Category / Brandi

by Talmadge House

Apple Freaks!

HA!  Ya’ll know how much Apple people do love their “Apple Products” right?  et hem (that’s how i spell the clearing of my throat) . . . Apple freaks do exist in this house and we received another Mac Toy today.

MacBook 2.4GHz 4GB RAM, 250GB

What’s up with all that jargon anyways?  Couldn’t the tech industry define their hard-drive size by comparing it to lets say an eight cylinder engine?  It’d make more sense to me if they did.

I now know our UPS man thinks I’m a total freak!  “Hey mister UPS man can you strike a pose?”  HA . . . as if it were bad enough to ask him for one picture I made him strike a pose for a second just to ensure I got a good shot.  As if this man doesn’t have a delivery schedule!  He gave me permission to post his picture here but not before seeing it first.  I’m serious . . . he asked to see the pictures.

And here are the real Apple Freaks . . . and this gives ya’ll another view of my studio.  You’ll eventually get to see the entire thing.  (cheesy grin)

by Talmadge House

Can You Guess What’s Cooking?

Guess we’re all back to our schedules tomorrow huh?  With that being said I’m back in the kitchen after being aloof for two weeks now.  She (the kitchen) and I are becoming acquainted again . . .

Alright lets get started with my charades here . . . What’s this look like it’s gonna be?

Emmm . . . Guess again.  Here’s another picture and I bet I know what you’re thinking!

Nooooooo it’s not warm apple pie!  It’s Chicken Pot Pie.  This means I win right? HeHeHe

This is so simple to make and is a perfect winter meal and also very tasty!  And aaahhh yeah, I do make my own crust.  Here’s the recipe taken straight from Better Homes and Gardens.  She’s a lovely little cookbook with very good traditional recipes.

CHICKEN POT PIE
~ Preheat Oven 450 degrees
1 10-ounce package frozen peas & carrots (I use whatever I have for veggies)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (I must omit this one due to picky spouse)
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
3 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley (I use 1 tsp dried parsley in place of the fresh)
1/4 cup diced pimiento (can’t find pimiento? use the jarred roasted red peppers instead)

1.  Prepare your crust (can use an already made one…just thaw it out first).

2.  In a saucepan cook onion and mushrooms in butter till tender.  Stir in flour; salt; thyme and pepper.  Add chicken broth and milk all at once.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Stir in veggies, chicken or turkey, parsley, and pimiento; cook till bubbly.

3.  Pour mixture into your prepared pie crust.  Cover mixture with another pie crust and flute (pinch) edges of pastry and cut slits in the top for steam to escape.  Bake for 12 – 15 min or till pasty is golden brown.

Enjoy and Good Night!

by Talmadge House

365 Picture Challenge ~ 2009

Calling all peeps who love photography, improving photography skills or just pictures in general (you’re getting my drift right?).  I was brought to the challenge of joining this endeavor by Sweet Jessie to take and upload one picture per day for the entire year of 2009 and share them over on my Flickr. I’ve been good so far but am not promising that I will have a picture every single day but my OCD personality will certainly give it my best.

I’m excited to continue working on my photography skills.  I’ve definately grown in this arena but have oh so far to go.  I’d love it if you followed me and the originator of this endeavor and her readers.  And if you’re feeling real energetic please join us, we’d love to see your pics.  Let me know what your Flickr link is so we can follow you along too.

And for good measure I must include a picture with my post otherwise it feels off balance.  You know like a pile of papers that hasn’t been perfectly aligned and straightened out (drives me nutz) ~ insert OCD grin.

Mike down on Canal Street (Shelton, CT) checking out the old factory buildings.  May see factory buildings at my flickr.

by Talmadge House

Mike & Dave’s Birthday

Having our birthday dinner again.

Birthday dinner was at Fratelli’s in Derby this year.

Birthday Guys.  Listen the iPhone is good for many things but surely not for taking a good quality picture.

Dave and Gina (Love you my dear friends . . . thank you so much for continuing our annual tradition!)

Me and my guy . . .

Dinner was acceptable, atmosphere was comfortable and the company was the best part of all!  Gina & Dave, I LOVE the personalized embroidered hand towels!  I’ll have to bank that gift idea to use for someone down the line.  I missed the note you wrote on the gift and noticed it when I got home and was unwrapping the ornament.  Gracious note and we too value our friendship with you.

by Talmadge House

New Year’s Day Activities

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  In case you were wondering what we did on New Year’s Day . . . here’s a run down accompanied by some pictures too.  Y’all know I LOVE pictures right?????  (insert big smile)

1.  Mike cooked breakfast . . . bacon and egg on english muffin with green tomato relish and cholula hot sauce (both of these toppings rock!).

