My Day With A French Pastry Chef




One bleak and foggy January Sunday I decided it was finally time to wake up at the crack of dawn, okay well dawn hadn't even broke yet.  It was 5:00 am when I sleepily rustled out of bed only a few weeks ago just so that I could leave the house by 5:30 am to witness french pastry art in the making.  I arrived 4 minutes early and already a french-born Austinite in a chef's coat was rolling out pastry dough with seriously rhythmic sway.  How he performed such edible magic every morning I could not tell you.   

 Since September 2012, I've intended to premiere this one-on-one pastry post but a few details had to be worked out as it was my first interview session.  Ever.  So I do apologize for my crazy videographing.  I now understand why journalists bring along a crew.  In the meantime, John and I spent many Saturday mornings trekking up to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market to enjoy our favorite danishes.  The number one danish in our book and the one we introduced to our many friends, Allison Kate Lemp and Tracy Cook was the ever spectacular Spinach & Gruyere pastry.  Ridiculously delicious.  One bite into this mouthful of heaven and I instantly knew that I had to incorporate this pastry chef into my life whether it was with weekly trips to his bakery or with catered brunches for various events.   Just to embark upon ten minutes of what it could be to sit on a Parisian patio meant that it had to be shared with everyone.  And in what better American city than Austin to have a one-hand-held dish with spinach and gruyere, where you are free be yourself in whatever style you choose.  Heck we have a clothing optional park and beach for those who don't know.  Now that is some French inspiration.



I was very fortunate to spend time with Chef Loic at Cinnamon's Bakery.  I have studied french language, have french in my heritage and like many other stateside ladies my heart melts the moment the word's Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, croissant, or macaron is mentioned.  So when I got the invitation to wake up super early I jumped on it.  Why not witness the magic of pastries filled with mushrooms, pumpkin, almond, and chocolat?! Oh and I can't forget the Texas favorite the Big Pig, his twist on the Czech kolache. 
"French Pig.  Born with class." ~ Chef Loic Duchesne

 It was nice to hear that the Chef appreciates the logic I live by.  I say bring on the creme and butter everyday.  My Take:  I wholeheartedly believe that the main reason many people in the United States suffer from obesity and such chronic illnesses is due to all of the preservatives and fillers they consume every single day.  I like more simple foods with less ingredients which is why I enjoy hand-making my dishes such as the Alfredo sauce to top my pasta.  I prefer the true and fresh flavors of food commonly practiced in European methods instead of the overabundance of the sugars and fillers that many american restaurants and bakeries use today.  I was thrilled to hear the chef's take on it.

Pictured below is a sweet special he has introduced for Valentine's Day.   The heart-shaped, rose flavored, pale pink macarons are served in a handcrafted white chocolate shell.  I got the honor to try one...and they really do taste like roses.  They were so good that I am craving one as I write this.   Many of you know that I am picky to the extreme when it comes to anything flavored, and these rose macarons surpassed my judgement.  




. . . and this is what became of one young french child who was on summer break with nothing to do many decades ago.  Him and his mom looked through the newspaper classifieds and found a pastry apprenticeship so he wouldn't sit around the house bored.



One week before I headed to the bakery for my scheduled one-on-one time Austin360 produced an article about Chef Loic.  They provided a good look into his background as a pastry chef.  You can check out the link below.

 http://www.austin360.com/news/entertainment/dining/french-pastry-chef-thinks-beyond-dessert-trends-at/nTyDS/

cinnamonsbakery.com
UPDATE ON 1/1/2014
Very unfortunate news reached my ears in December 2013 as I took one of my dearest friends to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market to enjoy the chef's pastries.  Chef Loic was struck with sudden illness in October 2013 and immediately passed away.

Valentine's Fondant Cake



Sharing a pretty fondant cake I made February of last year in hopes to spread some inspiration for many this year.  Believe it or not this was the very first time I had ever touched fondant, thanks to Jennifer at Make It Sweet.  I am looking forward to all of the fun decorating and treat creating for this Valentine's Day.  Oh gosh if only I knew a grade school teacher in Austin, TX that I could make something for their classroom.  I'll pretend that the silly crackdown on vetoing classroom holiday parties in the United States doesn't exist.






Looking for the edible glitter used on this cake?  Order Disco Dust from my amazon affiliate link below.  Using this link to place will give a portion of the proceeds to this blog.




A Beatrix Potter Baby Shower



One of my best friends recently gave birth to her first child, a son.  She introduced the first year of his life to many classic nursery rhymes incorporating them in the baby shower, baby nursery, and soon-to-be first birthday celebration.  A connection that she and her twin sister once shared from their childhood nursery.  Unfortunately I could not travel to the baby shower, as it was to be in St. Louis and I had just gotten settled in at Austin.  Her sister was the hostess and I co-hosted games from afar.  I handmade all of the games to be a custom fit for her Beatrix Potter theme.  In addition, I presented them in a way that she could keep them nicely tucked in a box so that when the baby was old enough Mommy and Daddy could play the games with him.  A neat and interactive way to learn the very interesting history of Beatrix Potter.  

Today I would love to provide inspiration to anyone who is tired of the stale games offered in books, online, and at party stores.

Supplies Needed: color printer (or office printing store), scissors, nice scrapbook paper,  8.5x11" sheets of blank & printed paper, glue, metallic marker, organza ribbon, saftey pins, and a scrapbook brad to connect multiple pages (used on the Left/Right game hostess sheet).  Both the Bazill brand Prince Charming blue and the Beatrix Potter print paper were from Archiver's which I purchased in Winter 2011.  They are in 12x12" sheets that I cut down to size.  These papers were used to make the hostess sheets and game cards so that the back was a pretty sight for the guests and guest-of-honor.

I also made hostess instruction cards that were approximately 6x6 inches (12x12 sheet, quartered) so that when the day came each game would run smoothly.  The colors were coordinated to be tied in to the look of the shower but small enough to hold and be discrete.  All you do is print the instructions on computer paper and then past the instructions onto the cut down scrapbook paper for a matted look.


