Lady Gaga

E and I listen to quite a bit of top 40 radio, and got into Lady Gaga's catchy tunes when they arrived on the music scene. While we think the tunes are catchy (and have been known to turn up the stereo and sing along if Alejandro comes on the radio), we've glanced at her ostentatious outfits and distasteful music videos and struggled to understand her massive appeal as an artist.

(click on the image for the source)

But E sent me this article published in The Sunday Times (UK) last week in which the author, Camille Paglia harshly criticizes the pop culture icon, by describing her as "a laminated piece of ersatz rococo furniture".

Paglia wonders if Lady Gaga sounds the death toll to the sexual revolution, and after reading, I can't help thinking there is a lot of truth to that.
Theres a point where being so gaudy seems more outrageous than artistic.

I would recommend reading the article as I think it sheds some light on her image and this generations of pop music fans. I don't pretend to be a pop culture critic, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Puppies and Marriage: a lesson on limits

This past weekend we watched E's family's miniature dachshund, Pookie.

(us at Halloweenie in downtown San Diego last year)

I was excited to have her for a couple days, because I grew up with a dog (or two, at times) and we've both been missing having one around. I loved having her roam our back yard chasing the rabbits, and cuddle on the couch during a movie.

But there is a line I draw on pets: they do not get on my bed.

I realize that many of you dog owners might think its a silly or unrealistic rule, but I feel really strongly that our bed is intimate space. I take care to make it every day, and never allow laundry or junk to pile up on it. Our room could be a disaster, but the bed will be clean and made. It's an oasis in our house.

(although, I should make it clear that this is for me--E doesn't really have the same feelings)

I've always known if we get our own dog, it wouldn't share our bed. So what's the problem?

Pookie has only ever slept on the bed.

She is unable to accept that our house has a different rule, and wimpers, whines and runs around the bed trying to get up there with us.

What exaggerates the problem is that, despite her small stature (she can't even jump up to our bed if she tried!), P has a severe insecurity complex that causes her to go NUTS whenever E and I are being playful, hugging or kissing. She won't even let me rub his back without getting all barky and jealous.

We managed to get through this weekend with E either on the couch with her, or P in her doggie bed (even though every hour or so she freaked out and woke us up). But E's mom is going away for 8 days next month and I have no idea how to deal with it then!

Do we manage a sleepless night or two to train her to stay in the doggie bed on the floor (for just a week before she goes back to E's mom's bed), or do I compromise on my sacred one place in the house?

I don't want to be unreasonable, but I do feel really strongly about dogs in our bed.

Does your pet sleep in bed with you?

Pizza night with the girls

Last week Friday a couple of girl friends and I got together for our monthly-ish girl's night.
We usually split up the food prep and drinks and just enjoy it at Ado*'s house. this time I had the idea to make some pizzas (the kind husbands wouldn't eat)
*a nickname, pronounced "ey doh"


My FIL (and, it turns out, a coworker) have fig trees, so I have a decent supply around this time of year. We decided to make fig/goat cheese, and attempted to recreate an herb/potato pizza we had at Leucadia last spring.

*Proceed at your own risk. A napkin might be required for the drool.*

I picked up two balls of pre-made pizza dough (wheat and regular) at a market.  This may just be the best invention ever. Completely worth the $4 it cost us!



Carly and I tossed and stretched like pros and then set the pizzas on boards covered in cornmeal.

Ado started sauteing the potatoes and I carmelized a sliced red onion.




carly spread the oil and we topped










And the yummy result:




We ended the night with homemade salted caramel ice cream. delightful.



Here are the recipes we used:
Fig, Onion Goat Cheese
Sage Rosemary Potato

try them some time.  You'll fall in love!

A little sneak peak of my weekend.

I think I finally found the perfect muffin recipe.  This time I featured blackberries for E (his favorite)

This Monday rolled in too fast, and I'm feeling a bit trampled. How about you?

A Latte Love Music Festival, pt 2

Check out part 1 here.

Nickel Creek

Kate Nash

Ray LaMongtagne

Band of Horses

Peach Crisp

This is my busiest work week of the year, so I thought I'd keep it simple and share a yummy easy recipe on this gloomy Thursday.

Last week my MIL texted me that she had some extra peaches and did I want them?

She said they weren't particularly tasty so i decided to make a crisp in hope of redeeming them.

First take 5-6 large peaches cut a small on the bottom of each

Then drop them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes (NOT 5 minutes like I did)

Remove and allow to cool (some water/juice will leak out. This is good)

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350

& mix:

1/3 c brown sugar

1/2 c quick oats

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon sugar

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

Cut up 6 tbls of cold butter and add them to the mixture

mix with a pastry cutter or your hands (much easier to use your hands!)

until moist and crumbly 

(try your hardest not to eat it all!)

Once the peaches are cooled enough to handle, get a sick satisfaction from peeling the slimy skin off the peaches in the larges pieces possible

It's as satisfying as popping a zit

try it sometime!

When all the peaches are skinless and shiny

cut them in half, remove the pit and slice them (I did about 10 slices per peach)

Toss the peaches slices in a mixing bowl with:

1 tbls of sugar

1 tsp of corn starch

1 tsp of fresh lemon juice (all I had was a lime)

Pour peaches into a large casserole dish or 7x11 baking dish (or two small casserole dishes) and top with crumble mixture

(I made two dishes so I could bring one to work.  I also topped one of them with chopped walnuts)

Pop them in the oven for 35-45 minutes

Finally, forget to take a photo of the crispy, golden brown, bubbling dish and dive right in!

Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream or room temperature with vanilla yogurt. NOM.