The Best Burgers Ever!

This Sunday we are hosting
The Family "End-of-Summer Extravaganza!"


We have lots to celebrate:
July & August birthdays.
Sending Son1 back to college for his senior year.
Sending Son2 off to college for his freshman year.
Toasting 2 sets of newlyweds.
Mr. P. M.'s crime fighting escapades.
My pending mid-life crisis (scheduled for Sept 14th).

It's all here and it' all good!

I'm keeping the menu simple and family is helping but I am making smoking hot pom-martinis that will be ice cold and literally smoking from dry ice and
the Best Burgers.

Blue Ribbon Barbecue Burger

serves 6 - 8

2 lbs. ground chuck
2 Tbl. BBQ sauce of your choice, plus more for serving
1 Tbl. Heinz 57 steak sauce
2 Tbl. minced onion
1 Tbl. spicy brown mustard
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce ( or more)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 hamburger buns (brioche are my fav), toasted or grilled

Sliced garden tomatoes
Sliced onions

Mix all ingredients together from the meat to the pepper. Form into 6 - 8 patties 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Place burgers directly over coals, cover and grilled to your preferred degree of doneness, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium rare. Serve on totasted or slightly grilled buns with tomato and onions and slather with BBQ sauce - but truthfully these burgers are so flavorful you won't need any condiments!

Now I've got to get my men up and begin cracking the whip!
Lanterns must be hung and chocolate cake must be made.

But on tonight's agenda we are tailgating before the Angels game as they go up against Oakland.


One thing I love about the Angels, Disney bought them years back and revamped the stadium with waterfalls and big rocks and the ushers are dressed in old-fashioned uniforms with straw hats. At the 7th inning stretch, they go down on the field and everyone sings.

You can see the Big A sign for miles off the 57 freeway.
The halo sparkles when the Angels win.
I love driving home from somewhere and looking to see if it is lit up or not.
Just a little tradition in the OC. :)

Have a great weekend!

"Cheap Seats" ~ Alabama
"Center Field" ~ John Fogerty

Truly Remarkable.

If you haven't seen this already it is incredible.
Turn off my music on the sidebar and listen to the music that accompanies this video.
Amazing!

'Ukraine's Got Talent' winner Kseniya Simonova does something we've never seen before -- drawing in the sand.

Set to music, Simonova depicts the invasion of Ukraine by Germany in World War II.

Letter to College Bound Son2

Well, the time is almost here. In two weeks you are about to leave for the biggest adventure to date of your young life. I am excited for you but also worried. You know me. I can't help it. As I've told you before when you are driving home at night from a friend's house, I trust you, I just don't trust all the crazy people out there.

I am going to do my best to make this fun and exciting for you ~ our separation ~ although it will be more difficult for me I am sure. I see the sparkle in your eyes to try new things and I can feel you have let go of your childhood. It is a proud moment for me but also one of melancholy that you will not understand until you are a parent.

I think this summer was a mourning process for both of us as you were caught between the two worlds. I understood how difficult it was for you to have a relationship you cherished for the last couple of years come to its end and although you didn't want to talk about it you knew I was there for you. It was one of the most difficult things for me to let go of - that I couldn't fix this hurt for you. I learned a great deal from being a reluctant bystander. Your emotional independence from me actually made me stronger because I had to walk away from this topic when every cell in my body wanted to analyze and pick it apart as if doing so would take away your pain. You had to figure this one out for yourself. I knew you had turned the corner this week when you changed your Face Book picture from a couples picture to that of you and your friends. For the first time this summer I felt balanced once again but you will never know this. It was a relief to see a reassuring smile on your face when you told me, 'Mom, we are still friends.' You had moved on. I could finally exhale. My sweet pie, this probably won't be the last time this happens to you in your life but it is a part of living and well worth the risks. We try people on to see how they fit into our lives. Some fit better than others but we always learn more about ourselves in the process and are less likely to settle for something than what we ultimately want and this is a good thing. I think you understand this now.