PASSIVE GAME:  Under the Chair 


Before any of the guests arrive place a symbol under one of the chairs so that the guest who will be seated there will later be announced as the winner of a door prize.  I used a printed nursery rhyme picture adhered to textured scrapbook paper, monogrammed with a silver BP to make a small note card that would fit securely under the chair with tape.   


PASSIVE GAME:   "Don't Say Baby"


As everyone arrives be sure to give them a ribbon with safety pins.  Each ribbon has 4 playing pins plus one attachment pin for the guests blouse.  Instruct all guests to not say the word “baby”.  If they are caught saying "baby" they have to give one of their safety pins to the person they said it to.  At the end of the shower, ask the guests to tally up their pins.  Whoever has the most pins wins a prize.  This would be a great game to designate to a co-host to stand at the door to pass out and quickly explain the rule.


ACTIVE GAME:  "Angela's Signature" Left Right Game

Left/Right Game Hostess Sheet - Front & Back

Left/Right Game Hostess Sheet - Front

The hostess will need to use an object to pass around the table, like a flower or stuffed animal. Only one item can be used.  If there are multiple tables then designate one corner of each as the bridge so that the item moves on to the next table smoothly.  The hostess will read the story out loud to the guests.  Each time the guests hear the word “right” or “left” (spelled in many different ways) the guest holding the object will pass the item in the designated direction.  The last person holding the item wins a prize.  Do this game first as it is very active and will get the ladies excited.  Do this while the guests are sitting but before they eat because it is a bit of a riot.

*The Left/Right story is at the bottom of the blog


ACTIVE GAME: Beatrix Potter Trivia 

The Beatrix Potter Trivia Hostess Cards










Beatrix Potter trivia cards.  Use these hostess cards to announce the question.  They are made to look like game show cards.  Give the guests approximately 10 seconds or so to hand write their answer on their own answer sheet.  There are 13 questions, at the end of all the questions the hostess will then announce the answers.  Making sure to  re-read them in the same order.   The person with the most correct wins a prize. 

**Save time by placing the guest blank sheets at the guest seats before they arrive.  Include pens.  This game should be done during eating or after, while at the table.

*The Beatrix potter trivia is at the bottom of the blog



ACTIVE GAME: The 23 Tales

The 23 Tales Hostess Sheet

The guest answer sheet for 23 Tales & BP Trivia

The 23 tales of Beatrix Potter. The hostess will announce to the guests that they will get 4 minutes to jot down as many Beatrix Potter tales that they know on their game sheet once you say “GO”. Once the four minutes are up the hostess will read off the answers from the hostess sheet.  Ask the guests how many they got right.  The person with the most wins a prize.
**Save time by placing the guest blank sheets at the guest seats before they arrive.  Include pens. This game should be done after eating or during dessert, while at the table.


*The 23 Tales List is at the bottom of the blog



PRESENTATION:

An easy way to transport to the shower and to present is to tie organza ribbon on the game cards.  





BP TRIVIA:  All based on my own research of Beatrix Potter

Q: What is Beatrix Potter’s first name? 
A: Helen 

Q: What year was Beatrix Potter born? 
A: 1866 

Q: What was Beatrix Potter’s brother’s name? 
A: Bertram (Walter Bertram) 

Q: What year was The Tale of Peter Rabbit published? 
A: 1901, privately 

Q: How many children did Beatrix Potter have? 
A: 3 

Q: After receiving book proceeds and a legacy from her aunt, what did Beatrix Potter purchase? 
A: “Hill Top Farm” – near Sawry, a tiny village 

Q: How many books did Beatrix Potter publish? 
A: 23 

Q: Beatrix Potter stories have been told in four ways. 1. Song 2. Film 3. Animation and 4. _________ 
A: Ballet 

Q: To earn money in the 1890’s what did Beatrix and Bertram do? 
A: Designed and printed their own Christmas and Special Occasion cards 

Q: What were Beatrix Potter’s “Four Little Rabbits” names? 
A: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter 

Q: Finish this title… “The Tale of ______Nutkin” 
A: The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin 

Q: What are two stories that represent Beatrix’s life of Hill Top Farm? 
A: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Deck & The Tale of Tom Kitten 

Q: What was the name of the ballet film released in 1971 and directed by Reginald Miller? 
A: “The Tales of Beatrix Potter”   **This was performed in costume by the Royal Ballet




The 23 Tales

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903)
The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904)
The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904)
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905)
The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan (1905)
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906)
The Story of A Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906)
The Story of Miss Moppet (1906)
The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907)
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908)
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or, The Roly-Poly Pudding (1908)
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909)
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909)
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (1910)
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911)
The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912)
The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913)
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (1917)
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918)
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes (1922)
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930)




Angela’s Signature Game “Right/Left” 
This is a story about Mrs. Wright's baby shower tea party. She lived right at the end of Lefty Lane, the third house on the left. Today, Mrs. Wright was hosting a baby shower tea party. The women would enter left, right through the front door and greet Mrs. Wright, they would head right down the stairs, turning left then right into Mrs. Wright's family room where the mommy-to-be was.


Two of the girls were left-handed so they would sit at the left of the table. Mrs. Wright held up her right hand and all of her friends grew quiet, except the left-handed girl on the right patting Mrs. Wright's dog named Hefty Lefty.



Mrs. Wright asked Sarah Wright and Julie Wright to pass out the teacups starting to the left. Sarah Wright and Julie Wright started out left but turned back because they left the cups just to the right of the table, right next to the spoons. Mrs. Wright said, "That's all right." 

Mrs. Wright began to serve her friends some pie when Grandma Wright smelled the delicious desserts and left her bedroom to join the Wright girls. She went down the stairs and turned left than right, right into Mrs. Wright's family room.

