Fun Fact Friday (FF Friday): 20 Things about me

So, I haven't been very good about posting, one of my New Year's Goals. I'm going to "cheat" a bit and do an easy (probably boring to most of you here for the food) post about a few things you may or may not know about me. Enjoy, and to the food people, I promise sometime I'm going to get some new recipes up! Just bear with me a little longer, please.

1. I have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. Alas, my sarcasm is often misunderstood.

2. I don't have a credit card. If I can't pay for it I don't buy it. This lesson came from my Pap-Pap who paid cash for his house and a new car every three years. I'm sure growing up during the depression and having a father who was VP of a bank influenced him. He only delt with cash and checks.

3. I have been trying to master the finger waves ever since watching Season 4 of Downton Abbey. So far all efforts have been unsuccessful.

4. When I first got sick (in 2009) I started into genealogy. I learned that I'm related to Henry VIII on my father's side. My direct line comes from one of Henry VIII's bastard children (The Other Tutors: Henry VIII's Mistresses & Bastards by Philippa Jones. My direct family line starts on pg 300).

5. I can't wear cheap shoes. They hurt my feet and back.

6. Before I got sick I never worked out. I maintained my weight thru diet and portion control.

7. I love water; it's my preferred beverage. But I can't drink tap water, it must be bottled or filtered.

8. I prefer spotify to pandora. I love 70s folk music; my parents were hippies and I was raised on it & the Beatles; my dad was crazy about the Beatles. My favorite channels are 70s, Morrissey, The Smiths, The Sundays, Jason Mraz, Singer-Songwriter, Peggy Lee, just to name a few.

9. I LOVE to read. Every year I read The Godfather by Mario Puzo and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. My copies of these books have pages falling out of them; I need to replace them. Jane Austen and Maeve Binchy are two of my all time favorite authors.

10. Among my favorite directors are Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Elia Kazan, Billy Wilder, George Cukor, Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles...all I can think of now.

11. I love watching ghost hunting/paranormal shows; I'm intrigued by ghosts or the possibility of them.

12. Bad grammar is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Don't use no double negatives.

13. I have perfect posture and people often like to comment on it to me for some reason.

14. I started ballet lessons at age 3 and stopped about age 10. I have a dancer's body and am as flexible as a board.

15. I have the most amazing, supportive, loving extended family (aunts, cousins, etc). We've all been thru things that have bound us closer together. I'm blessed to have all of them. "Family first" and "blood before water" are phrases I remember hearing growing up. I don't know what I would do without any and/or all of them.

16. Cumin is my favorite spice and I tend to use it in just about everything I cook for dinner.

17. After much deliberation, Mr.Surly quit his job in the south and we uprooted our life to move north for my health. We needed to be closer to the world-renowned clinic that is treating me. It's still a 4 hour drive but much closer than an almost 12 hour drive from the south.

18. I love music and almost always have it on; while I'm getting dressed/ready, cleaning, cooking, crocheting/knitting, crafting (crocheting or knitting), writing posts (right now "Shoplifters of the World Unite" by The Smiths is on; if you haven't heard this song click the take a listen; one of my favorite songs by them. Since The Smiths break up Morrissey still sings it live at his concerts and it sounds just as amazing. That man sure can sing.)

19. When I was little and learning to talk (like 2-ish) I didn't say "yes;" instead I would said "sure." For example, my dad would ask if I wanted a cookie and my reply would be "sure." When I was older I was teased mercilessly about this. My dad used to record conversations with us on tape and there are multiple instances where he asks a question to try to get me to say "yes" but I say "sure" and you can hear his soft laughter when I answer "sure" (I would kind of drag out and emphasize the "sh" part of the word).

20. My dad had his pilot's license: it was his hobby and he loved flying and was in a plane every chance he had. As a result, I grew up flying in planes. Instead of driving somewhere my dad would rent a plane and fly us there. I got spoiled and now I hate long drives and road trips (I get antsy after 90 minutes in a car). I'd rather fly than drive.

A Rosy Valentines Day Giveaway

Vaseline has been around forever. I think I have had a container of it in my nightstand since I was in high school. I always get the driest lips and I would apply vaseline to my lips before going to sleep. I love putting vaseline over lipstick to give it a "glossy" appearance without the stickiness of lip gloss. I had no idea they made a tinted vaseline. When did this happen? How did it happen? Does my local Target carry it? I was super excited when I was contacted about trying a free sample of it.

The neat thing about this Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips is that the tint is sheer & light. If you want rosier lips add a few layers so the color builds. I keep it beside me and use it all day. I like that my lips don't feel all gunky and sticky like they can with lip gloss; rather they feel soft and moisturized. Mr.Surly won't kiss me if I'm wearing lip gloss because of the sticky feel but with Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips it doesn't bother him; I actually get a "your lips are so soft" reply.

The only warning I will give is don't use it before bed unless you want pink lips on your pillow.

I would definitely recommend Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips. The 0.25oz is perfect to throw in my purse when I'm running errands. It's about $2.29 at drugstores, grocery stores, and retailers,which isn't a lot considering you only need a dab and vaseline containers last forever. Now I have rosy lips to match my red, wind chapped "rosy" cheeks.