2.  Stayed in jammies until 1PM.   Yup those are my slippered feet hehehe.

3.  Had lunch at Panera Bread.

4.  To Starbuck’s for our favorite latte’s.  Mike hearts the Cafe Latte.  Brandi hearts the Peppermint Mocha Latte.

5.  To the marina to check in on our summer home location and to see how frozen the Housatonic River was.

Still @ Marina:  Ned in the “Grumpy Old Man Boat” breaking up the ice so it doesn’t destroy the docks.  Look, I caught the train going by in the background (wonder if the riders are on their way to NY City?  We need to take a day trip soon, LOVE it there!)

Still @ Marina:  Mike and Leon talking “man stuff” . . . probably fishing or boats.

Still @ Marina:  Me taking pictures of interesting things around the marina while waiting for “man talk” to cease.  I really like this pic!

6.  Back @ home fending off our overly excited dog.  He is far to cute!

7.  Photo session to obtain a nice new profile shot of maw and my favorite technological toy.  Not too bad especially considering I was holding the good camera in my hands.  Thanks Mike!  We had A LOT of bad shots to obtain a few good ones.

8.  A bit of crafty time for me and techy time for Mike.

9.  Thinking of my girlfriend, Latonya who flew to Georgia yesterday afternoon to spend a few days with her sister.  Hoping she made it in time (considering our winter storm) to have rung in the new year last night.

10.  We are now deciding what we should do for dinner.  I’ve had little interest in cooking this week.  Better get myself back in gear for next week when life returns to normal.  UGGHHH!  update to dinner:  mike had beans and dogs, I had a grilled cheese sandwich and we both had a little bowl of Kraft Spiral Mac & Cheese.  Not a dinner to write home about nor should I have written it here but wanted to remind myself that I can’t always be Martha Stewart but a girl sure can try . . . right?  Can you believe something like this came out of MY kitchen!?!

Hope you had a nice relaxing day!

by Talmadge House

New Year’s Eve Snow Fall

It couldn’t get much better than this (for me anyways) . . . a snowie New Year’s Eve Day!  Thought I’d take a picture of where Mike and I spent quite a bit of time this fall and planned on doing the same this winter.  HEHEHE . . . Well we haven’t been out there yet this winter and can you blame us?  Lets see . . . a nice warm wood stove inside or the wood chimenea outside on the cold snow covered earth.  Emmm . . . yeah, well we’ve been content by the inside fire thank you very much.

I sure did go to work today but left at 1:30 not so much cuz of the road conditions but more so cuz the entire office left at 1PM and well it is New Year’s Eve so out the door I ran!  I’ve got the chicken wings getting ready to be baked and a bunch of other finger foods lined up.  And of course we’ll have champagne but before midnight.  We like to eat and be merry all night long which starts right about hmmm . . . now.

2008 was a prosperous and healthy year and am praying 2009 promises the same.  Hope your New Year’s promises much prosperity, love and health.  Happy New Year’s Eve!

by Talmadge House

Santa Really Does Deliver!

Remember a couple posts ago I mentioned the three glass door knobs I purchased and asked that Santa (Mikey) build a custom shelf for my studio?  Well Santa really does deliver . . . he built it especially for me and look the three glass door knobs are on the shelf . . . isn’t she sooooooo pretty?  I can put so many of my pretty things on her . . . she and my “old stuff” in the studio are becoming acquainted.  Me and my “old stuff” are still deciding who will get to sit on the newbie shelf in the studio.

Another view of the newbie shelf and a larger view of the studio.  Like my new paint color?  It’s called Svelte Sage and is direct from Sherwin Williams.  I am totally in love with the color!

