I Love LibraryThing!

Have you tried LibraryThing yet? You might not know that next to playing French Horn in a Symphony, or going to Chef School and then opening my own Bed and Breakfast including a really cool and exclusive restaurant within, my next most dream job was to be a Librarian. Unfortunately, when I had my chance to do so, I quickly realized that in addition to requiring a Master's Degree in Library Science, the starting pay was approximately $20,000 LESS than I was currently making and I just didn't think I could afford the career change. For a while I even worked at Dallas Public Library as an Assistant Librarian and I really, really loved being at the library almost every day...

I happen to know that SOME of you have even MORE books than I, including many, many, many first editions. If you haven't already done so, check out LibraryThing.com (links are in sidebar, along with books from my personal library). This website is totally fun for the secret librarian hiding within. I'm totally hooked on catalogueing my collection, which I've tried numerous times on my own over the years, and I just felt too overwhelmed. In a matter of maybe 4 or 5 hours, I've added almost 300 titles to my personal online library. Library Thing is free for up to 200 titles and offers a lifetime membership for only $25 which allows unlimited titles. One really enjoyable feature is learning which books in my collection are also owned by other collectors. If you love books, I highly recommend this site.

Have you checked out my favorite astronomy blog lately? It's been updated the with lots of cool observing tips for the month of April. Check it out. This blog is really popular gets literally hundreds of visits per day from all over the globe.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/LowerCal/

There's always a link on the right-hand margin of this site under Friends and Favorite links, as well. (Casual Astronomy.)

Have a happy Sunday and much success.

Yummy Greek-Inspired Spaghetti

Do you love eggplant?

Do you love Moussaka, but hesitate to make it often because, well, who has time to make bechamel sauce?

If so, perhaps you will enjoy Aunt Melissa's original creation, Greek-inspired Spaghetti.

This recipe is quite simple and came to me in a flash of inspiration last night as I prepared to make blah garden variety spaghetti and pasta sauce from a jar. Uncle Steve and I (how do I put this delicately?) totally-pigged out on this dish last night and I'm currently counting the hours until dinner so that we can have leftovers tonight!!

Aunt Melissa's Fake Moussaka - Spaghetti

Ingredients:

Olive Oil (for frying)
1 Large onion, chopped
3/4 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I buy it by the jar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Prepared Pasta Sauce
3 small eggplant (or One LARGE)
Approx. 1/2 cup corn flour*
Feta Cheese for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste
Spaghetti in the size of your choice.

*Do not use cornmeal. If corn flour is not available, wheat flour is the next best alternative.

• Begin by boiling water for pasta.

• Heat a skillet or dutch oven and add the Olive Oil (I used a cast-iron skillet with a few remaining bacon drippings to which I added olive oil).
• Cook the chopped onion until they become transparent.
• Add the ground beef and garlic and cook until brown.
  
• Sprinkle in the cinnamon, mix well and transfer meat to a large serving bowl.
• If necessary, add more olive oil to the pan and bring the oil back to frying temperature.
  
• Check to see if pasta water has boiled, adding spaghetti and setting timer when ready.
  
• Next, wash, dry and slice eggplant into circular slices approximately 3/4 inch thick.
  
• Toss slices in a bowl with corn flour and salt.
  
• Transfer slices one by one to the fry pan and gently brown on both sides.
  
• As eggplant slices are ready, toss them in the serving dish on top of the ground beef mixture. Continue Frying until all eggplant is done.
• (I saved out approximately 8 slices of eggplant to serve as an appetizer/side dish. I also found leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, which I scooped by melon baller into the leftover corn flour coating and fried in the remaining oil, making lovely little fried balls of mashed potato as the second side dish).
  
• Open the pasta sauce and poor over the meat and eggplant mixture (no need to heat first, as the hot pasta will warm all ingredients back to serving temperature.
  
• Once pasta has reached al dente, drain and (without rinsing) pour over the sauce mixture and toss well.
  
• Transfer to serving plates, topping with crumbled feta and surrounded by reserved fried eggplant and crispy mashed potato nuggets.

Enjoy, and please let me know if you like this recipe. It's an original from me to you.

Happy Cooking!