Now, to the good news. Vaseline is giving one lucky reader their own Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips sample PLUS a box of chocolates! Look at those gorgeous lips on the chocolate. Love it.
To enter to win just leave a comment (below or on surlykitchen's facebook page) telling me your favorite lip balm or chapstick; whatever you use to keep your lips moisturized. Winner will be announced on Feb 14. Get your entries in by 8:00am EST on Feb 14. Random.org will calculate the winner and I will post the winner Feb 14. No limit on number of entries. Once winner is announced Vaseline will be sending you your very own Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips and these yummy chocolates. Good luck!
Winner:

1Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Thanks for everyone who participated. Congratulations Kali! Email surlykitchen@gmail with your shipping info and Vaseline will send out your prize.  Happy Valentines Day, everyone!
_______________________________________________________________
Giveaway sponsored by Vaseline.
Note: I received a free sample of Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips but all opinions are my own.

A Touch of Grace

I have always loved Grace Kelly for her poise, beauty, aura of mystery of her private life, and of course, fittingly, her grace. I was so excited to discover that a Grace Kelly exhibit was going on. It has toured Europe and this was the first and only US exhibit. They chose Philadelphia for the location since she is from Philly.

2014 Goals

I’m calling my list “goals” instead of “resolutions” because of the nature of the word resolution.  It is a firm resolve to complete an act.  A goal is something you are working toward.  By using the word “goal” instead of “resolution” I avoid pressure to complete each task.  This may be a viewed as a cop out but I’m being realistic.  I never know how I will feel from day to day, hour to hour; therefore, I’m not putting any pressure on myself to achieve something I’m unable to.  Goals are something I’m striving for in my life, not necessarily pressuring myself to finish if physically unable. 

*decrease the amount of medication I’m taking

*be a better blogger, whether it be food, cocktails, beauty, favorite product, health report, etc and post more often

*redesign blog

*get out of my pjs more during the day and put on regular clothes & makeup to feel better about myself

*stop picking my cuticles (to make Mr.Surly happy)

*learn to breathe slowly to calm myself in anxious situations

*keep avoiding stressful situations that make me anxious & increase my pain level

*Get ORGANIZED!!!!

It will be interesting to see how I do with my goals this year. I'm hoping this year is better than 2013.

Happy Holidays

I hope you all had as much fun reading about this year's round-up of the 12 Cocktails of Christmas as I had making--and tastetesting--them. In case you missed any below is the whole list. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!


2013 12 Cocktails of Christmas:
Day 1: Bourbon Pear Cocktail
Day 2: Mistletoe Kiss
Day 3: Coco Chanel Cocktail
Day 4: Coco Snowball
Day 5: Golden Autumn
Day 6: Goose Bump
Day 7: Mermaid Martini
Day 8: Spiced Cider Eggnog
Day 9: Can Can Martini
Day 10: Blue Bell
Day 11: Lemmings Leap
Day 12: Corpse Reviver

Corpse Reviver

Day 12
On the twelfth day of Christmas my bartender made for me, a great hangover remedy....

Alright, who has heard of the frozen Norwegian grandpa in Colorado? My cousin lives in Boulder and told us about the annual "Dead Guy Days" Festival. I'm not even joking.  Story is this old man is cryonically frozen in dry ice and is kept in a Tuff Shed on the side of a mountain.
Read more at here.  I have since heard the family is running out of money and the corpse had to be returned to Norway because the family couldn't afford to keep him in Colorado. But I could be wrong. I honestly have not kept up on the story. But that festival is where this drink comes from.

Corpse Reviver
1 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Pear nectar (or apple juice)
ginger ale

Pour Bourbon and juice over ice in tumbler glass; stir. Fill glass with ginger ale. And make a toast to Grandpa Bredo (the frozen corpse).



Source: Slightly adapted from Boulder Locavore

Previous Cocktails:
Day 1: Bourbon Pear Cocktail
Day 2: Mistletoe Kiss
Day 3: Coco Chanel Cocktail
Day 4: Coco Snowball
Day 5: Golden Autumn
Day 6: Goose Bump
Day 7: Mermaid Martini
Day 8: Spiced Cider Eggnog
Day 9: Can Can Martini
Day 10: Blue Bell
Day 11: Lemmings Leap

Lemmings Leap

Day 11
One the eleventh day of Christmas my bartender made for me, a Lemmings Leap cocktail....

Just as the key to a good Blue Bell is good quality vodka, today's drink requires good gin. I used Plymouth gin, which is incredibly smooth.


Another good choice would be Bombay Sapphire. A friendly, warning: if you use cheap gin this drink is going to taste like paint thinner. Trust me.

Lemmings Leap
2 oz vodka
2 oz gin
2 oz Malibu Rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1/2-1 oz lime juice
orange wedge

Shake all liquid ingredients, strain into serving glass. Squeeze in orange wedge then plop it in the cocktail.



Previous Cocktails:
Day 1: Bourbon Pear Cocktail
Day 2: Mistletoe Kiss
Day 3: Coco Chanel Cocktail
Day 4: Coco Snowball
Day 5: Golden Autumn
Day 6: Goose Bump
Day 7: Mermaid Martini
Day 8: Spiced Cider Eggnog
Day 9: Can Can Martini
Day 10: Blue Bell