a great day to just lay low, watch some great games, and enjoy the lazy time.  Tomorrow it will be back to the grind of running kids around, and trying to fit everything into my days.  For today?  Rest and relaxation!
 
 
 
 

Oops! Missed a day! I've

Oops! Missed a day! I've been hidden away in the craft room working on some big secrets that I will share soon... Good stuff!

Bourbon Sauced Bread Pudding -- come on over!

You're all invited over to enjoy some with us!  I'm making it right now...  Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 1990.  Anthony Bourdain would propose to me after one taste. 

This was created based on the description my husband gave me of a good bread pudding he had in New Orleans before Christmas.  But it was still a little too cakey for him.  This one is gooey, ooey, and oh so sinful!  My own creation.  I'm not sharing it, just in case I make it big in the gourmet world!  But I wanted to extend an invitation to all of you to come on over and share it with us.

But I am posing this question to all of you: how do you prefer your bread pudding?  There seem to be two schools on this dessert.  One is the very dry, dense version.  Another is the more moist, fluffy, cakey version.  I've even watched entire Food Network shows dedicated to this historic food.  It is typically found in the south, and mostly in the New Orleans area.  But the name alone does NOT fit the food.  When I think of pudding, I think of custard.  Of something smooth, velvety, creamy....  NOT cakey!

So this version I've created is a true bread PUDDING.  Hmmm.... maybe I do have to publish it!

Anyway, what do you think?  Dry & dense; cakey; or custardy?  Let me know!

THE Must Have Item This Fall...

 
 
 These bowls are simply amazing! Two years ago, my mom gave me 2 sets of these bowls for Christmas.  They come with matching plates that sit under them perfectly if you like.  Unfortunately, one broke, so this past Christmas, I asked for one more set of 4.  We use them ALL the time, so they are always in the dishwasher, and 4 more would be so handy in this family of six.  Well, bless her, she gave us 2 more sets instead, since we didn't want anything else!  We use these every. single. day.  No lie.  Every morning, they come out of the cupboard for cereal, oatmeal, or Malt O Meal.  At lunch I fill them with soup or mac and cheese.  At dinner they get used for chili or stew or any other hearty dish.  Even lasagna at times when it's extra gooey! And at night, Andy uses one for his evening ice cream indulgence!

These are so versatile. They are great for any occasion.  Put them on your registry.  Your birthday list.  Your Chrismas wish list.  Dishwasher and microwave safe.  Durable.  (Unless a 4 year old throws it in a sink a little TOO hard!) And a good basic white to match most any decor.  A bargain at $29 for a set of 4 bowls and 4 plates that will be a favorite for years and years!  And occasionally they go on sale, so watch for that, too.  Available at Williams-Sonoma stores and online. 

Tonight I'm using mine again... chicken chili is on the menu, along with home made rolls, veggies to crunch on, and home made hummus dip. And then later on tonight we'll use them for popcorn, the plates for donuts, and have cider while we watch a movie!
  

Honeycrisp Season! YUMMY!

What is the best thing about this time of year?  Just the fact this is the only time you can get Honeycrisp Apples!!!!!  OMG!!!!  Have you ever tasted one?  They are exactly as described... sweet as honey and oh-so-crisp!  They are the only red apples I will eat.  And I will eat them by the bushel.  And I do!  Because the season is so short, I gorge myself on them.  They are so divine.  And I do not bake with them.  It seems almost sacreligious to do so.  I will bake with MacIntosh apples any day. Those are the absolute best for apple crisp.  And Gala's or Paula Red's are perfect for apple pies.  But Honeycrisp's?  No.  They must be eaten as is. 

They crunch as you bite in.  The juice runs stickly down your chin.  The sweetness fills your mouth, without a hint of tartness.  It's like eating candy from nature.  Literally!  And I have a kitchen full of them.

My next stop?  Uncle John's Cider Mill in St. John's for fresh cider.  It's fall.  Cider is a must have around the bonfire!  Warm cider with a stick of cinnamon for stirring... so simple and yet so elegant.  Want to feel like Martha Stewart without the stick up your you-know-what?  Get some big, over-size mugs.  Pour warm cider in them.  Insert long stick of cinnamon.  Ouila!  Throw in a couple whole cloves and a sprinkle of fresh ground nutmeg and a squeeze of an orange wedge, and you can be Martha's overlord in mere seconds.  MUAHaaaahhaahaaaa!

With the fresh air coming through the windows in the kitchen (I don't care if it's chilly out - the sun is incredible, and the smell of leaves is amazing), pumpkins galore at the farmers market this week, and my favorite apples in abundance, life is good right now!  As long as it doesn't snow anytime soon...  And I have to go back to my second favorite apple, Granny Smith, and bundling up in snow gear. 

Are you in the mood for Autumn on this first day of October?