Bloody Mary, Not Just for Breakfast

I don't know about you, but there's something to be said for morning cocktails. Now I'm not saying I have one before work, heavens no, but on days I have nothing terribly important to do, what's the harm in having a drink before 5:00 PM? Why the heck do we have to wait for 5:00 PM, who arbitrarily picked that time of day and why do we justify a drink before that time by saying, "Well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere" ? UNLESS we're talking about those few cocktails that are designated as "ok" to serve and drink in the morning. I'm talking about Mimosas, Screw Drivers, Irish Coffee and the wonderful Bloody Mary, which are usually staples at any popular brunch location. For that matter why are they only popular drinks in the morning and not the rest of the day? And why is it frowned upon to crack a beer instead? These aren't riddles I'll solve at the moment, but if you feel the urge to solve the dilemma, be sure to let us know.

Now I've got to admit, I'm not a Mimosa fan, probably because I'm not a Champagne fan (I know what am I thinking not liking Champagne?). Screw Drivers, not bad. Irish Coffee, wonderful on a cold winter's day. But Bloody Marys, that's something I can definitely get into. I went on vacation for a few days in August and decided the Bloody Mary was going to be my drink of choice. Don't ask me why, it just sounded good. So every place we ate breakfast, I had to try and judge the restaurant's recipe. You would think a Blood Mary recipe would be pretty standard, but there was a lot variance in flavors and consistency, size and garnishes, I was pretty surprised. I ordered them in the morning and usually had one (or two) with dinner. My favorite by far was at Hammerheads on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, MD followed by a close second at the Brass Balls Saloon. They both had a great consistency, not watered down, and a good balance between spicy and bland. Plus I'm a fan of olives for garnish.

Because I'm on a Bloody Mary kick, I wondered where the name came from. My first thought was the drink was name after the English Queen Mary, daughter of Henry the VIII, who ruled in the mid-1500's and had hundreds of Protestants executed when she tried to bring the country back to Roman Catholicism. What I found out is there seems to be no definite origin of the name for the drink, just who created it. Regardless of who created it, for whatever reason I feel better, healthier, drinking this drink then other alcoholic beverages. When you make it with V8 it has 2 servings of veggies & only about 220 calories per drink compared to over 300 for an 8 oz rum & Coke. Not bad for a cocktail.

If you look online you can find a ton of different recipes and I'll be honest what you like is more of personal preference. But I'm a HUGE fan of the Old Bay Bloody Mary. Recipe below. I'd love to hear your favorite Bloody Mary recipes, feel free to email it in and I'll post or add as a comment. Bottomline, a Bloody Mary is good ANY time of day!

For a pitcher of this fabulous recipe, which is great to share with friends:

1 qt / 32 oz V8 (you can also use Spicy V8)
1/4 c lime juice (fresh squeezed is great, but the bottle kind works too)
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce (I like Frank's, Tabasco is a great choice as well)
2 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 - 1 c vodka (I'm a fan of Tito's or you can use pepper vodka for an extra kick)
lime slice
Old Bay in a bowl / shallow dish

Using the lime slice, wet the rim of the glass. Dip in Old Bay seasoning to add flavor to the rim. Mix first 9 ingredients in pitcher. Fill glass with ice, pour in Bloody Mary, garnish with lime slice. You can also add lemon slices, celery stalks,oysters, shrimp and my favorite, olives in or as a garnish. The Old Bay on the rim gives you extra flavor every sip.

With that in mind, I'm going to mix a pitcher up right now. Have a great night!

Because I Can't Imagine

Timeline Marker for First Plane on 9/11

I can't imagine sitting at my new desk by the window staring out at the view, daydreaming about my first date with the guy I've had a crush on for months and thinking how excited I am for life when I see what looks like an airplane headed directly towards me.

Timeline Marker for Second Plane on 9/11

I can't imagine what the horrendous sound was, but it shook this building. There are people up from their desks all over the floor as I head towards the window. Why is there fire and smoke coming from our sister building? Can anyone tell me what just happened?