Aunt Melissa

Cute Purse and Interview Report

FIRST, THE PURSE:

Is this the cutest purse ever, or what?!?!?

At the risk of sounding immodest, I must say that I really like the way this one turned out, don't you? =) I hope my sweet sister thinks so, too, because this will be a VERY belated birthday gift .

Wanna see it again?


Okay, ========================>>>




The pattern was one of those free "create it" ideas and inspiration leaflets in the yarn section of Michaels arts and crafts store. I used Lion's Brand Chenille Thick and Quick. I now like the yarn again. After taking an entire year to knit a throw from this yarn, I was fairly hesitant to use it again, but I found Crocheting to be much easier. The yarn's lack of elasticity wasn't an issue with crochet, but made knitting a little unpleasant. It didn't help, of course, that I was an inexperienced knitter using circular knitting needles both a size too small and with a chord too short... Ahhh... Thats how we learn, isn't it, from our mistake? =) I also learned that using fuzzy black chenille REALLY makes finding and picking up dropped stitches difficult, especially in the dark. (And isn't that when we like to knit? watching tv?) Happy days now, though, because I really like this little purse. It probably only took about 4 hours to make, including the fake fur trim.

THE INTERVIEW

For those of you who are curious about this morning's interview , it went very, very well. I met some really nice people that I would like to work with and also learned that I'm the only candidate under consideration, so there's a good chance I might receive an offer soon. In the meantime, I'm just wrapping up odds and ends like taxes, studying for a Life Agent license exam and designing the new closet layout.


THE CLOSET

Dare I share the closet story and (gasp), the photo?

Really?
Gulp.

Okay, here goes. About 4 weeks ago I thought this might be an excellent time to get a broken closet door repaired and called in a professional. Upon arriving, the workman recommended replacing the doors as the best option. No problem, never mind that I have more time than money right now, it 's something that has to be done and poor Steve had been unable to use his 1/3 of the closet (did you catch that I didn't say 1/2?) for many, many months now. (See, bad enough he doesn't get equal closet space, he couldn't even use the space he had! =(

So "Great!", I said. Let's do this right. By the way, the doors aren't "standard" we need a "custom" order. No problem, I expect no less, let's get started. Weeks go by. The doors arrive. We schedule installation. Friendly workers appear. I show them in, introduce them to Steve, they get started. I leave to run errands. I return home and they are packing up to leave. I come upstairs and I see this...


That's right, they've ordered "custom" doors the wrong size. No problem, I take a deep breathe and say, well now, won't this be just the perfect opportunity to install new hardware and organize our sad, sad, sad little closet. It will be so much easier without the doors in the way. I've been wanting to install new hardware for a long time. Let's just do it!

Saturday we spent hours at Home Depot inspecting all the nifty hardware and deciding what we liked and didn't like. We had measured the closet height, width and depth, but needing the door widths, I called the glass place form the store and asked the width of the new doors ordered. I was told 48-5/8". Great, thanks! We brought home a handful of shiny brochures and I began planning how to fit my 30 pair of shoes next to Steve's uhh...5, and so on. Nothing was working out. Long story boring, Steve got involved to approve my plans and quickly realized that guess, what? They again have ORDERED THE WRONG SIZE DOOR! It took a few calls and patient polite negotiating, but they are cutting those doors down and perhaps by next week I can post the "After" picture to help you forget the hideousness shared above. (I know you're thinking, "Does she have no shame!?! Showing her closet to the world?!?")

Mom, the photos of your shrug will be posted soon. Shirley, I hope the photos didn't ruin your surprise. Tiffany, it was great talking to you today.

Happy weekend everyone!


Aunt Melissa

TTTTTTAXES

Yes, Taxes.

Need I say more?

Just a quick hey to everyone. Make your day great. And remember, thank God for credit cards. =)

Image left added to make calmmmmm...... breathe.... smile

Study, Study, Study

Hi Gang,

Isn't Madelein adorable?!? She came to visit Aunt Melissa and Uncle Steve a few weeks ago and in the picture at left, she doesn't quite know what to think of her own reflection. Sooooooo Cute!!!!!