I want you to know I promise not to have a melt down in your college town as we prepare to leave. I did that at your brother's send-off and it took a lot of explaining to him what was happening to me which I really didn't know myself so I blamed it on hormones which only added to the confusion. It was unfair to him and selfish of me. I will never forgive myself for tainting his first experience of college as I did and I don't want to make that same mistake with you. In hindsight it put a tremendous burden on him to worry about me and it was confusing as I encouraged him all his life for this moment only to see me seemly distraught and emotional. Even though you were not there to witness this I know Dad is preparing you on the side for this display of raw emotion. Guys are different. I get it. They do not need this. I give my word I will not blubber but I do reserve the right to tear up. I will save any emotional outburst for your father on the way home. That is his purpose on this trip.
To drive the car and say nothing. :)

Anything else I tell you now you will just roll your eyes and say, 'Mom. I know. You have raised me well.' How do I know this? I've heard it before. Funny, it's kind of the little things I am thinking about now ~ I never showed you how to sew on a button. Will you really use a shower caddy? Why did the list say 'soap on a rope'? Seriously? Do shower flip flops really deter fugal infection? Use the Purell wipes I bought you and use them often when the flu season hits!
I feel a heightened sense of urgency of 'do this and don't do that.'

Your academic education is very important but you will also be learning as much about people. I would be very surprised if there were no bumps along the way with three crammed into a small room but you will handle it well. It is a gift you have working with others. When we found out you had a triple I cringed. You said optimistically, 'Now I'll know two people instead of one.' When faced with two upper bunks and one on the ground you quickly solved the problem of rotating the prime real estate based on the three quarters.
You are a genius. You'll do just fine.

Let me make you goodies and send them to you whether you want them or not. I can't explain why this is important but it is. Maybe it's still a way to take care of you albeit remotely. Perhaps it is a needed gradual easement into my maternal retirement. It will fill my heart to think of you during the entire process of planning, shopping and measuring out ingredients. I will be thinking of you the entire time and smiling.

Can you tell I've been putting off going to Bed, Bath & Beyond? That makes your leaving home real. A new bedspread, towels and sheets that I will not be seeing on a daily basis or washing and they will be familiar only to you. It's strange to me. And although I know you like to push my buttons right now when I try to instruct you to change your sheets often and to wash them and your towels and clothes your quick come back is 'that's what Febreze is for,' I am concerned you are not kidding even with that ear to ear smile.

My one comfort is knowing you will not be reading this and getting it out on 'paper' has always been a release for me. So while I have purged my feelings and am strong for today let's go to the mall after your dental follow-up (do not groan and say you hate shopping) and I will buy you and your brother lunch at P.F. Chang's before he heads back to school too. Just mom and her boys then we both might be up for a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Welcome To My Virtual Summer Vacation...

"... and I just know we'll have a good time".



No, my first name ain't baby. It's Pink ~
Mrs. Martini if you're nasty.


Jeez, Lady Kate, if you knew your JJ songs you would recognize the above reference to her early 80's hit 'Nasty' where she says - 'No, my first name ain't baby. It's Janet. Ms. Jackson if you're nasty.' I know you remember the 80's although I was a mere child! Admit it! :) Talk to you later.

When The Universe Steps In ...

Sometimes things just seem to go so right ~

One night I was walking in the parking lot of a shopping center where I apparently dropped my keys without knowing it. I was steps away from going inside the store when I heard a car alarm and for some reason I turned around towards the sound. I saw the lights on my car flashing. That's odd. I looked in my bag for the keys and then I realized I did not have them.

I walked back towards the car to find my keys on the ground in the parking lot where a car had driven over them pressing the panic button and setting off the alarm.

I felt this was divine intervention and I was left completely dumbfounded as I realized someone could have picked them up, pressed the door unlock button to see where my car was and have driven off in it.

What were the chances a car driving by would hit that tiny key before I walked into the store and what made me turn around and look? It still amazes me to this day.

I thanked the heavens and continued with my shopping. That, however was not a miracle.

Mad Men?

Is it just me or is anyone else left lukewarm with Mad Men this season?