Timeline Marker for Third Plane on 9/11

I can't imagine that this is an actual terror attack on American soil. Who would be so ruthless to perpetrate an act so heinous? Where are my coworkers and friends? I have to find them keep them safe. 

Flight 93 Flight Path

Flight 93 Impact Point

The picture on the above left is the view you'll see when you enter the Flight 93 Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. The walk is marked with each plane's time of impact and location in chronological order. The walls are massive and the opening wide enough to let those who visit through. These walls are merely an image for the resolve of the heroes on board Flight 93, they stood tall and strong regardless how afraid they were. Like the walls they didn't waiver in their choice to be heroes on that day. The picture on the right is the impact point of Flight 93, the place where the hijackers lost their fight once and for all. The place where the people on board that plane met their Maker, as He welcomed them home with open arms. "You have been brave my children, now find peace."

Sample Debris Field

I can't imagine walking onto a scene where something so massive as a jet airplane is decimated into bits and pieces as it slammed into the ground at 536 mph, the pieces so small they could easily be missed. How did the first responders even cope with the fact that there where human remains mixed with the plane's debris? I can't imagine looking at something this devastating, where do you even begin?

My son asked why I was crying throughout our visit. For me the intensity of the loss that occurred here is overwhelming. I can't imagine what the people on Flight 93 were thinking. We do know some of what they were saying through black box recordings and last phone calls to their loved ones. As they heroically fought the attackers, did any of them find peace before death? Did the nausea and sinking pit in their stomachs finally go away? Were they granted forgiveness and clarity about their lives before they took their last breath? I simply can't imagine.

The heroes on Flight 93 saved hundreds of lives that day as they thwarted the terrorists. They have my unwavering respect and adulation. I can only repay them by living a kind and respectful life. By teaching my son about the loss that occurred that day, so he never forgets. And in turn he will teach his children so the memory, their memory lives on.

Wall of Names

Flight Path & Impact Point from Observation Deck

Observation Deck from Wall of Names

Did You Know That...

...the saying "Balls to the wall" is not as dirty as it sounds? Most of you probably think it has to do with testicles, which always confused me. I never understood why putting one's balls to, on, above or around a wall would be a good thing? From what I've seen, men are rather protective of their crown jewels and at the slightest thought of something bad happening in that general vicinity is cringe-worthy.

Where did this saying come from then? Believe it or not, it's from the aviation industry. Planes have a mixture of switches and levers that the pilot must understand and use to fly a plane. In some planes, especially in the 1960s, the throttle, mixture and propeller governor levers have a round, ball-like top. The "dashboard" or front of a cockpit is called the firewall. When a pilot puts these levers in the most forward position (balls to the (fire) wall) they are going into a full-speed dive, taking that plane to its limit. We non-aeronautical folks use it to mean going all-out or doing something with maximum effort. The automotive equivalent of this is "pedal to the metal."

So the next time someone says, "Go balls to the wall" it's still ok to giggle, but now you know it's not as dirty as you think.

Find Beauty in the Everyday - Milk & Oil Series

Life is hard and some days more of a challenge than others. We have wars around the world going on, we have a lack of racial and gender equality, there is hatred in spades displayed against fellow humans and animals and an overall lack of respect for our planet. These seem to be the norm rather than the exception and it saddens me. Some of it's due to media always focusing on these elements because that's what sells. I wish you could make money selling the positive, because it's out there. Focus on the good humanity can do from building structures to provide a clean water supply, to random acts of kindness and giving, to simply doing the right thing, not to make money but because it's what we're supposed to be doing.

One thing I like to do is take pictures, happy, positive and creative pictures. Images that capture the everyday but in a good way. This is simply my little way of staying positive in a not so positive world. I just wanted to share a few images with you in hopes that it may bring a bit of joy to you world.

Milk & Oil Series

Creatures from the Deep

Sun with Many Moons

A Galaxy Within

Racing on Mother's Day?