Grandma Wright knocked and entered left and sat in the rocking chair on the left. Sarah Wright and Julie Wright invited Grandma Wright to join them at the table.

Grandma Wright had been to many baby showers as a young girl and right before they realized it, Grandma Wright was telling them stories from when she was the mommy-to-be and went to the right cabinet and in the left drawer were pictures of her baby shower.

As the party ended right on time, they all put their dishes right in the left side of the sink and thanked Mrs. Wright and Grandma Wright for such a wonderful time. Soon, all of the women from the Wright baby shower tea party turned right than left, then left again to return to the front door and out to the right car that they arrived in. Down lefty lane they went. Now who ended up with the right gift?


 **This is considered Angela's signature baby shower game simply because it is always so popular and the guests have so much fun.  I did not create this game but it has been so long since I first used it I can't remember who was the original source.

Diploma Sentiments and Surprises


Tonight I sat down to find a post on my Facebook feed that blew my mind.  It was from Kristy (McCario) Andrews one of my old classmates from Hillsboro High School..  She posted this with the intent for everyone that went to school at HHS to see something they had never known to look for:

 "HHS Grads: I found out today that Mr. Ackerman would write notes to students on the back of their diplomas, so I came home today and checked the back of mine. Yep! There was a note from Mr. A. that said, "Kristy, Good luck at SIUE." I had no clue it was there! You might want to check the back of yours!!! :)"

 Immediately after reading this Facebook post I had the strongest urge to find my hs diploma.  Mind you that I was in the middle of 4 other projects and should not have added anything else to my plate but I just went into  full mission mode and instantly dropped all other tasks.  I dug under my king size bed for what felt like ever and then had to have my husband come dig out the remainder, lol.

 To my utter disbelief there was a handwritten note from our school principal Mr. Ackerman addressed to me!  It said "Angela Congratulations Best of Luck. Mr. A."  And to make this much more crazy, I did not even receive my diploma until the late spring of 2012 (yes 11 years after I graduated high school). Long story short I had called HHS just this past year to say I had never received it and they found it and had it shipped to Austin, Texas. Never would I have known to look without Kristy's post. Thank you Mr. Ackerman for being a thoughtful and sentimental high school principal. It was a nice surprise that none of us would have appreciated until we had long been out of school!!  And in light of many recent catastrophic school and societal events that hurt our nation this really does positively impact our hearts a little more.  

 Please HHS grads, comment and share your note from Mr. A.

How Long Is Too Long To Keep Email Conversations?

Seriously, when is it too long to keep an email conversation?  I am not talking about business conversations that one uses in there daily log but personal conversations.  I have the most silliest and shortest conversations ever from all my friends and family members in my personal email.  I am talking from like 2008 or before.  Help me!  Do I just trash those conversations as if I am trashing memories?  I don't know?  I don't ever go back and reread them.   I do want to reduce the ridiculous email clutter.  Help!!  Please give me your opinion.  It is rather odd that I have this little bit of inbox clutter since everything else about me almost OCD organized.  On the brighter note I do have them organized in folders, but honestly that is just as gross!

 Dearest Rhonda Feltman, I do need your response on this one!!  Aunt Shirley and Allison Lemp you better offer up too!!

 ~ With Angela O'

Interstitial Cystitis ~ The Disease I Live With Every Day

This is a very difficult disease.  Even my own family does not understand why I feel the way I do.  Only the person suffering from such a problem understands the ramifications of the flare ups.  I am writing this blog post only to share with those who don't understand what exactly Interstitial Cystitis is and how it affects those like me.  Hopefully, I can get mine under control soon.  I was diagnosed in 2007 with this debilitating disease but even as a teenager in the late 90's I showed signs.   Don't worry as I have spared you of the gory TMI details, but truth be told we deal with way more horror than what I have shared below.

 Since September 2012 I have been suffering with the most recent flare up, very excruciating for the first few weeks.  I spent an entire weekend and a Friday half-day in bed unable to be comfortable in any position.   I remember exactly how this particular flare up started; While at work it felt as if toxins were creeping into my lower back and internal organs.  A stingy, heavy feeling that just washes over your entire abdomen and back and then up your lower throat.  All you feel like you could do is vomit, but the vomiting symptoms aren't there.  There is no regular nausea that you would get with the stomach flu or the after-effects of indulging in too much alcohol the night before, no the room isn't spinning.  It just seems like you only have a mixture of chlorine, ammonia, and other pesticides festering in your body that you just need to get out.  Oh yes the typical bladder infection systems are there too, the burning when going to the bathroom, the stinging before and after the bathroom, the bloated feeling and extreme sensitivity to pressure but none of the typical bladder infection symptoms compare to the exponential IC flare-ups.  The ones that you know there are no medical cure for.  NONE.

 Gosh, I remember when I was first diagnosed in 2007 the medical team really didn't have a clue.  Don't get me wrong my Florida doctor practiced what he knew but it was really only to cover up the symptoms.  There was no discussion of correcting the problem or trying to heal the bladder.  At no fault of the doctors, there just was not much to be known at the time.  IC happened to be one of those newer chronic conditions and unless you were in a certain research group you just didn't know.   At that time I was put on a new drug that still hadn't been released to the pharmacy, Urelle manufactured by Pharmelle.  A little blueish-purple M&M-sized tablet that tasted super sweet the moment you put it on your tongue but then would gag you a second later if you didn't chase it with water fast enough.  I would have to go to the doctors office every 3 days or so to pick up a lunch-sized brown paper bag of sample packaged Urelle tables.  It was like two to a pack or something silly.  I was on bed rest for a week just to get my bladder to calm down before I was released to go back to work.  I had no idea what had happened.  All I knew was just one month prior I was suffering from one of my recurrent bladder infections that just would not go away with prescribed antibiotics.   One night John and I decided to throw a PJ party for our friends, fun post-college stuff where we served slightly spicy cheese dip from a crock pot, rice krispie treats, cupcakes, and whatever appealed to the young twenty-somethings.  During the festivities I would get a little bit of a tummy ache so I would try to counteract by eating the opposite of what I just ate.  If I had just had sweet I better eat savory.  Nothing serious but I was still in the young and dumb student handbook of the tummy ailments stage.  After the party was over we went to bed my tummy was definitely worn out but I went right to sleep.  Sometime in the middle of the night I woke up with the sharpest, most riveting stomach pains I had ever had.  Oh gosh they burned and it gave me chills at the same time.  After some time they went away and I just pretended they never happened.  But over the next two months I suffered repeatedly again and again.  We found out later that I especially fell victim if I ate Caeser dressing, my only desired salad topping of choice.  I would be sitting on the couch watching tv or doing a craft project after dinner and then I would get the smallest tummy grumble accompanied by some heat.  Within the next twenty minutes I would be sweating and shivering at the same time.  John would do whatever he could to comfort me but there was nothing to be done but let it pass on its own.  