I forgave the season premier as I allowed for the catch up of the summer. For instance, we already knew Don Draper's (D.D.) illustrious background. It did nothing for the story line, in my opinion, to know how he was named 'Dick'. The first episode ran the gamut from boring to almost pornographic but it still did not hold my attention. The story lines seem disjointed to me and further evidence was last night's lack luster show. I want to know more about last season's cliff hangers ~ Peter's feelings knowing he has a child out there somewhere and how Joan Holloway could marry the man who raped her in her boss' office.

What happened to Duck?
Did he fly south for the summer and is off the show?

Peggy Olsen doesn't even know who she is and that scenario is frustrating to me. Pick a personality trait, Sybil, and go with it.
What was with that stare as D. D. passed by her office?

I like Robert Moorse's character. No nonsense and few words as possible but his point is weighty. I find it intriguing and thought provoking when the characters thoughts are kept more to themselves and this season it seems everyone is asking for other's opinions. Is it believable to think someone as high up as Roger Sterling would ask a lowly copywriter as to her opinion on something as painful and confusing as father/daughter relationships?

The best part of last night's show was D. D. running his fingers over the blades of grass.
As an ardent fan I will of course hang in there but I hope the tempo picks up a bit.
Woman cannot live by grass fondling alone.

"Yeee-Ha!"

The cutest gosh darn cookie idea this side of the Mississippi from Bakerella.


I've posted about Bakerella before because I think she is so creative, informative and giving of all her ideas not to mention her blog is truly eye-candy as she is an excellent photographer and Photo Shop expert.

Her recipe and gift giving ideas for her CowGIRL Cookies are just adorable!

Wouldn't this be the cutest gift for new teacher's this fall (I am going to miss this), bunco get togethers, baby shower ~ depending if the mom is having a little cowboy or cowgirl, or for the holidays as hostess gifts?

Love it!
Thought you might too. :)

Civil Unrest For A Sunday Morning

This morning at 5:45 AM my husband, my family and I became 'involved', as they say.
It was frightening and every moment as this event was unfolding I was having thoughts that I could be witnessing my husband in a potentially harmful situation.

Before dawn, Son2 awoke to the unusual sound of a car dropping off 2 teenage-looking boys and heard their conversations about seeing an iPod as they approached our cars parked in our drive-way. For the past few summers our street has been the target of theft from unlocked cars and opened garages. Remembering these occurrences, he ran upstairs to look out the window and saw that my husband's car's interior lights were on. He woke all of us up and said a white SUV drove up the street that intersects into ours and saw someone in a white shirt walk up the street after the car.

Moments later, my husband was in his car blocking the suspects car with his from coming down the cul-de-sac. The white SUV backed up and my husband aggressively drove towards them. The 2 suspects then got out of their car. One did not have his shirt on which to me meant trouble. The only thing I thought of as they left the SUV and came close to my husband's car was I was going to see my husband get shot and killed. I knew he had his phone and was calling 911 and I was also doing the same. The suspects decided to abandon the car and run. My husband had been laying on his horn hoping he would have support from our neighbors. One person came out of his house. One. The fact we live in a guard-gated upscale community and have patrolling security means nothing but only lends itself to giving residents a false sense of security. Our security service is worthless.

As the thugs left my husband got out of his car and now having support of this neighbor they saw the suspects returning. The conversations of the suspects were very loud and confrontational. I still could not believe no one else cared to get involved and help.

The Sheriffs finally came, hand cuffed two of the remaining suspects and proceeded to stay in our neighborhood for the next 3 hours. I am guessing this was a ring because three more sheriff cars came and they were talking and looking at papers for hours after they came to our home and spoke with us.

When the Sheriff came to our home to question us I expressed my concern of retaliation and he assured me these were 'punks' who backed down as soon as they were confronted. I am not comforted by this. I can now understand why people would feel more comforted having a gun in their home. I don't know what I'd do with one but feeling threatened and venerable as I do right now, I wish I knew how to use one.