First day home from hospital

A little over 10 years ago I became a mother to an incredible boy who is growing up all too quickly. Cradling him in my arms has long since passed and holding him in my arms is more of a work-out trying to hold onto an unwieldy item. Luckily he still lets me hug him and tickle him without too many groans. He asks me questions like, "Do I ever have to move out?" which now is endearing but not so much if he's still living with me as an adult. My response is, "Honey, there will come a time that you'll want to move out, to be independent, to have a place of your own." To which he just smiles and hugs me. The thought of him growing up and becoming a man brings so many emotions with it as does any milestones children accomplish. On one hand there is a sense of pride, yup that's MY boy and the other is a sadness that they no longer need your help with something, which honestly hits my self-worth at times. It's only a fleeting moment, but once in awhile I think if I'm not his Mom then who am I? 

I'm sure most parents feel this way from time to time, I'm guessing my Mom did, although she only showed me the proud parent part and that's ok. Kids shouldn't be made to feel guilty about an accomplishment just because the parent's self-worth might take a ding. That's all about the parent and nothing about the child. I also believe it's important for parents to retain their "self" through hobbies, friends, activities, job, whatever it is that makes them feel good about themselves apart from their children. This is something I need to work on and no, I don't consider it selfish, I consider it being a well-balanced parent. My mother had running when I was a child and boy was she good at it! She's done countless 5K & 10K races, triathlons, the Quad Games and marathons like the Boston Marathon, the Pittsburgh Marathon and many others. Not only did she run these races, she kicked butt at them, finishing Boston in a little over three hours, that's about a seven minute mile - 26.2 times. I might be able to run a seven minute mile once or twice, but what she did was inspiring.

Mom and I before our race

That's why when I asked her if she wanted to run the Mother's Day 5K with me, I was nervous. When I was younger she was known in running circles, she had a focus and a drive to compete and do her very best, each and every time. That can be very intimidating to someone who's never done anything longer than a 10K. I'm not sure she knows about the admiration I have for her, the pride I feel knowing all she accomplished with her running, how I brag about her running all those marathons and races. But even knowing all of this, I still asked. I wasn't sure if she would agree, I could tell she was hesitant when I first asked, saying things to the effect of "you have been running" and "she might not be able to keep up with me.". We chatted and I told her that I haven't been running as much as I had been last year and she could determine the pace, we could walk and run as much as she'd like. Eventually she agreed, it was about us running alone together for the first time. Don't get me wrong, we've run together with my dad, but never just us two. I didn't want to disappoint her.

The day of the race my parents arrived around 7:30 AM, ready to head down to Presque Isle. It was cool but thank heavens it wasn't raining... or snowing for that matter. My stomach had butterflies and I kept thinking what if I can't keep up with her, what if I trip on something, what if, what if, what if? We get down there and do a quick jog to warm up. My shins were killing me, I just thought ugh. We lined up and once the horn blew the adrenaline kicked in and we were off. I was thinking how awesome it was to be running next to my Mom, that we were doing something special that day, that sense of pride I've had all these years flooded back to the surface. We chugged along the course at our pace. Neither of us like to talk while we run so it worked out well. I had my music in, the iPod spits out how far you went / how many kilometers left which I would tell my Mom. She would just nod. We walked and ran multiple times, but we finished in a little under 35 minutes, together. Come to find out my Mom took 2nd in her age group, how awesome is that? My Dad and my son were there to see us cross the finish line and capture video of us running by, together.

While this Mother's Day may not have been traditional, I wouldn't change it for the world. I got to run a race with my mother, side-by-side. We kept getting passed by a race-walker which for some reason irritated me, it may have been my competitive nature. Come to find out it irritated my Mom as well, lol. We both thought how can someone walking walk faster than us running? It was a great start to the day and hopefully a new tradition. It's never too late to make memories with your family, even if you're on The Backside of Forty.

Mom, I love you with all my heart and want to thank you for sharing that very special day with me. I am so proud of everything you've accomplished, I am proud to call you mother.

