Average Jane

Author: Average Jane

  • Average Jane on Not Shopping for the Holidays

    IMGP1752 Even before I found out I was going to be laid off at the end of the year, I'd already had the discussion with my extended family. We decided that this would be one of those holidays where we only buy gifts for the kids.

    It's not the first time we've done this. The economy has been rough for a while now, and we make the decision from year to year based on how well everyone has been staying afloat. I think keeping the gifts to a minimum makes for a very relaxed and pleasant celebration. We take the emphasis off the stuff and bring it back to the people (and the food, of course).

    This year more than ever, the whole holiday shopping season phenomenon seems absolutely alien to me. The store decorations, gift guides, ads and e-mails touting various bargains just don't compute.

    Then I heard about people who are already camping out for Black Friday sales. Seriously? It's really worth it to these people to spend a week away from their families and miss Thanksgiving just to save a few bucks on a bunch of consumer products? Talk about having your priorities out of whack.

    I'm looking forward to spending the days between now and Christmas doing things I really enjoy, while other people are out sweating over gift lists and fighting crowds.

    I'll bake cookies, make candy and decorate my house. I'll have friends and family over or I'll go to their houses. We'll drink hot chocolate with butterscotch schnapps and hot cider with spiced rum. I'll watch DVDs of "Bad Santa," "Elf," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and maybe even the Rifftrax "Star Wars Holiday Special."

    And I'll bet not one person will elbow me or step on my foot that whole time.

  • Average Jane vs. the Cold

    When A Librarian and I started walking our 3.4 mile route a couple of times a week, it was quite hot out, even at 6:00 a.m. I'd come home so overheated and sweaty that sometimes a cool shower didn't even help.

    Once fall hit, we started strategizing about where we could walk once it got too cold out. I discovered that my local community center offers inexpensive passes that allow you to walk on their indoor track, so I figured that we'd get those and start our 34-lap marches of boredom in late October or early November.

    As it turns out, we both seem to be developing pretty good tolerance for the cold. This morning it was about 36 degrees Fahrenheit and we both made it through our walk clad in sweat pants, hoodies layered over shirts, and head coverings. There was some discussion that long underwear would be nice, but so far we're hanging in there.

    Far from looking forward to retreating inside, we're both rather fond of our route through the neighborhood and along part of downtown. The topography is varied, there's plenty to look at, and we've started recognizing some of the people we pass on the sidewalk.

    At this point, I think we're in agreement that we'll keep up the outdoor walks until prevented by sleet, snow or other hazardous winter weather. Of course we aren't going to want to spend an hour outside in subzero temperatures, but as long as it's in the neighborhood of freezing or above, I think we can take it.

    Now, indoors is another story. My office is uncomfortably cold (both at home and at work). Our TV room at home is chilly. Our bedroom window is drafty and I have to sleep in my robe and wear socks. You'd think that my newly-developed outdoor cold tolerance would make a difference, but it really doesn't. I guess it's time to dig the space heater out of storage.

  • Average Jane Gets Around To It

    Roundtuit I'm making a to-do list for this weekend that includes a whole bunch of things that I've been ignoring for way too long even though their solutions are relatively simple.

    For example, our screen door slams loudly and unexpectedly about 80% of the time. The replacement part that will make it all better costs less than $10, but I've let it go on startling my guests and disturbing the peace of every social event I've hosted for the past several years.

    Then there's our TV remote. Instead of having to mash the buttons forcefully and repeatedly to get it to respond to commands, I'm pretty sure that a new pair of batteries would cure everything. That's always the solution when the garage door remote starts acting that way.

    I'm overdue to cut the dead fronds off our elephant ear plants, dig up the bulbs and store them for the winter. I've decided that they're my favorite new landscaping secret* and it would be a shame to have to buy them again next year when I can just save the ones I have.

    *When you have big, dramatic plants in a flower bed, nobody seems to notice that the rest of the bed is a mishmash of pathetic perennials and uncontrolled weeds. It's like magic!

    Finally, I've been wanting to take a stray fluorescent light fixture I have and mount it over my laundry table in the basement. While I was standing around during my home energy audit, I noticed that there is a handy electrical outlet at ceiling height just a two feet from where I want to put the light. All it will take is a couple of screws or hooks and I'll be able to put up the light where I can easily plug it in. Then sorting laundry will become the experience I've always dreamed it could be. /sarcasm

    What are you going to attempt to accomplish this weekend?

    Photo credit: catface3

  • Average Jane’s Wordless Wednesday

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  • Combining Average Jane’s Cats

    IMGP2045 Ever since Trillian completely failed to integrate with our downstairs cats, I've had two distinct sets of pets in the house. Xena and Velvet live downstairs and Trillian and Dr. Jones live in the recording studio/my office.