I give kudos for Son2 to assessing the situation so well, trying to video tape the incident with his cell phone and speaking so eloquently to the Sheriff all while still feeling the ill effects from having his wisdom teeth out on Friday. Son1 also witnessed the activity on the street and stayed very calm and alert. I would not let either of them go out as they did not have the shelter of being in a car and I knew there were at least 2 suspects on foot and one in a car and I didn't know if they were armed or how high they were. Having my husband out there was enough. I was also feeling very afraid the suspects could come back to the house if they panicked so I had the boys lock the door that my husband flew out of while I watched my husband from the upstairs window. I went into total lock down protective mode of my chicks.

Looking back on the morning, we could have easily just let the white car turn the corner and go but we didn't. The Sheriff called my husband a hero. I believe he did this to make me feel better. It didn't . I was thinking he could have been a dead hero for not knowing what he was getting into and being a victim of desperate people under the influence of drugs.

Would we have done this any different?
Probably not.

If my husband did not get out in front of the suspects car to get a plate number and block their exist there would have been no one else to do it and he couldn't be a by stander and let them get away. Last summer when a similar incident happened he got in his car and pursued trying to get close enough to get the plate number but backed off when he thought pursuing them at high speeds would not be safe for anyone.

Could we have looked the other way?
No.
But I also don't feel good about it because I feel unsafe.

Stubbs & Wootton Fall/Winter 2009

Stubbs & Wootten

Put on your pink & green needlepoint camis for covert preppy ops.


Taking the dogs out for a walk.


Boo!


My favorite.

Decorated Cookies 101

Class is going to begin soon ~

After receiving so many nice comments and email inquiries of how to make the decorated cookies I have decided to list my recipes, techniques and step by step instructions.

If you have specific questions, please email me or leave a comment.

I'll be going into a lot of detail of what has worked well for me.
If this interests you we can explore themed cookies ~
colorful fall leaves, fun Halloween cookies packaged in a witch's cauldron, etc.
Really cute stuff.

Here are some links to past posts of some cookies I have done if you are new to my blog.
Nantucket Cookies
Dolphin/Shell HS Soccer Team Cookies
Valentine's Day
Wedding Cookies

I am not an artist by any means and I cannot draw so my designs are very simple and often times I use clip art to help me with design.

It's a cliche but in this case it's very true ~
"If I can do it, I bet you can too."

You'll be amazed!

Should we give it a try?

How Stella Is Losing Her Groove Tonight.

So what is the next project?
I feel such a let down today.

Son2 gets his wisdom teeth out this Friday so I need to rally and start to get my thoughts organized to take care of him.

College boy comes home Saturday for his break between work and school. I must put fresh sheets on his bed and lay out fresh towels and make his favorite foods. Before he even steps foot in the door I start to think of his leaving 9 days later. It's like having a guest you never want to leave. I have to stop thinking of missing him before he even gets here. Why do I do this?

A week after that we drop off Son2 (the new college boy) at his respective home of higher education.

Then Mr. P.M. and I will share a long trip back home probably in silence if not in tears coming into an empty house with no children in it for the first time in 23 years. Son2 always trots down the stairs no matter what mood he is in. I will miss that sound, the one that lets me know his youthful exuberance is present. When he comes home for Thanksgiving will he be too mature to do this anymore? Are these remaining few weeks of summer the last time I will hear this? Should I put the Halloween decorations in the Goodwill bag?

Millions of parents face this.
We are not special.
It's what I have always wanted ~
for my kids to experience college away from home.
It's what I have prepared them for and told them I have the confidence in them to do whether or not I believe it when I'm saying it at that moment.
But I am not naive. It is never the same once they leave home.
Their room will look smaller than what they remember when they come back to visit and so will I.

"Bittersweet Symphony" - The Verve

Heather & Will's Wedding Weekend.

The rehearsal.

The bride entered from behind these doors in Vera Wang less than 24 hours from this moment.

A place for everyone...

... and everyone in their place.

As the rehearsal was under way, son2 and I were just finishing hanging the rosettes.

Mr. P. Martini came just in time to supervise the job and take the luggage to the Westin since my car was full of decorations when I left in the morning.

