Supper Club: September 23, 3009

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Jen

Appetizer: Parmesan Bread Stars. They can also be known as mini-pizzas. They were super simple and tasty. And the fun part is that you can make them out of any shape you want! I’m thinking holiday-themed appetizers! Yay!

Entree: Almond/Asparagus Pilaf Bowls with Sesame-Soy Chicken. This was the first time that my rice cooker cooked anything other than plain rice in it. I thought this was an interesting way to serve rice, it was full of complex flavors. I was intrigued by the use of lemongrass but for some reason, that flavor didn’t seem to come out in the rice. (Note: if you need fresh lemongrass, go to Whole Foods.) Even though the chicken only marinated in the soy sauce mixture for about 20-30 minutes, the chicken was flavorful and delicious when cooked. Now, when the recipe said “red pepper flakes to taste,” go with a pinch, because that is more than enough.

Side Dish: Garlicky Green Beans. Super simple green bean recipe. I thought the green beans were a bit bland, not very garlicky at all but I think I may not have used enough. Next time, I won’t be afraid to use more garlic, enough to scare away the vampires!

Dessert: Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles. Oh, my. What a delicious dessert. Rich, creamy, perfect in every which way. I don’t need to say anything else about it.

Supper Club: September 16, 2009

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Jen

Appetizer: Beer Cheese Spread. A cheesy delight, if you like cheese and you like beer. I believe Kim compared it to Beer Cheddar soup, which is lovely. I do love Beer Cheddar soup. This dip has also been suggested to be perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches. Sadly, we were not able to try that one out since Bob and I left it out overnight. Whoops.

Entree: Super Sloppy Joes. A super-easy, excellent Sloppy Joe recipe. I know, I know, we do not like Rachel Ray, but she had a recipe that didn’t include ketchup! I had to go with that one. I actually doubled the recipe and made it in the dutch oven since I did not have a large enough skillet and it worked out great. I do have to say, though, the recipe is a bit runny so you’re more likely to have an open-faced sandwich with this one.

Side Dish: Bacon-Fried Taters. Because we were having Sloppy Joes for dinner, Kate wanted to find a suitable manly side dish. What is more perfect than bacon and potatoes? Absolute hit, delicious and would also be perfect for breakfast. And another very easy dish to create.

Dessert: Maryberry Mascarpone Mousse Cups. Kim thought she would try a variation on the recipe. Instead of mousse, she opted for vanilla ice cream. Okay, so we had a mishap when creating the mousse and she came up with an alternative. We LOVED it! I thought the lemony crust was superb and went beautifully with the ice cream and blueberries. I really don’t know if I would want to try it with the mousse since the way we had it was fantastic.

“Amadeus” at the Rep

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Jen

Last Tuesday night, Bob scored some tickets to the Rep because his friend was unable to attend, his loss was our gain. I had never been to the Rep before so I was excited to get cultured. The Rep is actually a pretty small theater and I would say that there is not a bad seat anywhere. It was cozy and intimate, the actors could easily interact with the audience.

Amadeus is a play told from the point of view of Antonio Salieri, a court composer in Vienna who becomes angry at God for gifting Mozart with such musical talent that it becomes his mission to destroy him. It is a fantastic play about jealousy and what it can do to turn a person so ugly.

I really enjoyed the play and the experience of being at the Rep. It is a vastly different experience watching a play here when compared to a theater as large as the Fox. One observation, though, we were probably one of the youngest people there, by ten years. I could have been the play or maybe it’s just the Rep. Who knows? Either way, I will have to remember to check out what other plays will be going on there in the future.

Mikey, thanks for the tickets!

Not So Original, Glamour, Not So Original

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Jen

I am a Glamour subscriber only because Bob has all these boyish magazine subscriptions, I wanted one that was girly to call my own. Since the only people who read this blog are my friends, they know that I take forever to read my magazines, whether it’s Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Cooking Light, etc. I am way backlogged on my magazines. Because I’m such a slacker, I’m probably the only person who would have caught this little cover shoot replication. The magazine cover on the left is from the October 2009 issue while the cover on the right is from November of 2008. That’s right, almost one year. Really? There is not enough clothing or poses that they could have used? Okay, so they are not identical but, come on. They are too similar, so unoriginal. I know that they say in fashion, everything old will be new again, but in just one year? I’m a bit disappointed.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a…Police Chopper?

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Jen

Here I was, lying in bed, watching TV, minding my own business, when I heard racket outside our bedroom window, sounding vaguely like a tractor or a large lawn mower. I tried to ignore the noise but it soon became louder and closer. I called to Bob to ask him what was going on and as soon as he walked in, I saw it. It was a FREAKIN’ HELICOPTER landing in St. Richard’s field, right behind our house. Of course, I thought, “Holy crap, it’s a manhunt!” (I mean, really, it was the most logical thought). We grabbed the camera, bolted out the backdoor, scrambled up our 5 foot retaining wall, and burst through the brush to see the police shoot the fugitive down. In hindsight, maybe this wasn’t such a smart idea. I mean, the fugitive could have used me as a shield, bargaining chip or murdered me. (Okay, I NEED to stop watching L&O: SVU.)

Well, luckily, that was not the situation. Instead, St. Richard’s was having its parish picnic and the St. Louis County Police came by to visit and let the kids see a helicopter up close. Bob and I were like giddy schoolchildren and asked the pilot some questions and even took our picture in front of it:

Hey, no comments about our attire, like I said, I was lying in bed when this event occurred. I really didn’t have any time to put on something more attractive, I didn’t want to miss manhunt.

Afterwards, we went back home and putzed around the house until we heard the chopper start up again a few hours later. Of course, I wasn’t going to miss a helicopter take off, from essentially my backyard so I ran back outside and up and over the retaining wall. It was totally worth it, we got a great video:

That’s right, we’re dorks. Accept it. Yep, that was our exciting Saturday morning. Woo-hoo.