    For some time, we've been letting Trillian and Dr. Jones have field trips downstairs each day and they LOVE going down there. The wrangling with the older cats has all but disappeared, they're all eating the same food, and we're starting to think about whether it's time to move the studio cats downstairs permanently.

    Pros:

    • No more cat box in my office. Seriously, Dr. Jones is the stinkiest boy in the world.
    • No more cat box odor wafting into the recording studio. Not a big selling point, that.
    • Jones and Trillian won't spend so much time hanging around the studio door begging to be let downstairs. (I do have Jones trained in that regard, though. I used to say "No!" and push him over with my foot when I was leaving the studio. Now all I have to do is say, "No!" and he flops over on his side.)
    • Everyone on the same feeding schedule.

    Cons:

    • Dr. Jones is like a feline woodchipper. He chews up paper in particular, though he's become fond of jumping up on the kitchen counter, grabbing my dish scrubbers, and mauling them to pieces. I also have to keep my knitted hat away from him.
    • Both Trillian and Dr. Jones are likely to dart out the front door when they get the opportunity. It would take some training to make sure they're safe. I'd probably also have to get Jones microchipped, just in case.
    • Because Dr. Jones grew up in the studio, he has no manners about things like getting on the counter. I don't know that even a squirt gun would be enough of a deterrent.
    • The upstairs cats have a cat tree, beds, toys, etc. I'm not entirely sure where I'd put all that stuff in the main part of the house

    We haven't made a final decision yet, but we're getting closer. In the meantime, Jones is snoozing in his bed on top of the hutch of my desk, Trillian is cuddled up on a bass drum bag, and the downstairs cats are going about their morning routine.

    Someday soon, they might all get a big surprise.

  • Average Jane’s Photo Collection

    The other day I spent some time scrolling through my entire iPhoto collection, which gave me the opportunity to do some reminiscing. I thought it would be fun to post a few random ones that caught my eye.

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    Here's a snowman I made several years ago. I'm hoping I don't have the opportunity to make another one anytime soon.

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    This is a view from the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier in Chicago. I took a break during the BlogHer Conference in 2007 and did the ride even though I'm afraid of heights. I lived.

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    Isn't this a gorgeous photo? I got this Bloody Mary at LAX while I waited for a flight home. It was delicious.

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    A cool shot of a stormy sky from my home office window.

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    My sister and my niece at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival last year. We were all very cold.

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    Some deer in my back yard earlier this year.

  • Average Jane’s Kitchen Tools

    After all of yesterday's cooking, I started thinking about my ridiculously comprehensive collection of kitchen tools and appliances. Thanks to a generous stepmother with gourmet cooking skills and a lot of friends who keep inviting me to Pampered Chef parties, I am not lacking for high-quality cooking accessories.

    So what are my favorites? Here are five, in no particular order:

    Mixer
    Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Okay, I lied. This is definitely #1 on the list for a reason. Mine isn't exactly like this one (I got mine in 1994 as a wedding gift), but it's pretty similar. I use it all the time and I haven't even really taken advantage of the attachments I have, including the vegetable slicer and food grinder. It's perfect for making yeast doughs, and I frequently use the pizza crust and French bread recipes that came with the mixer.

    Garlicpress

    Garlic Press. Mine is from The Pampered Chef. I probably use my garlic press for 90% of the meals I make. It works so well that you don't even have to peel the cloves before you press them.

    Pastryframe
    Norpro Pastryframe. I grew up using one of these and I think it's by far the best tool for rolling out dough. It's a canvas cloth stretched over a frame and it comes with a cloth cover for your rolling pin. Just dust the cloth and rolling pin cover with flour and you can roll out any dough without worrying about sticking. The raised part of the frame hooks over the front edge of the counter to keep it in place while you're rolling the dough.

    Scraper
    Scraper/Chopper Tool. Before all the print on mine wore off, you could see that it was branded "Graham Kerr." Now there's a celebrity chef blast from the past. I don't really use mine for chopping, nor do I take advantage of the fact that you can core an apple with the hollow part. However, it's great for picking up chopped veggies to transfer them from the cutting board to the pan. It's also useful for transferring delicate cut-out cookies onto the cookie sheet for baking.

    Minimeasure
    "Shot Glass" Measuring Cup. The first time I bought one of these, it was a complete impulse purchase. Now I have two of them because they're so useful. They're great compared to measuring spoons when you need to measure out multiple tablespoons of something potentially messy such as oil, molasses or honey. They also come in handy during cold season for measuring medicine doses.