Us passing by on our way to the finish line

Mom & I after the race

The Lost Art of Cooking Eggs

Confession...I'm an egg cooking snob! Whenever, wherever I go to eat eggs I critique what I receive. How they look, how they taste, were they made to order, you name it, I talk...well usually complain about it. Most (98%) of the time I'm disappointed and upset. To me cooking eggs is a no-brainer, it doesn't take a lot of talent to cook an egg to order. I'm not quite sure when we lost the ability to cook an egg but we did and society is no better for it. Ok...I may be exaggerating a tad, but there are A LOT of talents our parents, grandparents and so on had that we no longer do. Cooking an egg correctly is just one of many. Sense of community and neighborhoods is also going by the wayside. Yes, there are cities and neighborhoods where everyone knows each other and you can borrow that proverbial cup of sugar, but in many neighborhoods I've lived over the years it's simply not present. Kids aren't out of their houses playing at the crack of dawn and parents have to yell to get them to come back in. They are not in large packs playing football or Dodge Ball all hours of the day during summer breaks. This is just another symptom of how our society is changing and not necessarily for the better. But let's get back to my first soapbox, cooking eggs.

Eggs are a wonderfully simple form of food with a large egg being only about 70 calories and 6 grams of protein and almost no sugar. Plus they are filled with vitamins and minerals our bodies need: 

And what other food has so many ways to cook it? ~ maybe potatoes. There's a way to cook eggs to almost everyone's liking and herein lies the problem, even cooking the basics are messed up in today's restaurants. The waitress asks me, "How would you like your eggs cooked?" My response is usually, "Over-medium, please." She writes it down, gives the order to the cook, I wait patiently, out comes my order and what I get is over-easy which is NOT over-medium. Depending on how incorrectly cooked the eggs are and how much time I have, I will either send them back or just deal with the mess on my plate staring up at me. My son knows me well and asks, "Well, how'd they do Mom?" which I reply with a look of disgust and a, "What do you think?" We have a chuckle and eat our food. The waitress checks in on us but I rarely say a word. I just ask myself why would I bother? I understand that may be part of the issue too, just accepting sub-par results and not doing anything about it, not trying to make it better. But I have no desire to go on an egg cooking road show, no desire to make cooking eggs better one egg at a time. My apathy grows with each shell that's cracked.

With all this being said, I thought I'd share with you the basic styles of cooking eggs and just maybe you too will realize that as I society, we just can't cook eggs worth a darn anymore.

Sunny Side Up: The egg is cooked on the bottom side only, but long enough where the whites firm up. How they usually come out...with the whites still being clear and the yolks cold OR the backside burned and the whites are still clear. Don't get me wrong, I like to dip my toast sometimes, but if the white isn't white, I should have just cracked a raw egg directly into my mouth. To cook properly use medium heat and cover while cooking.







Over Easy: Very similar to Sunny Side Up except you cook 
both sides of the egg. These eggs are also great for dipping toast and no matter how I order my eggs in a restaurant, this is the preferred method for most of today's cooks. I'm thinking because it's easy, they don't have to pay attention during cooking and no one complains forcing them to actually pay attention in the kitchen. Medium-low heat for a couple minutes each side is best and a delicate flip so you don't break the yolk, gives you the results you want.

Over Medium: This is slightly more complex than the eggs above but it's not rocket science. This is what I attempt to order in restaurants, the words come out of my mouth, but I still get something other than Over Medium. Simply cook both sides a bit longer to allow the yolk to firm up with just a bit of liquid. If I can successfully do this at home, there is no reason a cook can't do it, heck they have a lot more practice that I do.

Over Well: You can also ask for Over Hard, the waitress should respond to both equally. Cook both sides of the egg, yolk will be completely firm, not runny, definitely not for dipping. Cook longer each side, they edges may be a bit crispy. For those of you afraid of salmonella, this is the egg for you. Folks this is NOT a Fried Egg, which is a style unto its own. Frying an egg and a Fried Egg are different.

Fried: Also known as Over Well Break the Yolk or more times than not Oops, My Bad. This is also another great way to eat an egg if you're afraid of dying from consumption of and these eggs are great for sandwiches. When you take a chomp, yolk won't ooze down your face like the Salvatore Brothers out for a midnight snack. The breaking of the yolk during cooking is usually caused by a bad flip, but if you're great at flipping, you'll need to poke open the yolk right before your first flip. Just be careful the yolk doesn't go all over if you're a zealous egg flipper.