And because Santa was so kind to have taken alot of his time to build me this customized shelf I thought a nice homemade meal was in order.  My homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs (all from scratch) . . . Santa was very quite through dinner which means he & his jolly belly were very happy!  Hope Santa was good to you this year too . . . Good Night 🙂

by Talmadge House

A New Breakfast Spot & The Best Cheesecake in CT

Funny we’ve lived in Shelton CT for a very very long time and never knew that Stockbridge’s was here . . . yes just a mile or so from where we live.  Boy we don’t pay much attention . . . either that or their advertisement doesn’t stand out enough.  Either way, we’re happy to have found them as they make a delectable breakfast.  It’s pretty cool, you place your order at the counter and then pick out the most comfortable seat in the house (could be a table or perhaps you’d prefer the sofa?).  There’s a large coffee table in front of the sofa . . . reminds me of the show “Friends”.  Anywho, so you sit and they make up your order and bring it to your table or to your sofa.  EMM EMM it is so fresh and tasty.

They make divine scones and the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted (amen).  I’m not usually big on cheesecakes because most of them are kinda like eating a spoon full of peanut butter.  You know the consistency I’m talking about, it’s like your tongue sticks to the cheesecake like it’s . . . you know . . . gummy or something.  I don no it’s the best way I can describe most of them.  Well not Stockbrige’s cheesecakes . . . theirs are the lightest and fluffiest I’ve ever had!  And they have all sorts of flavors even peppermint “oh my . . . I LOVE peppermint!”.

If you live nearby or are in the area (I can’t imagine why you’d be here if you don’t live nearby) you should definitely give this place a try.  I think you can order online as well! Look who else even loves their cheesecakes.  Not the best lighting as it glares off of the glass of the picture frame but it’s the Tuttles from Orange County Choppers.

UPDATE TO POST 12/31/08

Check out this old picture of what the Stockbridges walls used to be in the “olden days”.  It was Shelton’s very first movie theater . . . the building with the stepped roof line (to the left) is the one.  Look at those cars . . . HA!

by Talmadge House

Green Tomato Relish . . . Emm Emm

I was taken waaaaaay back to 1979 when I was a wee 7 years old living in Marathon, NY.  The smell of green tomato relish waffling through the air as I got off of the school bus and walked up our long dirt driveway to get home.  “Emmm I can smell it, momma’s been canning Green Tomato Relish” and I’d race off doing something childlike and forgot all about the relish.  But the smell, the unique look of it and merrily reminiscing the experience has stayed with me all these years.  Odd the things that take you back to yester years.

This is one of my strong childhood memories and I haven’t smelled nor have I had the opportunity to ingest it since I was a child.  That is until Thanksgiving this year my momma visited and oooohhhh she canned and brought a jar full of my childhood.  Well I opened it today and took a long deep breath and it smelled exactly as I remember.  Thanks mom!  And thanks dad for enticing mom into making it.  You see my mom had all these green tomatoes hanging out on the vine and my dad said to her that he sure could go for some homemade green tomato relish if she didn’t already have plans for them there tomatoes.  Right on dad . . . so thanks to you too!

Green Tomato Relish is surprisingly tasty on eggs of which I had this morning.  Thank you for reminiscing with me.

by Talmadge House

Merry Christmas!

Oh what a jolly time we had at the Talmadge House last night (Christmas Eve).  We exchanged gifts, ate a bunch of appetizers, some fell asleep in the recliner (Jeremy who wasn’t feeling well) . . . we also had great company.  Thank you everyone for sharing your evening with us!  So here are some pictures . . . I wish I had more that turned out nice but I’m still working on nailing my shutter speed.  Layman’s Term = many of the pics were blurry.

Mike and his dad.  Sorry Mike I know your eyes are closed but it’s the only unblurred shot.

Uncle Mike and Isabella

Isabella watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in my studio.  Look at that beautiful smile, she’s such a happy little girl!  Oh boy was she so excited about Santa Claus arriving at their home.  Soooo innocent . . . hey I believe in Santa too and the sparkle in his eye.

Bridget and Isabella

Isabella even had us playing games (Cookin Cookies) . . . so cute!

Toys that Santa brought for Scottie Buddy Boy . . . all of his toys are called monkeys.

Our traditional Christmas Breakfast that is always prepared by Mike, french toast and ham.  Mike makes the best french toast on the planet.

And a Christmas kittie kat (Miss Wilbur).  She loves to lay under the Christmas Tree

I so wish I had more pics of the rest of the clan that celebrated with us . . . Jeremy, Carol, Kane, Scottie and yeah even myself.  I must’ve been a good girl this year as Santa was very good to me bringing many wonderfully thoughtful gifts.  Thank you Santa and Happy Birthday Jesus!  Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas Eve and a Merry Merry Christmas Day!