Ali, you need this

I just found this website ReAquired while looking through Craigslist. It's a nice little collection of treasures and its a local so pick up is free. What better way to play wii in Ali's entertainment room than in this antique dentist chair??

New idea for my 3-d letter collection

As a long time collector of 3-d letters this is the best use I've seen at Miriello Grafico in San Diego, wow.
Courtesy of a website that I have trouble looking at because it makes me jealous: This Ain't no Disco

Stock success

These days I am all about butterflying chicken to make things like Chicken Under a Brick. Unfortunately hubby doesn't share my passion for chicken, so my secret plan is to get him to eat the leftovers by putting it in his favorite food--soup. While I was making the chicken I threw the trimmed pieces into a stock pot with the extra compound butter I used on the chicken skin (thyme, garlic & lemon zest) and sauteed them with some onion, celery and carrots. When it was all nice and brown I added about 4 cups of water, some salt, peppercorns, parsley stems and some bay leaves and let it simmer for a few hours while we had dinner. I felt very Barefoot Contessa as I strained my nice brown stock into an empty yogurt container.

I know you make stock all the time Tracy, but I have never had much luck, mostly because I overestimate the power of one picked-over chicken carcass to flavor gallons of water. So I was surprised that the chicken back was able to make such a rich looking stock--I think it was the browning I did at the beginning and the fond that developed in the pan (as well as limiting the amount of water). Today I am going to skim off the fat and make my soup--I hope it tastes like chicken!

Pagoda Umbrella

These umbrellas at Signature Bella are so pretty and you can customize the colors. I'd have the fanciest umbrella walking to work in the FD with a mint green one with a red handle.

Now thats sharp!

Speaking of essential kitchen tools...I got a new chef's knife for Christmas, after the one I inherited through marriage bit the dust during an unfortunate lamb chop incident (needless to say I got a cleaver too). With my kitchen back up and running and my new Henckels Pro S 8" Chef's Knife in hand, I set to work making the first prep-heavy and weather-appropriate recipe I could think of: minestrone. As I was "running my knife through" everything (now I know what that means!), I had to admit that a sharp knife does make all the difference...now I just feel sorry for my food processor.

Nesting

After calling Ali a fancy pants after using tiny glass prep bowls while making pie, she proceeded to buy me my own set for christmas. They are quite pretty but I'm a haphazard cook and the idea of prepping seems overwhelming. Maybe Ali is trying to put me on the right track which makes me want to add a new resolution on my New Years list. Resolution no. 15: Try to plan and prep while cooking. Here are some more pretty nesting kitchen objects I love from Anthropologie: geese measuring cups and a red hen egg cady.

New Years Resolution No. 14

OK well maybe its not in the top 10 of my growing list of new years resolutions, but I still want to make every recipe in, "The Art of Simple Food"and serve it on my Heath plates just like I imagine Alice Waters does when she makes her poached egg salads for lunch. Im also on a hunt for that basket on the cover!