 Early in the fall that year I went under a non-surgical procedure called a hydrodistention with cystoscopy where they take a camera inside you to look at the bladder walls.  Since John had to work, my future mother-in-law offered to take me in for this procedure as I would have to go under anesthesia.   So I signed over my paperwork so that the doctor could speak with her while I was still very much influenced by the sleeping drug.  Unfortunately, doing so made my unknown situation much more worse as stress is also a common factor that triggers flare-ups.  The doctor had explained to my future mother-in-law that he did not detect any tears or scrapes in the bladder wall and that was all that could be done for now.  Sadly, my mother-in-law took it to a whole new level by insinuating that all along I knew there was nothing wrong and that it was in my head and for the next two months she played the meanest games regarding my health and my future husband and so forth.  It only added tears, stress and heartbreak to a situation that my doctor or I did not even know how to handle.    At that point all I knew was that if I continued to take the medicine that was helping my bladder and myself function through the day I would continued to be ridiculed by somewhere very near me.  So I stopped, and somehow after several months of looking miserable from the outside and feeling disgusting on the inside my body started to get better.  Almost a year had passed before I was experiencing the burning again which coincidentally  happened to midst of summer all over.  From then on over the years of 2008 to 2011, I would suffer with awful bladder spasms for weeks at a time where I would then try to encourage the alleviation by popping a few leftover Urelle from the last prescription I ever filled.  

 In 2010,  we moved to Texas and we were fine.  Who knows why, because we weren't on insurance and God knew we couldn't take on any doctor bills? Or possibly because John and I would go days without eating meat in our lunches and dinners?  Who knew? I sure didn't but I was thankful that I wasn't suffering.  Then in the summer of 2011 with record high temperatures soaring in Texas my pain started all over again.  I went to the local general practitioner and was treated for bladder infection that did not respond to the antibiotics.  Finally, the GP looked up what my old urologist prescribed and gave me a one month script of the Urelle.  My health insurance hadn't kicked in yet so I was going to pay out of pocket.  120 pills was going to cost me over $350!  Little did I know the prices would get worse over the years.  Luckily my health insurance was going to kick in like 4 days time, so I picked up the only pills the pharmacy had available (10 or so) and waited it out till the co-pay picked up the rest.    The weather cooled down and so did my IC but the spasms didn't stop when winter came.  

 In the summer of 2011, only a few months before I permanently moved to Austin to live with my husband my suffering started again.  The same bloating, pain, back cramping, etc.  Nothing new, the same old pain.  Only I couldn't sit straight up in the office chair.  Great.  Back to the general practitioner as it was a tiny town and no urologists were around.  Besides even if there were some I didn't just want to be sent to a referral doctor.  I needed to do my research and find a doctor who was passionate about finding the correct balance for my body to fight this.   That is when I met Dr. Singh  also known as The IC King in Austin, Texas.  Thankfully he has been able to shed much more light on this disease (some call it a syndrome) for me.  He has helped me pin point some specific foods that trigger flare-ups (as to why I can no longer red sauce, a tomato allergy!) but more importantly he has helped me understand why and what I need to watch out for.  Now of course I am not cured and am still suffering from one of the worst flare ups that I have ever had but he has definitely helped me.  

 Just this summer my husband was laid off in the round of mass lay-offs that hit the Game Developer Industry, the hardest city hit...Austin.  There went the health insurance again and unfortunately it meant that the one medicine that I figured out that literally cured my issue (or at least controlled my symptoms while readily consuming it) was going to jump to over $980 per month.  Yes that is right, the one thing that helps control this disease/syndrome is $1,000 a month because of our darn U.S. pharmaceutical companies greed.   So in September when the Elmiron (Pentosan polysulfate sodium) completely ran out of my system I was chucking down my throat two tablespoons of baking soda and 8 ounces of aloe vera juice every day along with using a constant 3xday supply of Pyridium.  Pyridium you shouldn't be on long term, it only covers the symptoms so that there is less suffering but what was I supposed to do?   Eventually I had to quit the baking soda as I was having dizziness and nausea just from that.  I have since learned to increase my aloe vera juice intake whenever I feel that my body has become too acidic.

 Today I am still suffering from the same flare up but luckily for the time being I was able to get some Elmiron  in hopes that the bladder can start a healing process.  Of course it still requires  narcotic-like pain relievers when I am at my worst and constant consumption of aloe vera juice.  I don't think I will ever be able to stop drinking that nasty liquid.  I have to do 6 shots each day minimum and then chase it with a tiny sip of peach nectar to get the bitterness out of my mouth.  Regardless it is all awful and tonight I feel like my body is doing a 180 towards the darkside but I just have to deal.  I am now researching the great possibility of gluten intolerance and animal protein intolerance (which means a meatless diet) with the IC and Sjogrens, another syndrome/disease I have, both Auto-Immune Disorders.  There has been some small talk that gluten has been directly related to IC flare-ups, just in a different way than the typical GF individuals that the body has proclaimed its revolt.  In addition, I am hoping that will kick the mind-bending cramps that I get the week following the mensies, which have been off and on since 2006.  I know that it is not the typical problem for most women.