Poached: There are multiple ways to poach an egg, but the basic idea is to cook the eggs with hot water out of the shell. This keeps the whites (albumin) in pristine condition. Poached eggs can be used in a variety of dishes, the most commonly known is Eggs Benedict, an unhealthy but yummy dish that takes advantage of hollandaise sauce and English muffins. I can honestly say I've never order this style in a restaurant, I've been too afraid of the results.





There are other ways to cook eggs, Scrambled, Hard Boiled & Soft Boiled (just a couple). Scrambled is a staple with my son mainly because they are hard to mess up and he can cook them himself (the hard to mess up part :-). If you want to ruin any health value of Scrambled eggs, order up cheesy eggs at any Waffle House restaurant and your arteries will clog just looking at the plate, but boy are they good. Darn, I'm getting hungry.

So next time you're out, take a look at your order, did the cook get it eggactly right? Probably not, they didn't bother to think about the request and how it wouldn't take them any longer to cook them to order, they simply cracked two eggs on the grill and a few seconds later, slapped them on your plate. Now your armed and dangerous with your egg knowledge, don't let this become The Forgotten Art of Cooking Eggs, bring that expertise back to the modern world, it'll be a better place because of it. I will now step down from my egg carton. Thank you.

Wantable v. Stitch Fix - Installment 2: The Clothes

Last blog I introduced you to clothing services for those that hate to shop and have no fashion sense: Stitch Fix & Wantable. Both services send clothing directly to your house, no traffic, no people, no endless hours of going from store to store. We discussed setting up your style profiles, styling and referral fees. Now I'll share with you what each service sent, cost of each piece, whether I kept anything, the check out and return processes. Without further ado, let's get to it.

I received my Stitch Fix box first. One thing I like about this service is the flexibility around how frequently you want to receive "Fixes" which range from every 2 - 3 weeks to every three months. This helps with budgeting. If you don't usually or can't afford buying things frequently, select every three months (once a quarter) so you aren't breaking the bank. My Wantable order arrived a couple weeks later. As you can see, both are packaged nicely. 

The Stitch Fix package which comes with return bag (free returns), cards for each item that show you possible outfits, including shoes and accessories and the purchase order with prices including application of your $20 styling fee and a 25% discount off your entire order if you keep all five pieces. The Wantable package which comes with return bag (free returns) and your order with a quick note from your stylist. Below are pictures of the actual pieces in each shipment. No, I'm not modeling any of them. Just like being stylish, I'm horrible at selfies.

Up first Stitch Fix:

SF Piece 1

SF Piece 2

SF Piece 5

SF Piece 4

                       

SF Piece 3

SF Piece 1 is a light, greenish-blueish top with pretty cut-outs on the arms and bottom of the shirt. It's made by Skies are Blue. It was a softer cotton-like material, loose fitting. The cost is $54. I didn't purchase the top, it made me feel frumpy and boring. SF Piece 2 is a navy, blue lace fitted skirt by Brixon Ivy. The cost for it is $74. I was torn regarding this skirt but ended up not purchasing it. For me $74 is a lot of money for just a skirt that had limited options for tops. SF Piece 5 is a black dress with floral pattern by London Times. This dress fit well, was an appropriate length for work and would look good with either a sweater or blazer. The cost for it is $68 and due to it's versatility I ended up purchasing this. SF Piece 4 is a silk-like red flowing shirt by Papermoon. I like the color and the potential of it being used for work or play. The cost for it is $44. The only thing wrong with this top was it was to wide and very flowy at the bottom. I felt like a maternity top and not flattering on me so I didn't purchase it. In this Fix they sent a necklace (Piece 3). Usually, they send five articles of clothing. The cost for the necklace is $32. I didn't purchase the necklace because I have similar items in my jewelry box and I could go to Kohl's and pick up something similar for half the price. Out of the five items, I purchased one. Stitch Fix applies your $20 styling fee you already paid against what you purchase. $48 was applied to my credit card. If I had purchased all five items, a "buy five" discount which would have saved $68 off the entire order. It's a great deal IF you like everything they send.

