-
Matzo Ball Soup, Chicken Salad, and Some of the Most Amazing Brownies EVER
I always get excited when someone in the neighborhood responds to my call for help in learning something new. Last week, after being in contact with him at various times over the summer, I finally had the opportunity to meet and spend time in the kitchen with Ron. The plan was to make homemade matzo ball soup from scratch. I love matzo ball soup, and historically in my kitchen, it involved a mix by Croyden House plus the addition of chopped carrots, celery, and egg whites. (My husband and I would tend to make it during Passover, so the egg whites “replaced” noodles.) There is absolutely nothing wrong with that…
-
Mosaic Birdhouse
This summer, I spent several mornings with Stephanie, a woman who responded to my Facebook call for someone to teach me something new! She offered to teach me how to do a mosaic design on a birdhouse, and I took her up on her offer. Using one of my handy craft store coupons (with my Michael’s app, I always have one on hand–stores usually accept competitor coupons, so I am always ready), I picked up a wooden birdhouse which would eventually become a masterpiece! (I set my standards high.) Day 1: We started the project. This project would involve getting together several times due to the various steps requiring glue…
-
Aloha from the Suburbs!
Disclaimer: My son and I enjoyed a complementary dinner and show at Tiki Terrace in exchange for me sharing our experience on this blog. My son and I traveled to the South Pacific for an evening (yes, one evening) earlier this week! No airports; no luggage; no hassles. It was a VERY mini vacation, but it was a great little evening getaway, and it was nice to have some one-on-one time with my son! We went to Tiki Terrace in Des Plaines, IL for a Hawaiian dinner and luau show (it was Hang Loose Wednesday!). As soon as we walked in, we certainly felt transported. No suburban feel there! We…
-
Axeplosion!
Disclaimer: My family received a complimentary axe throwing session in exchange for my sharing of our experience on this blog. I admit that I have never watched an episode of Games of Thrones. Nevertheless, I recently had the chance to wield an axe (in a controlled setting) and felt great doing so! A new axe throwing facility just opened up a few weeks ago not too far from me. Axeplosion has come to town! Prior to learning about this place, I did have an interest in trying out such an activity, but I only had heard of places downtown and just never followed up. When I recently saw mention of…
-
Trapped! (aka Broken Car Door Handle)
One recent morning, I arrived at my office for work, and when I tried to open my car door, I heard a strange noise, and the door remained shut. Lovely. The handle would move quite freely and easily, but it would not open my door. I tried to lock and unlock it from the inside but to no avail. Fortunately, I wasn’t wearing a skirt, so I “gracefully” climbed over my front passenger seat, climbed out of my car, and went around to the driver’s side. Once there, I could successfully open the door. This verified that the door as a whole wasn’t messed up, just the inside handle.…
-
Walk, Sweat, and Paint
My friend, Cheryl, and I have known each other since we were three. We grew up next door to each other and were neighbors until we headed off to college. Despite many years of coloring, Lite Brite, Spirograph, and Fashion Plates as kids, we never really painted together. Well, that has now changed! In response to my “Who wants to teach me something?” call, she offered to teach me to paint. She had no experience teaching painting, but I had no experience being taught (elementary school doesn’t count), so we had absolutely nothing to lose! Long story short, we had a fantastic day together! We did not start at the…
-
Key Lime Pie
On a recent Sunday afternoon, my husband and daughter were busy, but my son and I had nothing on our schedules until the evening. I refused to spend the afternoon with us just hanging around the house doing lots of nothing, busywork, or playing on screens, so I asked what he would like to do. I gave him the option of doing something with me or making plans with his friends. He was initially indecisive, but he eventually said that he wanted to make key lime pie. I was sort of hoping to do something outdoors, but, he came up with a legitimate, doable idea, so that became our afternoon…
-
Super Shed 3000
Spoiler alert: The title may be just a bit of an embellishment. Just a bit. Every so often, I put out the call for “who wants to teach me something new?” Recently, I had a taker who said that she would soon be building a shed and wondered if I would be interested in participating. I have no idea as to what response she expected, but I took her up on the offer! Whether or not I would be of much help would soon be determined, but I figured that we could have fun, I would try something different, and my friend and I would get a chance to get…
-
The Wild Roaster
One recent afternoon, I spent time with Kaye, owner of the coffee shop “The Wild Roaster” In Deerfield, IL. This little coffee shop is within the local train station (an actual coffee shop, not just a kiosk), and she roasts the beans right there in the store. When I asked if she could show and teach me a little about roasting coffee beans, she invited me to see the process in action! Relatively speaking, her roaster is a small one, but for now it is doing the job. One of the benefits of this, though, is that you know that the beans you are enjoying from The Wild Roaster were…
-
Avocado Egg Salad
To begin, I acknowledge that I may now be a bit addicted. I recently found a recipe for “Healthy Avocado Egg Salad,” and I actually had eggs and avocados (technically, I had small avocados, but that is neither here nor there) and the other listed ingredients, so all was a go! I have always enjoyed egg salad, but I never put in the time to make it. First of all, my family members don’t really care about egg salad. Second, I used to find the task of hard boiling eggs to be a major pain. Now, though, I have a pressure cooker, and that has made all the difference! The…
If it's not illegal, immoral, or blatantly stupid, I am willing to give it a try!