 I included some links and more information below so that you get a better understanding what is going on.  But the biggest misconception in all bladder chit-chat that I would like to clear up is that cranberry juice is absolutely horrible for you.  If you have ever suffered from reoccuring bladder infections do not take the stuff.  It is way to acidic for your body and it will cause more damage than good.  
What I am currently researching regarding IC ??
- Gluten Intolerance?
- Sugar Intolerance?
- Alkaline Forming Foods
- Acid Forming Foods in the Digestion Process




http://wellbladder.com/bladder_symptoms__gluten_sensitivity



"Interstitial cystitis is a chronic, severely debilitating disease of the urinary bladder. Excessive urgency and frequency of urination, suprapubic pain, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain and negative urine cultures are characteristic of interstitial cystitis. The course of the disease is usually marked by flare-ups and remissions. " ... "Referral to a support group should be offered to all patients with interstitial cystitis." ~ from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/1001/p1199.html





Buying into a Co-Op

Lately John and I have been looking into buying into a co-op.  There are different type of  co-op companies but what I have seen so far is that the most common is at the grocery level.  I have considered a grocery company by the name of Wheatsville but I am not sure if that is right for our very first buy.  Unknown to many Austin, Texas actually has the very first co-op of its kind and I believe that is where I am most interested.  It is a beer pub & brewhouse called Black Star Co-Op, the world's first co-operatively owned and worker self-managed brewpub..  Of course as a co-op member-owner there are patronage benefits like discounts, events, and voting rights but with Black Star Co-Op I am most intrigued by the socially responsible benefit that they offer the their employees.  All of Black Star's employees are paid a living wage, not minimum wage or a basic wage standardized by our business society and economy.  A livable wage that means that the employee can actually afford to live in a safe home and have a decent amount of groceries on the table and enjoy time with their family and friends with a little less stress.  Something that I think everyone can appreciate.  Way too many times I (and I know each of you have experienced this) have had jobs that the employer did not appreciate your work and especially did not appreciate the value of your work or the value that it took to support your family.  While John and I are still early in our careers and possibly too young to invest money in such wild adventures, I do feel that it is time that we show responsibility and stand our ground for something that we believe in.  

 This is something that I can definitely appreciate.
http://www.blackstar.coop/

Mastering a Tiffany Blue Brunch



Mastering a Tiffany Blue Brunch in 3 days was going to be a challenge.  But you know how I love to out-do my challenger.  So here is the scoop.

These tableware pieces are the unofficial, official Tiffany Blue color "Robin's Egg Blue" from the manufacturer Amscan.  Amscan is the parent company of Party City.  Exactly 2 Autumns ago this past September I had the pleasure of visiting the Amscan Corporate Showroom in the gorgeous Westchester County, NY.  There they unveiled their newest party color of Robin's Egg Blue the match to Tiffany & Co.  Of course this color is devoured by brides everywhere but why should brides be the only ladies to enjoy it.

Welcome to the Tiffany Blue Brunch where 17 young ladies celebrated a very special friend's birthday.


I sourced Annie's Cafe, a well-known French bistro in Austin, Texas as the caterer for this event.  Highlights of the brunch were the Ham & Gruyere Frittata and Quiche along with the fresh chocolate croissants.  Each girl enjoyed there juice-tail from stemware making this day a bit more special.

The napkin rings were made using the coordinating Tiffany Blue wrapping paper and pearl/gold scrapbook brads found in the bridal section.

The favor boxes were wrapped in the coordinating Tiffany Blue wrapping paper and hand-tied to present the exact Tiffany bow!  Inside the ladies found a costume pearl & rhinestone bracelet accompined by a bottle of China Glaze's For Audrey nail lacquer. 

The table was to speak solely of Tiffany's, the diamond and pearl decor, the glass "crystal" pitchers and the silver cake stand and platters.

 The final touch was the elegant Tiffany box made of fondant cake from Coco Paloma Desserts.  Thank you dearest Paloma for assisting me on this event!  


~With Angela O'



New Year Apologies

Happy New Year 2013!!

 That being said I want to apologize for being MIA for the first 11 days of the new year.  Not how I planned to start this years variety show.  But I do have an excellent reason as to why....TAXES.  I have been working on them since January 1st, in between a few other projects and so other priorities have unfortunately been put on hold to my dissatisfaction.  

 I promise I will be on soon again and with it my plans of branding my blog properly for 2013.  No more of these blogger hiccups and ugly layouts....it's time to do it MY WAY!

 ~Angela O'

Vintage Hostess Twinkies Recipe


I just found this recipe card in my recipe stash.  I must have obtained this when I was in high school as that was when I very first started my collection, during Interior Design class.  For all those out there who are holding on to their very last Hostess Twinkies here is a recipe for you.  Please enjoy your last bites.  I have never been one to like Hostess products but now that they are bankrupt I do hanker for a ding dong (frozen of course).  Guess I will have to eat a Frosty Delight from Aldi's, which we haven't had since high school!  Sticking with the theme!



Christmas Eve or Evening Mimosa


I know that a mimosa is typically served in the early day either at breakfast, brunch or for lunch while enjoying the company of friends or preparing a meal.  Instead I made a special twist on this drink so that we could serve it in the evening by replacing the orange juice with Italian soda.  I used the Central Market Organics Frutta d'Isola for this cocktail treat and it went over wonderfully after the beautiful Christmas Eve dinner that Mrs. Mary Ellen Doyle made for us (Roast Beef, Asparagus  Mashed Potatoes, Wine, etc etc).  Please enjoy!!  It was delicious and next time we had better bring more than one bottle!  Fill equal parts or less to taste preference.