Let's take a look at my Wantable order now. As you can see above, very similar packaging.

Wantable Piece 5

Wantable Piece 4 

Wantable Piece 1

Wantable Piece 2

Wantable Piece 3

W Piece 1 is a black and white sweater from JOA with a cost of $48 (reduced from $64). It is cute to look at, but on it was short. If I lifted my arms it pulled up exposing areas that haven't been seen in public since before my son was born. No wonder it was reduced. Definitely and no. W Piece 2 is a casual, cotton shirt the kind you see in family pictures at the beach. Designed by Beach Lunch Lounge at a cost of $58, was also a no. It was too short to be a dress, too long and casual to tuck in and wear at work, it would serve no practical purpose in my wardrobe. W Piece 4 is a long top by Mod Ref for $48. It was cute, but see through. My philosophy is if I have to spend additional money to wear clothes from these services, it doesn't make sense to buy them in the first place. A no-go. W Piece 4 is the best of the lot, a layered salmon/pink top by Olive & Oak for $55 that would have looked great by itself, under a blazer or sweater. Unfortunately it had a stain right in the middle of it. Another rule of thumb, if there's a stain or tears, etc...I don't purchase the item. Give me something great that's not stained and we can talk. And finally W Piece 3, a printed romper by Kut for $48 (reduced from $78). I'm not a fan of one-piece outfits, the thought of having to go to the bathroom and taking off all my clothes just doesn't do it for me. What if it's an emergency or freezing? But, as I always do, I tried it on, I've been surprised by things before. It was a no, the shorts were way too short and the top just hung there. Every time I raised my arms the shorts rode up even farther...I have no desire to share my booty with the world. Overall, disappointed with this style edit plus, they offer a 20% discount if you wanted to purchase all five items. In this case it would have been $51.40 is savings.

The check out process varies slightly between the two services. Both ask you to select if you want to keep or return each item and asks you to click on reasons why you like or dislike the item. However Stitch Fix allows you to type in a review of each item during your check out process and leave a note for your stylist. Wantable doesn't allow you to leave notes on each piece during checkout, you have to go to a separate review section to leave written information about each piece,why it may or may not work for you. That's an extra step I'll probably never get back to, just being honest. Both companies provide a postage paid return bag, simply place the items in you're not keeping in, seal it up and drop it in your mailbox or your local USPS. Both send you an electronic receipt of what you purchased or email that you checked out. Overall the return process is simple and my mail person has never grumped about my return packages yet.

Both services allowed me to write a note to my stylist letting them know what I was looking for. In this case, I'm looking for mostly business casual items that I can wear to work and maybe a piece or two for casual. I've shared with them My Style board on Pinterest to give the a lot of ideas of colors, patterns, styles and fit that I like. As mentioned above Stitch Fix sends you cards for each piece, giving you ideas on how to wear that item, which I'm ALWAYS in need of. Included with those cards is a note from the stylist that put together my Fix. Regardless of who put the box together, they always mention having reviewed My Style board on Pinterest and also mention how to put together items in the box if possible. Wantable doesn't provide this, they simply give you a one-liner about what other items might be able to pair with the piece. They do have a Stream feature that shows other pieces which I say I like them and they'll try and include it in my next shipment. I'll be looking into this feature to see if it will allow the stylist to put together an edit that's more suited to my style.

Overview of these orders:

Stitch Fix	Wantable
- Five piece cost: $272	- Five piece cost: $257
- 25% discount: $68	- 20% discount: $51.40
- Total: $184	- Total: $185.60
- Kept 1 items	- Kept 0 items

At this time I'm favoring Stitch Fix, it feels like they offer a bit more service and ease of use. However, I haven't had an issues or had to work with customer service on anything. I'm going to give both a second order, see if either can get closer to my style. Fingers crossed.

I'll follow up with your regarding what they send in the next month or so. Until then, if anyone has used either service or a similar service not mentioned here, I'd love to hear from you and try the service giving you credit. If you want to try either service for yourself, click on the links above and sign up. Until next time, have a wonderful day!