    * * *

    I could have kept going on and on and I imagine I'll think of something later today that I can't believe I didn't think to list. (Yep, I just did.)

    Also, it may go without saying, but this post is not sponsored in any way and I put links merely so you could find the items if you're so inclined.

    What are your favorite kitchen tools?

  • Average Jane Cooks

    Today I'm having company over for lunch and making my ever-popular Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables and a couple of loaves of French bread.

    I've been trying to cook more meals in lieu of going out, but the one meal that I just don't feel like making this year is Thanksgiving dinner.

    Last year I cooked a huge dinner and spent the better part of two days baking, cooking and cleaning. All that effort was for five people.

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    Have you ever brined a turkey? Damn, it's a lot of effort.

    I have some wonderful Thanksgiving recipes. Here's the booklet, in case you'd like to peruse them. I'll definitely get my Thanksgiving mojo back someday, but I'm just not feeling it this year.

    Instead, I think we should just go out somewhere. You can find a perfectly good Thanksgiving meal at lots of different places and get every dish you could possibly want without having to wash a single pot or pan.

    Then I can just make a nice pumpkin pie or two to have around the house.

    What are you planning for Thanksgiving dinner this year?

  • Average Jane’s 90-Day Feline Weight Loss Plan

    This is the final week of the Nu Campaign to Fight Pet Obesity. Here's where we started. Now I'll give a similar rundown of the results.

    Test Subject #1: Xena
    Final Weight: 14.5 pounds
    Net Weight Loss: 1 pound
    Physique: Noticeably Leaner
    Coat: Smooth and Glossy
    Energy Level: High
    Mood: Friendlier and More Playful

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    Test Subject #2: Velvet
    Final Weight: 11 pounds
    Net Weight Loss: .4 pound
    Physique: Muscular
    Coat: Smooth and Glossy
    Energy Level: High
    Mood: Almost Insanely Playful

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    I know that's not a very good photo of Velvet, but she's so active in the mornings that it's almost impossible to photograph her. Look at that tail moving.

    It is not an exaggeration to say that the Nulo food has completely transformed these cats. It didn't happen overnight, but over the course of the three months they have changed significantly in all of the ways listed above.

    When we started, Xena was lazy, grouchy and unkempt. Now she's bursting with energy, noticeably more loving and her coat is beautiful and soft.

    Velvet was "along for the ride" because she and Xena live in the same part of the house. However, she still trimmed down slightly, her coat improved, and she's more playful than I've ever seen her, which is really saying something for a cat that's approximately 10 years old.

    If you'd like to try Nulo food for your own pets, this is a good time to do it. Until November 25, 2010, you can get 25% off your order of $25 or more by using the code PETSGIVE at checkout. Also for every $25 customer order placed nationwide during this time period, the Austin-based pet food company will donate one pet Thanksgiving dinner to Austin Pets Alive! or Animal Trustees of Austin.

    I recently took advantage of the discount to buy food for our studio cats, Trillian and Dr. Jones. This is only their second week on the food, but I'm looking forward to seeing them at their very best after they've adjusted completely to their new diet.

    I agreed to take part in the Nulo program somewhat impulsively and I later had some reservations about devoting so many posts to my cats and their food. In the end, however, I'm very glad I did it. My healthy, happy cats made it all worthwhile.

    Disclosure: Nulo has generously provided free product and other benefits in exchange for my participation in the Nu Campaign to fight pet obesity. All of the opinions about the product are mine and not dictated in any way by the company.

  • Average Jane Requests A Do-Over

    Erase This week. Seriously. It’s only Thursday and I already wish I could wipe the slate clean and start over.

    Let’s get the big thing out of the way: I found out that I’m one of several dozen people at my company who will be laid off at the end of the year. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to mention it here, but I’ll take any job leads I can get. My LinkedIn profile is here, and I’d appreciate any referrals, leads, or recommendations you can provide.

    Then last night I got a call from my credit card company about some questionable charges. Sure enough, the first one they mentioned was definitely not initiated by me. So it seems I’ve been victimized by the booming credit card fraud industry yet again. I’ll have to stop by my credit union this morning to dispute the $1,000+ charge and live without a credit card until they can issue me a new one. [Update: D’oh! It’s Veteran’s Day, so the credit union is closed. Sigh.]

    Did I mention I think I’m getting sick? Or that Dr. Jones chewed up several pieces of yesterday’s mail? Or that last night was the first night since the time change that I’ve gotten a reasonable amount of sleep?

    Don’t get me wrong, I am actually feeling very optimistic about the adventures to come. It’s just that I’m a bit overwhelmed right now. But I’ve got this. I really do.

    Photo credit: zugaldia