Merry Christmas,

The O'Mahony Family

Cookie Cutter Addiction

I have become somewhat of an addict when it comes to collecting cookie cutters. You can blame it on one little snowflake.  The catch is that I like only a very specific type of cutter.  They are the Wilton Comfort Grip metal cookie cutters (Cushion-grip cutters with extra-deep stainless steel sides). And apparently Wilton has a following because some of the rare cutters that I have been searching high and low for run up to $250 a piece. That's right!  Don't you worry your little head about me.  I will not dare spend that much money on a cookie cutter.  I have one specific cutter that I have allowed myself a bit of a pricey limit with conditions only.  

It is the 3-tier cake and the conditions are as follows:
1) $50.00 maximum, and that is only if I cannot find any other cheaper listing for over a course of a year.
2) Attempt to bargain the price down
3) Keep my eyes open: ebay, rummage sales, antique stores, craigslist, friends

It all began with the darn snowflake two winters ago in 2010.  I will admit that I had received the butterfly  for my bridal shower but then moved to Texas and had it in storage for a few years so it didn't affect me. Well when I saw the snowflake during my time in Dallas I began to fill my creative inspirations come back and thought it would be okay to invest in one cutter to use ($3.50 approx).  This is when John and I were commuting and living in two different Texas cities so I had to rationalize, its not like we were in a home together.  Once the transaction was done I was fine.  That is until I moved to Austin to live with my husband in October 2011 and there was a bat cookie cutter that I missed out on for Halloween.  Well since I love bats and Austin is the city of bats and one of my favorite bakeries in my neighborhood was selling edible glitter cookie bats my heart started to race.  That is when I made my first purchase on ebay....for around $5.00.  And then the downward spiral began. 

It has been a rollercoaster of hot and cold.  Some months/weeks I am strapped in and not allowing myself to fall prey to the cookie cutters but then there are weeks were I can't stop visiting all of the craft/bake shops and constantly checking ebay..  I have learned to go into TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls to get any seasonal ones that I don't have.  With them pricing slightly cheaper it balances out my overpriced ones.  First of all, $3.50 is a lot for a cookie cutter when I could just go to Sur La Table and by all of them for 99cents each. I absolutely do not purchase online unless it is a cookie cutter that is discontinued or retired and no retail store sells it or it is out of season.   But here is the deal....I so dislike regular cookie cutters.  They hurt my hands and they are toooooo small.  I love oversized cookies.  I love to gift oversize cookies, I love presenting oversize cookies, and I love to eat one oversize cookie instead of overeating 5 tiny cookies.    Over the course of one year my cutter collection has gone from 4 (bat, pumpkin, butterfly, and snowflake) to 30.  I have also listed towards the bottom of the cookie cutters I am currently seeking and the price points I am finding.

I own these:
  1. Gingerbread Boy
  2. Christmas Tree
  3. Mitten (Just found!)
  4. Snowflake
  5. Santa Head
  6. Snowman Head
  7. Snowman (Just found! This one was stressful)
  8. Gingerbread House
  9. Candy Cane
  10. Flower
  11. Daisy (Just purchased)
  12. Teddy Bear
  13. Butterfly
  14. Star
  15. Bunny Face
  16. Bunny
  17. Chick
  18. Egg
  19. Lips
  20. Heart 
  21. Double Heart 
  22. Shamrock
  23. Flag (Retired & HTF)
  24. Pumpkin
  25. Oak Leaf (Retired & HTF)
  26. Maple Leaf
  27. Tombstone
  28. Skull
  29. Frankenstein
  30. Bat




Teddy Bear
Circle
Gingerbread Boy
Flower
Star

Christmas Tree
Heart
Butterfly
Daisy
Chick
Maple Leaf

Mitten



Candy Cane
Egg
Shamrock
Lips
Bunny




Bunny Face




Skull
Bat
Santa



I would love to acquire:
These are current prices I have found
- Round Christmas Ornament - $250.00
- Shaped Christmas Ornament - (unsure this may be an imposter company)
- Mickey Mouse head - $100.00  ***Desperately Desire
- Tulip - $40 to $100.00 ***Desperately Desire
- 3-Tier Cake -$200.00  ***Desperately Desire
- Scalloped Edge Square - $100  ***Desperately Desire
- Stocking - $55  ***Desperately Desire
- Angel - $50 to $100
-Witch's Hat - $10
-Seashell  -$140  ***Desperately Desire
-Santa's Hat - $25
-Diamond - $100
-Ghost
-Bell
-Football

Ghost
Stocking
Bell



Tulip
Angel


Diamond


Round Christmas Ornament
Witch's Hat

Seashell from 1998


Mickey Mouse Head

Update 1/13/2013:
I got the 3-tier cake!  I am so excited.  We found a used one in nice condition on ebay and John got it for me for Christmas.  Very happy and I cannot wait to use it in 2013.  Someone have a birthday or a bridal shower so I can make cookies please!
~Angela O'

3-Tier Cake













Update 12/5/2013:
I got the penguin cookie cutter!
~Angela O'

Cedar Sachets to Protect Your Clothes



John and I have been purchasing cedar blocks and balls for our closets and dresser drawers for over a year now and none of them seem to actually keep out the moths.  We have been replacing them and sanding them to refresh the scent but it never lasts.  So this time we decided to make our own cedar sachets.  Yes it does save money because over time you won't have to continuously replace the supplies by purchasing all new products but we did not chosse this method to save money alone.  We were tired of the hassle and our clothes not being protected.  Try this and see how it works.  So far it has worked for us.

 Supplies Needed:

 *10 inch tulle circles
*1/8 inch Ribbon (Spool)
*Cedar



Just use one circle, put a small handful of cedar shavings in the center, and tie up with ribbon

 Tips:

 *Get 10 inch tulle circles from the craft store in a 25 pack for only $3.00.  Choose any color you wish.  I used the Gold Rush because I felt that it was the most versatile.  This method is a lot easier than purchasing tulle by the yard in the fabric department.  This way you do not have to worry about cutting the tulle down to the dimensions you need.