L.L. Bean tote bag, paper cutter, cutting mat, scissors, glue gun, glue sticks, 3 kinds of tape of various size and stickiness, spools upon spools of ribbon, x-acto knife, thumb tacks, templates, stapler, extra paper ~ don't leave home without it.

I loved being in Pasadena for the weekend.
I drove past many of my old haunts where it felt like being home again.
The rehearsal dinner was hosted by Will's gracious and welcoming parents at the Green Street Tavern where everything was in abundant supply ~ delicious food, intoxicating wines, friendship, incriminating stories and hugs.

One thing that Will and Heather made a point of was incorporating beloved grandparents into the celebration of the weekend whether with us in person or in spirit. They talked about them personally over the toasts of this night and at the wedding reception. You could feel that they were with us sharing the happiness of the day.

The Wedding Day.

Heather and her brother, Colin before the ceremony.

Heather had two family heirlooms given to her for her wedding day.
Both old and borrowed.
Her maternal grandmother had worn this cameo on her wedding day as her mom had and even one of her aunt's. I placed it in her bouquet of calla lilies. It draped beautifully when she angled her flowers as she walked down the aisle.

The other keepsake was my mother's platinum wedding ring which I also wore on my wedding day 25 years ago. You can see Heather wearing it on the following pictures of the ceremony.

The view from the balcony.

Guests were beginning to arrive and the runner was in place to be rolled out. The ceremony took place from the comfort of the guests sitting at their tables with cold, refreshing drinks served before the music began. I was told by the villa staff that this was the first time a wedding had been set up like this. So avante garde!

The procession begins to the lilting sounds of a Scottish fiddle.

The beautiful mother-0f-the-bride, Janice and her son.

The guests anxiously await the entrance of the bride and her father though the doors.
The doors were closed momentarily after the wedding party passed through which only heightened the excitement.
I was unable to capture this exact moment of their entrance where I was positioned but I also wanted to capture Will's expression.

Will sees his bride for the first time on this special day.

Together at last and very happy about it.

Will's father sang a song from Brigadoon,
"Waitin' For My Dearie."
A truly special gift for the couple.

Heather and Will each wrote their own vows.
It was very emotional for both of them and for all the guests.
The eloquent expression of their love touched everyone.

With this ring...

I thee wed.

The beaming... Mr. and Mrs. William Lewis

Let the party begin!

Cookie favors for every guest and individual wedding cakes on every table.

Heather & Will listen to one of many witty and emotional toasts.

The bride's brother, Colin, just a newlywed himself 6 weeks ago, gave a toast welcoming Will into the clan.

Will's brother gave a sage piece of advice ~
"Happy wife. Happy life."

All husbands know this for the absolute truth it is.

My brother, Ian, has always been a man of few words but what he says is meaningful and most heartfelt.

It was very hard for him to contain the love for his little girl as his voice gave his emotions away.


When he addressed his daughter by the special name that he only calls her, Heather's heart overflowed and tears easily flowed.

The bride glances over to her husband during one of the many toasts.


Their sweetheart's table had their own cake decorated with their initials slanted so everyone could see. Lovely in chocolate-mint, the groom's favorite.

As the groom was about to feed his bride a piece of the cake, she was heard repeating the best man's sage advice...

... 'Happy wife, happy life'.
He proved he was indeed a gentleman.

They've got sunshine on a cloudy day...
Auntie "The Cake Lady" Carole, cousin Scott, son2 and MOB dancing to "My Girl".

Other tunes that rocked the ballroom were
"Return of the Mack"
"Single Ladies" (Heather re-enacted Beyonce's every move)
"American Boy" (clean version)
"Thriller" (bride's man Tom and BU Ninja's did MJ proud)
Of course, Francis Albert Sinatra also made his appearance.

It was a warm but enchanted evening at the villa.

Fans in orange and yellow were fluttering well into the night under the golden glow of the lanterns and sparkling candlelight.

The table that was empty could be found here:


Time flies when the honeymoon is waiting...

