The Cookbooks Are Here -- SOLD OUT

Updated Update: SOLD OUT!! Yay!! Thank you everybody!!

Update: Even though there aren't very many comments, we have almost sold all 200 copies that we ordered!!! There are a handful left, and we need to get them outta here, so just let me know if you want one. Thanks everybody!





The cookbooks are here!



Description ...

• Over 100 tried-and-true recipes submitted by our friends & family.


• Includes favorites such as Judy's Taco Dip; JP's New Doodley, Toodley, Pina Tequiladas; Stan's Jambalaya; Ardra's Kick Ass Bolognese; and Alison's Banana Spice Cookies with Icing.


• Even if you did not actively contribute a recipe, you may be surpised to see your recipe in the book. If you've ever given me a good recipe or made me a good treat, you might be a contributing chef!


• Proceeds will go toward our adoption. If something goes wrong and the adoption does not take place, the proceeds will be donated to a children's charity.


• Designed as a celebration of family, the cookbook is a great gift idea for Mother's Day.


• Convenient pick-up locations in Cleveland, Columbus, Mt. Gilead, and Mansfield.


• Commit now and pay later! Deferred payment available.


• For a limited time, free shipping available to our out-of-state friends!


• Buy an extra for your co-worker, relative, or foodie friend!


• Cost is a low $10.

Email me at msolinger@hotmail.com or leave a comment to place your order.

Happy Birthday Alex!!

This Christmas. Grandma, Grandpa, Alex, Wyatt, Rider.

Alex is my one and only niece. This past week, she celebrated her 21st birthday.

So, what can I tell you about Alex? I have a lot of funny memories where Alex is concerned. I'll give you the short version of a few. Once, my dad (her grandpa) ran her over with a wheelbarrow. (This is par for the course in my family. My mom was once ran over by a bed, and my brother was ran over by a hay wagon.) That same weekend, she spent a lot of time digging for treasure (quarters) in our garden and telling our elderly neighbor that she "couldn't see a thing" without Grandma's ruby red reading glasses. On another weekend, it was a game to see how many fried eggs she could eat. (Maybe the best thing about this was that Grandma obliged, and I kept saying, "Are you sure she should eat MORE eggs?!")

The first time I ever laid eyes on her was when she ran into my room (at age 3 or 4), grabbed a lipstick and ran away with it! For a few years, Alex loved to play games like Connect Four or Tic Tac Toe but ONLY if we played for money. When I got married, Alex was a bridesmaid in the wedding. She was the one who came to me at the reception, tears streaming down her face, saying, "Oh my God! They're spanking Grandpa! It's the funniest thing I've ever seen!" If it weren't for her, I'm sure I would have missed seeing two of my African American lady friends spanking my dad's backside (in unison) on the dance floor.

Happy 21st, Alex! I hope you enjoy it -- it only comes once in a lifetime. I had a lot of fun on my 21st birthday. I was a student at OU, and my housemates and I threw a huge keg party complete with an in-house band. Our living room was transformed into a stage/dance floor and everyone rocked out in full 90s style. Along with just about everybody we knew, there were scores of people whom we did not know but simply showed up because there was a great party going on. I'm sure that cops came, as they always did, but it was cool. We just told them we'd do whatever it was they were asking us to do. And everyone had a great time. (At least, this is what I believe happened on my 21st birthday. I have been known to mix all of my party weekends together. Brain cells were lost along the way.)

The next day we went to our favorite bar (Tony's) and I did a shot with the bar owner (Tony) to celebrate my 21st birthday. (We had been drinking there for a few years, so it was a little bit awkward to tell Tony that I was turning 21 -- after he and his staff had served alcoholic beverages to me for so long! But on the other hand, he could celebrate the fact that I had made it to the other side and could now be counted among the legitimately "of age" regulars at his bar. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to do a 21st birthday shot with Tony.)

Anyway, happy birthday Alex!!! We love ya!!

Esther is a Pooper and She Smells Like Cottage Cheese

Esther (aka Boober, aka Stinky Moe, aka Pooper) is the best cat who ever lived. Like most cats, she is furry and speaks in meows. But in many ways, Esther is different than the rest. For example, she sleeps in the bed with us under the covers and stays there all night until "the family" gets up in the morning. When we come home from work, she is waiting at the door to greet us. When we eat dinner, she sits on a chair at the table (waiting patiently -- or not so patiently, depending on the fare -- for a bite).

When we sit on the couch and watch TV, she climbs onto one of our laps and falls into a deep and laid-back sleep until it's time to go to bed, which she knows is ten-ish. If we stay up past our bedtime, she has been known to stand at the bedroom door and meow until we join her. On the weekend, she seems to accept that we stay up past ten, and retires to the bedroom on her own (at ten o'clock).

Esther goes outside under semi-supervision. She knows where her yard begins and ends. She's usually pretty good about staying in her own yard, as long as she knows we are watching her. She acts up every now and then. For example, if we have people over to our house and we are not babying her as we usually do, she will climb onto the top of our piano (stepping on a few low octave keys on her way up) and then stare into the corner and howl. This means that she is ready for everyone to go home and for Mommy and Daddy to shower her with affection. This is about has unruly as she gets.

Once, when we were away on vacation, her caretakers accidentally closed and locked the kitchen door (the door that goes to the basement and to her litter box). It was about 24 hours before the problem was discovered/fixed, but to everyone's surprise, it appeared as if Esther had left no "surprises" in the house.

When we came home from our trip, we did find one spot where Esther had relieved herself. The poor dear must have scoured the house for the best possible place to do her thing, and (other than the toilet) we couldn't have chosen a better spot ourselves. She found a wadded up old towel in the back of a closet and that is where she decided to pee. All we had to do was throw away the towel. Now, if you don't have any pets, this may not sound too impressive. Most pet owners in this situation, however, would come home to Zoo Central on the living room floor. A lot of pet owners, in fact, come home to Zoo Central on the living floor even when their pet was given plenty of access to proper potty places.

Esther loves me and Stan both, but she is definitely Daddy's Little Girl. Stan has made up a library of songs in Esther's honor. Here are a few. (Keep in mind that the lyrics were chosen mainly for humor and rhyming effect -- not for accuracy of content.)

Her name is Esther,
She is a kitty,
And she smells like cottage cheese.

Her name is Esther,
She is so shitty,
And she's so damn hard to please.

***

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Put Esther in the tub
And mix her up with some applesauce.

The Journey of a Year

One of the blogs I like to read is 3 Peanuts. I started following this blog about a year ago, when we first thought about adoption. Little Kate is so adorable, and her mom is a very creative and classy blogger.

April 4 marked the one year anniversary of Kate's homecoming from China, and her mom put together a terrific commemoration video. Please go watch it here. Be sure to turn on the volume.

Happy Birthday Brian!

Happy Birthday in Chinese

First, let me say that I never should have started this birthday stuff because every time I turn around it's either someone's birthday or it WAS someone's birthday and I forgot it or it WAS someone's birthday and I didn't forget it, but I never blogged about it either. The latter is the case when it comes to Brian. I remembered his birthday and reminded myself each day for two weeks to blog it. Nevermind that after the first week, his birthday was over!

Brian is my big brother, and I have always looked up to him. He is ten years older than me, so when I was three, he was thirteen. I remember being three years old and how I would take a bath every night and then put on my night gown. After bath time, it was TV time for the family. I remember walking into the family room, all washed and pretty and gowned, and Dad and Brian would whistle at me until I blushed. Then they would fart until the room was unbearable. It was great fun. Now Brian is a dad himself, and I can assure you that his two sons would act the same way if they were blessed with a baby sister.

Happy Birthday big brother!