I've been a little occupied with classes all day every day for the past 6 days, and tomorrow I will attend an exam prep class. Okay, perhaps I'm the biggest dork you know, but I've loved my classes this week and tonight I came straight home to take an online exam with no preparation just to see what I've retained. (I know, HUGE dork) It's a shame it wasn't the real deal, though, because I passed!!! Tomorrow I'm going to an Exam Cram class anyway, just to be extra certain that I pass first time. Some of you already know what I'm studying, but later I will just surprise the rest of you.

Latest interview news for those who asked is this: I have 2 great interviews with a great company next Friday, so please keep your fingers crossed and positive thoughts & prayers coming my way, if you're so inclined. I've made it through the second round of interviews which included an Assistant Vice President and Senior Vice President last month. Friday's meetings are with an IT Director and the Regional CIO. ( Sounds promising, doesn't it? I'm pretty happy for this opportunity!)

Well, I know I've been slacking off in the blog department, so for your viewing pleasure, following is the Lion Brand Cupcake Shawl I crocheted last week in only 2 days!!! Super fast, super easy!


Okay, in the photo, it doesn't look so large, but I'm tellin' ya', this thing covers half our king-sized bed. It's as big as an afghan, and while it's cozy and comfy to sit around and watch tv in, its a little too large to be attractive as a normal accesory, so I'm probably going to unravel the last pattern repeat so that I can wear out of the house. It was really fun to make, and very satisfying.
=) Instructions can be found at:http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70474AD.html?noImages=



And YES, Aunt Melissa's kitchen was open 2 weeks ago and the following Dark Chocolate Cream Pies (Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Special Edition, Page 407).



This pie was the 'to die for' kind of dark chocolate that feels almost sinful. Oh my Goodness it had been so long since I had made an actual cream pie from scratch and you know what???? There is a HUGE difference between homemade and pudding from a box. AAAhhhhh..... I'm smiling just thinking about it....

Well, must get my beauty sleep and be prepared for Exam Cram tomorrow. I'll let you know how the whole licensing plays out. I'm pretty sure it will be middle or end of April before there is an open and available test time... but after that, look out world!

Until next time, go ahead... cook something nice, knit for a while, watch a movie, hug a cute dog and smile. Life is good.

Aunt Melissa

LA to TEXAS and Back Again

Amtrak adventure from LA to TX and Back again was GREAT! At times there were difficulties and inconvenience (I had to sleep sitting up one night), but mostly very, very good. There was beautiful scenery, I got a lot of knitting and napping done... I even continued my job search and conducted telephone interviews.... I couldn't have asked for a better adventure.



It was great to see family, pay respect to my cousin's memory and meet new friends of both the 2 and 4-legged variety...





Boxes of family photos helped everyone remember good times with Lynn.

This photo proves my cousin Elaine brings a whole new interpretation to the concept of "Time Out Chair".

Below, the Harvey sisters are just as beautiful and wonderful as ever.

Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets mean I must be in Texas.
(Sadly, we just don't often have the clouds necessary for
a pretty sunset in LA.)





Below is a view of Dallas from the train, featuring the infamous school-book depository and grassy knoll. OOps! No it's not... we've passed it.... ohwellfine....

The country around Big Bend was AMAZING... just like riding through an honest-to-goodness western.

Mom makes the best fried fish on the planet! Ask anyone who's eaten at Aunt Chuck's and they'll verify. Daddy's success as an amateur angler gives her all the practice she needs. Uncle Mac and Aunt Chuck, what a team!

The musical tribute and celebration of Floyd's life at Antone's (Home of the Blues) was AWESOME. It was a Great Austin crowd. Excellent entertainment (Jimmy Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton, Omar Kent Dykes). A great time was had by all and it was so great to see so many of Lynn's friends and family in one place....I can't remember ever being in a nicer crowd.

Was that a special light shining down on Omar as he played the blues???
hmmm... I wonder....

Jimmy Vaughan singing with soul...

Lou Ann Barton - Singing on her birthday.
That was a nice gift!

Me and Billy and Tiffany

And then on the trip home, a view from above the Pecos River.... (just past Judge Bean's and Langtry Station, by the way)...

Thanks, Tiffany, for reminding me I had some bloggin' to do...

Have a great day and I'll see you soon!