The bride ascends the beautiful staircase to throw a bouquet to 'all the single ladies.'
She chose stems of a simple yet beautiful and fragrant white stock where we wrapped it in satin yellow ribbon.
It bounced off the chandelier to outstretched arms and into one lucky lady's hands.

Off to the Pacific Islands ...
Best wishes for a very long, healthy, and happy life together.

Take care of our girl, Will. :)

"Single Ladies" - Beyonce

Just Icing On The ... Cookies!

Say hello to my little friends...

...and to 125 of their closest friends. Ta-da! Fini!


... and a HUGE Thank you to my wonderful friend and expert cello bag stuffer, Suzi who single handedly assembled the cookie favors for me over 2 nights with many, many hours devoted to this while I glued together the rosettes. This took us much longer than we had expected even with the ribbon already cut and most of the bags pre-stuffed with paper. I could not have finished this project tonight if it weren't for you.

You are a super trooper!

"Super Trooper" - Abba

Wedding Decorations Dress Rehearsal...

Just a quick update on the decorations dress rehearsal...

I chose from stacks and stacks of paper rosettes I made and brought one set to play with for the prototype.

This is what I decided on. The additional larger sizes worked out great. I will flip the tails of the ribbons over to hang on the right side. These will go on 12 interior doors of the ballroom.

The groom-to-be approving one of the two entry doors to the villa.

Today (since it's 3 AM) is set-up then we're off to the races!

Monday.

My college boy-to-be and I had a great time together checking out what will soon be his home away from home. We stared out with lunch at Phillippe's in LA across from Olvera St. and the Union Station. We also took a slight scenic detour and drove through Los Olivos and Solvang. On our way home we hit Phillippe's again with all the Dodger fans.

Here is a picture of one of the college town's landmarks.

Bubblegum Alley

You could not get me to walk down through the wall-to-wall gunk. yuck.

The campus police chief was one of the best and most entertaining of the speakers.

He said to tell your student that their college experience is a 'shared experience.'
You don't mind sharing your money if they share their experiences.

I am so using this line.

I was shocked to hear the California University system is cutting 40,000 incoming positions for students applying this fall for 2010 admittance. Even though my last child has already gone through this process I am very sympathetic for all the other kids and families who will face road blocks with our educational system. We have great schools but the state budget is compromising the future of so many young people and our society's future.
It is very frustrating to be a Californian right now.

On a happier note, this will be a very busy week as my niece's wedding is this Saturday.

I have made over 100 rosettes ranging from 20" to 5".

95 cookies are drying tonight so that leaves 30 more I need to finish up with the base coat tomorrow then the serious decorating begins.

I'll post pics later on today just for fun.

Have a great Monday everyone! :)

Road Trip!

College registration time.

Just me and son2 are heading up the coast.
See 'y'all' (I am from Southern California, you know ;) ) in a few days.

Have a great rest if the week, BF's. :)

"Ponyskin? Naaaaaay!!!"

Part of my shopping success this weekend included these pretty pink patent shoes.


They also match my pink patent Lilly bag perfectly although I'm not likely to pair them together but I could. I also bought a pair in a matte muted gold almost like a tarnished silver. I am loving the square toe. For $69.00, why not buy two? With my cropped white jeans I also bought this weekend? Lovin' that too.

In the Kate Spade store (I love how everything is displayed) she is showing the same square toed flat design. It is not pictured on the website however. Very cute with a gold name plate on the heal (too much for me) and the price is also too much for me. One Kate shoe I was drawn to was this one until....


.... I read it was made from ponyskin? Really? Ponyskin? That sounds so awful. I don't recall ever hearing before about young horse hides being used for anything. So I did some research - yep, ponyskin is used and that really bothers me for some reason.

I rarely give leather a thought. I especially love my patent pieces but I haven't eaten veal since I was a teenager after seeing a documentary on the treatment of calves. I also do not eat lamb. Yes, I am a carnivore and that seems hypocritical and I wrestle with that from time to time but there was something in that word ponyskin that really turned me off. Amazing how a little research will do that to a person.

Are you ever conflicted?