 *The 1/8 inch ribbon brand Berwick Offray is great for this project and very inexpensive.  Again a wide array of colors to choose from to coordinate with the look you are trying to achieve.

 *We ended up purchasing our cedar chips from Petsmart at $7.49.  25 sachets worth barely dented the bag.  You are better off getting with a few friends to split the bag so that you don't have so much left over.  Remember that although this a very cost effective way the primary reason to make your own cedar sachets is so that the cedar scent lasts longer and the repellent is most effective against moths and other insects.

* Tie up the sachets in your closet or tie the ribbon into a bow for those that will sit inside your dresser drawer. 
These are the pre-made blocks we have purchased in the store but after a few days to few weeks are useless

Raspberry Chipotle Cream Cheese Appetizer

Thanks Internet b/c I haven't ran to the store yet and didn't want to deprive my followers of this recipe before their weekend holiday grocery trip!!!

I would like to point out that I absolutely hate raspberries, I despise them.  Many people say they are too sweet but I really don't have any idea if they are sweet or not, I just can't get past the flavor of them.  However when I tried this by accident the other day I fell in love because the chipotle gives the raspberry a smokey flavor.  Delicious.  Thanks Brittany for serving this at your birthday party.  It will go over excellently with this New Year's cocktails.

 Ingredients:

 *One 8oz block of Philedelphia Cream Cheese
*One bottle of Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
*Keebler Club Crackers

 Instructions:
Simply open the block of cream cheese and set onto plate.  Open bottle of sauce and pour over top.  Either lay crackers around on same plate or serve crackers on side plate. 

 Heck you could even get fancy and sprinkle shaved almonds over the top.




No Bake Cookies

This photo is compliments of the internet!
I am sharing with you a recipe that was very popular in the late 1980's, something that was one of my very favorites.  I was 6 years old the first time I remember my mom making them in our apartment kitchen.  I kept going for more and I vaguely recall my mother stopping me each time saying she did not want me to get sick!  Well, my recipe went missing for a few years and I couldn't locate it online at the time.   I finally found it last winter and after making them, again I kept wanting to return for more cookies.

Please make them for all of your Christmas guests.  They will love.


What You Need:
  • 2c Sugar
  • 1/4c Cocoa
  • 1/2c Milk
  • 1/4c Margarine
  • 1t Vanilla
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2c Peanut Butter
  • 3c Quick Oatmeal
Instructions:

 Mix sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine in pan on stove.  Cook over medium heat until it boils.  Remove from heat for one minute.  Add vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oatmeal.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper.  Let Cool.
Okay I'll be honest...I took pictures but I didn't post them because they don't do justice.  Just make the cookies and try them for yourself.

Hand-Dipped Pretzel Rods





Today I made hand-dipped pretzel rods for a cookie exchange.  The process was a lot of fun but did require a lot of patience and detail.  They were a hit tonight and someone even placed an order with me to make them as their gifts to give this week.  What a great night I had with everyone at Lori Post's house.  Thank you so much for your dear hosting!  As always you were wonderful.

What you need:
*Pretzel Bags with Ties
*Pretzel Rods
*Dipping Chocolate - White, Milk Choc, etc
*Decorative Toppings - Andes Mint Chips, Peppermint Chips, M&M minis, Hand-Dyed Coconut Flakes, 
*Icing Bag to Drizzle Chocolate, optional 
*Wax Paper

To Do:
1.  Assemble all of your decorations on flat surfaces ussing cookie trays, serving trays, pizza trays, etc.  Put down sheets of wax paper on the trays, then place your toppings on the wax paper. 




2.  If you are going to hand-dye coconut do that first because you will need to have time to toast and cool down.



3.  Lay down sheets of wax paper on your counter or table so that you can put your dipped pretzels on them to dry. 


4.  Melt your chocolate, either in microwave or double-boiler depending on what type of chocolate you have purchased.  Make sure you get a good chocolate that is not too waxy and tempers properly.  It is a little more money but in the end you will be thankful for how your pretzels turn out.  I use the A'Peels by Guittard Chocolate Co which require no tempering and can be heated in the microwave.  I purchase them from the Austin bake shop, Make It Sweet.


5.  Then dip!  Dip pretzel into chocolate, tap pretzel and drizzle off excess chocolate back into dipping bowl.  You will need to let the chocolate cool on the pretzel slightly before rolling in the toppings.  Otherwise, all of the toppings will fall off the hot chocolate.  You may also choose not to roll in topping and instead drizzle a contrasting color of chocolate on top.  


6.  Let cool well, then bag individually.
  

Tips:
*You will need about 20 to 25 pretzel bags for one bag of pretzel rods.
* Use a tall and narrow bowl or large mug that you can easily dip the pretzel into rather than have to lay down and scoop chocolate in.
*Bag pretzels individually to keep toppings on and to keep presentation in tact.  Also a better way for those receiving to pick up.

 

Chicago !!!

Hi All,  I did type this up while I was in Chicago when I had a tiny bit of downtime each day.  I am sorry that I couldn't posted as promised while we were there.   Thank you so much for your patience!  ~Angela O'
Okay so I promised many a daily briefing but because the Iphone app does not allow the pictures to be posted in the order you want them I had to take back my word.  Instead I did jot down a few notes so that I could have the photographs probably described.  Overall John and I loved our time spent there together.  I do miss being in Chicago (Illinois is where I grew up) but I don't miss the nightfall at 4:30 pm and I don't miss the frigid whether between January and March.

Night 1:

John enjoying his first Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant visit. You get free tastings of all the beers before you order or you can order a good size sample pack of 6 draughts to enjoy the majority.

After several minutes of talking me into it, John finally got me up into the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel. I don't know why but that circle structure that moves near your face while going up makes me panic. Best Part: On our way down it started to snow!!!





