Kitty Genius

Rosh Hashanah

I just wanted to wish those who celebrate Rosh Hashanah a very happy new year! And even if you don't, L'shanah tovah.

My mom, sisters and I haven't celebrated the high holidays since I was much younger and we lived with my grandparents. As I get older, I crave the traditions we used to have. Not to mention, this time of year makes me feel very family oriented.

I will be back tomorrow with "HELLO October." Today, I am going to do some cooking and have some apples with honey.

Here's to traditions… old, new, and revisited!

Car!!!

I would like to introduce you to my new car!

Thank you so so sooooo much for the advice. I read and reread all the comments about three times, and armed with many reviews, including your comments, I made my way to another dealership and found a 1999 Honda CR-V that I am thrilled with.

I took it to an independent mechanic today and the car certainly needs some regular maintenance that can add a bit to the cost of the car. Even so, tons of research paid off and I see having this car for a good long while.

I know it's nine years old but I am in awe of its "fanciness" (and by fanciness I mean lack of "crappiness"). I am still a little afraid to drive it but I'll get there.

I can't wait to haul some crap in this thing!!

The Great Car Hunt is ON

It's true. After selling my ’95 Jetta before leaving St. Louis (I hated that car and it hated me back), I have been carless for some time. I am now somewhat desperate to get a reliable used car. I know I want a car I can shove things in (like dressers, tables, thrift store finds), go camping with, and keep for a long time. I have never, ever been an SUV person. Honestly, I'm scared of them, but the car I am looking for is actually a small car-based SUV, one that Consumer Reports and a myriad of other sources deem great, safe, reliable, not very big, and relatively fuel-efficient (relatively).

I have narrowed it down to around a 2000 Honda CR-V,

a 2000ish Toyota Rav4,

or in a perfect world a 2004 (specifically) Subaru Forester.

2004 because the model years before that didn't get such good reviews, which I was really surprised by.

I don't care about color, moon roof, bells or whistles. I want an all-wheel drive, automatic, air condition, clean-title car. Did I mention for under 5 figures? Bye bye Forester dreams. :)

So, I know this is a boring car post but if anyone has any advice on any of these cars it is MORE than welcome and appreciated. Or, you know, you happen to be in Portland and know any good car dealers or know of someone selling one… Oh! Or mechanics to get a car pre-purchase check out

Last but not least, THANK YOU for all the recipe tips and web sites to find recipes. I find it ridiculously exciting. The most recent recipe I tried, which was awesome, was baked cauliflower.

Boys Will Be Boys

Ever wonder what they looked like before they were bearded guys? They were little boys, of course!

Henry

Caleb

Gabriel

Caleb (Pink)

Ennis

Do one of these little guys look a bit familiar to you? I hope so! All of these little guys measure 8" × 10" for easy framing.

I receive many e-mails telling me that one of my bearded guys look just like someone's fill-in-the-blank. So, I've been meaning to put little boys in the shop for some time that also look just like someone's fill-in-the-blank. Little boys in stripey sweaters? And capes?

You can find them all in the shop!

It's safe to say I am addicted to All Recipes. I'm the one looking for fast, easy recipes. I have yet to try this one, but I am very excited about the prospect of freezing my unused coffee (I confess my coffee pot always has sad leftover coffee in it) and turn it into a tasty drink!! I'm not a fan of Hersey's syrup, though. Does anyone have a good recommendation for chocolate syrup?

Waste Not, Want Not

I was craving some comfort food with a capital "c" today, so I decided to go all out and make some extra large quantities of our favorites (tofu scramble, fake meat entrées, a giant salad, etc.). Now I actually have most of this week's food ready to go with just a touch of reheating.

I also had a bunch of asparagus and carrots that were approaching their last day. You know when you're in the grocery store and promise yourself to eat carrots and broccoli for all your snacks? And then… usually you have a lot of carrots and broccoli left over? Yeah.

Sooo… I made mashed carrots for the first time, and holy god… they are good. One of my favorite foods ever is mashed potatoes, and I will make mashed cauliflower from time to time, but this beats mashed cauliflower by a mile.

• Peel and boil carrots until fork tender
• mash with fork, potato masher, or hand held mixer (I liked the creamier results of the hand held mixer)
• add kosher salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of butter and enjoy!

Really, a tiny bit of butter went a looooong way for about 3 lbs of carrots.

I am trying not to eat the entire thing right now.

I see this being a fall and winter staple.

I bet they would be awesome with a pinch of brown sugar.

The dishes are washed, and I have some organizing to do (I bought some magazine holders that are still magazineless).

I hope you had a relaxing weekend!

We're back!

Oh my, it was a whirlwind of a trip!

We went back to St. Louis to visit friends and family for Drew's 30th birthday. But what he didn't know is that I had been planning a surprise party for some time. It went perfectly.

Throughout the night we saw forty or fifty people that we've been waiting months to see.

Thank you to everyone and especially Blake, Drew's parents, and my mom!! You guys were the best. And David and Michelle, thank you so much for the pictures! Drew was under the impression that we were eating at his parents' for dinner and was going to pick me up at my mom's while his mom and sister (who came in town with her fiance) went as far as setting the table for a fancy dinner and clanging around pots and pans. He was totally fooled…

Seeing my mom, Autumn, Hillary, Loren, Jenny, Helen, James, Diana, Jared, Scot… it was the best. Won't some of you move here please?

My bestest friend Loren and I in a photo booth:

HELLO September!

It's September! It's September! It's September! It's September! It's September! It's September!

Without further ado, here is "HELLO September" aka "A Moment of Solitude".

This new print can be found in the shop!

Hurricane season is upon us. Doesn't it seem like just a blink of an eye since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast? It's crazy that it's been three long years for the people rebuilding their lives and, if they can, their homes.

Which brings us to this month's charity, which is the American Red Cross.

In happier news, Drew and I are off on an airplane bright and early tomorrow morning! We're going to St. Louis to celebrate his 30th birthday among family and friends. I promise to eat a giant piece of cake for you!

Happy September!!

On my walk this morning I saw kids either begrudgingly or happily on their way to school… either way it made me crave a lunch in a brown paper bag.