Day 2:

One view from our hotel room. If you zero in a bit you can see Soldier Field and the Field Museum.

Getting ready for the day. Double leggings, double socks, and double gloves.

Finally we have found a city thst Jamba Juice serves their apple cinnamon oatmeal till 5pm. Eat dust Austin, only serving morning oatmeal.

OMG...that ledge is so freaking scary, weird, creepy, and cool. I absolutely cannot believe I was standing over the edge of the Sears Tower (blah blah Willis). It took me several tries and backing in before I could get more than 8 inches away from the carpeted area but I finally did it. John of course was free-styling it the first moment the clear box was in sight.

After walking around the same three blocks like three times we finally located Argo Tea. Ugh... John got the seasonal Winter Spice and his one lasting thought was "Teeeaaaaa".

Making a pitstop at Ontario/Ohio at State St to grab Grahamwich and more tea for John before we hit up the Magnificent Mile. The Adagio Teas shop was fun and warming. Just what we needed for 30 degree afternoon weather. 2 cup tastings of black teas (only remember spelling of Ti Kuan Yin, sorry!) and grabbing new types of loose leaf for the house. Sweet Vitality and Loving Kindness tea. Loving Kindness is a blend of ti kuan yin, chrysanthemum flower, passion flower, st. john's wort, and lavender.

I spy two buck chuck!! Yummy. It's a darn Austin has to wait till 2014 to get a Trader Joe's.

Finally arrived on the mile. Burberry, Tiffany, Top Shop, American Girl Place, Henri Bendel here I come!! Well and for the hubby...Best Buy and Apple.

Last stop for the night, Millenium Park. What a great ending for a long day in the city.








Celebrity Chef Graham Elliott's Grahamwich

Celebrity Chef Graham Elliott's Grahamwich



 Day 3:

Field Museum ~  Definitely my favorite museum!!  
 
Shedd Aquarium ~ The Jellies exhibit was very cool! 

Mia Francesca's ~ The best.  When we arrived at 5:00pm it was completely empty.  Little did we know it was the celebrity hotspot and most sought little restaurant in Lincoln Park.  Hey it looks like I have good intuition!!  I just picked it b/c the outside was pretty in the dark!








Squid & Clam Pizza at Mia Francesca's....I of course had a special request and ordered it white.
Day 4:
Marquee Tour at the Chicago Theatre.  This was so interesting, very historical.  Did you know that it was the very first movie theatre in the United States, I actually think the world but I can't remember that far back.  Barney and Abe Balaban and Sam and Morris Katz built this French Baroque style theatre.  We hit up the Art Institute twice today because we both got sick. Thank goodness they had extended hours on Thursday. That darn Bella Bacinos restaurant at the hotel ruined both of our stomachs so we had to nap it off.  Off to the magnificent mile! Alright, I know we could have had Eli's cheesecake over the Cheesecake Factory for dinner but here's the deal. Eli's is way on the outskirts of Chicago! We were starving after not eating anything but our horrible breakfast and then spending the afternoon at our hotel to sleep it off. So we hit up the Cheesecake Factory. If you get a chance to go to Michigan Ave be sure to stop in CF just to check out their Ladies Powder Room. Very intriguing. After stepping into what was marked to be the W room, there were an additional set of large dark wooden doors from ceiling to floor that had copper metal flowers the size of my hand. After double checking that I did walk into the ladies and was not mistaken, I opened one of the four unmarked dark doors to find my own stall equipped with my very own sink. The giant flower was turned up on this side of the door so I could hang my handbag on it. Please even if you don't want to eat there check it out.  More ladies rooms need to be equipped in this fashion.



 

Day 5:

MOSI - okay so we hopped on the bus going the wrong direction.
I blame it on just not paying attention after a long week of running.  
Whoops!

Finally a trip to the beautiful University of Chicago campus. This was only 30 minutes of pictures!! We had to rush because it was getting dark.

Delighted by a trip to my favorite Giordano's.

And of course some Lombard Hot Chocolate at Ghirardelli's one last time!  I love know that I can make this drink at home.  Just add four squares of the Ghirardelli's truffle milk chocolate squares to your steamed milk.  Voila!



Charles Schulz is the only person who spells Gramma like i do.  Of course that is titling my bestest Gramma Sharon, everyone else is Grandma.

Day 6:
Awoke to the crowd. It was only a tiny crowd in comparison to this afternoon but it was definitely a crowd.   Street musicians, traffic cops (finally I wondered where they had been hiding) and activity tents for kids and adults alike. Free slices of Eli's cheesecake just to open the Festival of Lights tonight.  Sorry we couldn't stay, I really needed my favorite Illinois Italian Beef at Portillo's before we left town so we had to keep running through the crowd.  John gave Portillo's a thumbs up!
Portillo's

Portillo's
St. Louis.... and yes we enjoyed St. Louis just as much but didn't spend a lot of time there.  Thanks to Aunt Peggy and Uncle Rick we had a lovely day.  Lunch at Sage, where we had the best calamari in the city.  Then our Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster Tour and seeing the beautiful Clydesdale.  Then back to Lambert Airport to pick up my lost luggage.


Snowman Buttons



This one is very easy.  Great for classroom parties, coworkers, guest room fluff, and well just for your good ole friends.  It's cute, what else can I say.  This year I made them to hand out at a cookie exchange and to give to a few friends too.  O' I love to create.

Supplies Needed:

* 4x6 Clear Treat Bags 
*Stapler
*Hot Glue Gun
*Scrapbook Paper, Xmas Color or Xmas Pattern
*Giant Black Gumballs 
*Avery Printable Labels
*Opaque Paint Marker
Tips

 -Get the 4x6 clear treat bags at a craft store like Michael's and Jo-Ann's.  
-Find the giant gumballs by the color online or at a party store like Party City.
-Put just 3 gumballs in each treat bag to look like the 3 buttons on the snowman's jacket.