Vrroooooommm

I spent this past weekend in Indianapolis at the Indiana Motor Speedway. This was my first trip to a big-time race track, and I expected what many of you might also think of... tube tops, bleached hair, cigarettes?

I was totally wrong! This is not NASCAR, my friends. This is F1. This is where every European (and Brazilian) flocks during each summer. This is where the fans sip from personal-size wine bottles while snacking on their prosciutto-wrapped asparagus (yes, both of these groups were sitting around us). This is where I can wear my new super cool hat, root for my hottie Hamilton, and sit in awe of these cars. (But, I still hate people that talk about cars all of the time. Feel free to hate me right now.)

Let me share a few of the reasons I love this sport.

1) My hubbie loves that I love it. There is something really wonderful about a sport that only comes to the US once each year. That means I get to enjoy F1 cuddled with my husband and two cats on the sofa.


2) Did you see my sweet new hat?

3) Nice-car. These cars are made to fly. The go so fast that the FIA (I don't know what that stands for, but it is like the principals office for F1) has made rules to slow down the cars. The cars are made to shatter upon impact, while protecting the driver. Last week this guy (see picture) slammed into a wall at 200 mph, and walked away with a sprained ankle. These cars are pretty awesome.


4) The Europeans love it.... that means it is posh, right?!

5) Lewis Hamilton is actually good! At the end of last year, I decided to root for the incoming rookie. Hamilton is a 22 year old English driver who has managed to set new records every week. He has been on the podium in every race and has won the last two. He is cute and well spoken and the boy can race. Here is a picture as he came in to the pits after winning this weekend.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that as long as I can be a pretentious race car fan... then I say vrroooooooom!

There's no place like home...

Needless to say, Dorothy wasn't too far off. There is something about home that cannot be tainted. I spent the majority of my youth thinking about all of the places I would want to live. None was ever Central Illinois. But lately, a lot of people have been reminiscing about home. It seems it is catching.

For those of you who know little about Central Illinois (which is in fact 100 miles SOUTH of 1-80, Chicago!), it is farm country. Space and corn are plentiful. People enjoy life a little more and are a bit kinder. Men drive diesel trucks and everyone's uncle works for State Farm or Caterpillar.

Ok, so maybe I made it sound like a modern-day Little House on the Prairie, but we do have malls and good universities and these new-fangled things called "TV’s."

Here is the short, off-the-top-of-my-head list of the things I miss most:

I miss bonfires. The lazy conversations that happen around burnt marshmallows. The way everyone slowly gets closer and closer together as we scoot towards the dwindling fire.

I miss my brother-in-law. His strange house in the all-black neighborhood, where all of the little kids thought he and my husband were gay buddies who rode their bikes all the time. I miss his wit and sense of humor. I miss the way simply being together makes he and my husband relax.

I miss tomatoes. (Yes, I know, get off your high horse, Ann!) I tell you the tomatoes in Central Illinois are so good and big and red and.... well, all I can say is, the bacon and lettuce never saw it coming.

I miss comfort. I miss a cup of tea at a good friends house, where there is not a thing to do but catch up for hours. I will of course see them again in three days - rather than three months.

I miss driving to the store. I know this sounds like a novel idea when you live somewhere like Chicago. But it my home town you can get to the grocery store and home in 30 minutes. And, I don't just mean that it takes 30 minutes to get there. "I'll be back in 10" really does mean 10.

I miss the U of I. Champaign-Urbana is a really fun place. It is a community full of students, and grad students and PhD students. With this diverse group of (sometimes) highly-intellectual people, comes a great community of arts and food and nightlife!

I miss silly local festivals. In Chicago, there is always something to do… The Jazz Fest, Taste of Chicago, Old Town Festival. All of these are exciting opportunities to experience culture in the Windy City. But, what I love is a good corn dog and a demolition derby. There is nothing quite like my hometown’s Railsplitter Festival (as in, Abraham Lincoln used to split rails) and the town’s corresponding watermelon car (Lincoln christened the town with a watermelon, in case you were wondering).

I miss thunderstorms. You can actually see the clouds roll in across the fields. In the late spring and summer, the air gets heavy and smells like rain. Even as adults, we all count in our heads - one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand... - to measure the distance between lightning and thunder. And in the morning, the school yard is full of boys chasing girls with worms that were washed out of the rich earth and on to the pavement.

I guess what I am saying, is that I miss home, and all of the things and place and people that make it where my heart is.

What is your favorite thing about home?

Cat bath

I want to start this post, by giving myself a pat on the back. I started my blog six weeks and 14 posts ago, and this is my first mention of my cats. For those of you who are avid readers, but do not know me personally, I have two cats, Tulip (or Touhy) and Randolph, who I am crazy about.

But being from my family, even a sane trend must come to an end. And so... today I would like to share last night's adventure.... the cat baths!

(At this point, I also feel the need to assure you that I am not a 350-pound, middle-aged, nearly-bald, pork-rind-loving, wears-one-pair-of-glasses-on-her-head-and-another-on-her-face, smells-like-a-cat person.)

About once every 6 months, my husband and I get this crazy idea that we need to give the cats a bath. By now, we have a system which involves a shut bathroom door, a large plastic cup, some horrible smelling shampoo, and a lot of prayer. There is only one guarantee. By the end of the night I will be soaked, my husband will be scratched, and no one will be happy.

We moved into a lovely townhouse in February that seemed to have everything. Everything except.... a bathroom door. This, of course, being one of the keys to a successful cat bath.

I will spare you the scratching and meowing and franticness of it all, and leave you with these two very pathetic cats. (Who are now soft and fluffy and clean.)

Share a story about the pets you love...

6.5 Monday Meals (on Tuesday) - Picnic Picks

I know that it is Tuesday, but I would feel bad skipping two weeks in a row. I was traveling yesterday, and I apologize for my late arrival.

Summer is officially here. (Unless you live in Chicago where it is 50 today.) In the spirit of cook-out love, I am going to share TWO picnic-perfect recipes with you this week to make up for last week's hiatus. Alas, I am only up for one pro-tip. (I know, some pro I am!)

6.5 Pro Tip
Broil it!

I think that broiling is highly underrated. Want to toast a perfect hamburger bun? Cook some brats to a crispy (yet juicy) perfection? Want to make a delicious, cheesy crust on your baked pasta? DONE! I am not sure why so many people don't use their broiler, but I highly recommend it.

Step 1: pick the right setting. Most broilers have two or three settings - high, medium and low. (Don't you wish Starbucks was that easy?!) Think of your broiler like a grill, the closer you are to the flame, the faster things will cook. Don't use the "high" setting for foods that burn easily - like that bun.

Step 2: watch out. Keep an eye on whatever you are cooking - you don't want your lasagna to be black.

Step 3: show some crack. Cracking the oven door does two things: 1) it keeps the flame going to maintain the oven temperature and 2) it makes it a lot easier for you to follow step number two.

6.5 Recipe(s)
German Potato Salad

8 red potatoes, quartered
5-6 sliced of bacon
1 tbs. dijon mustard
3 tbs. apple cider vinegar
3 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper

Clean and quarter potatoes
Add to cold water and bring to a boil
When fork tender, drain and set aside
Slice bacon into small pieces, cook in a large skillet
In a small bowl whisk mustard and vinegar
When bacon is crispy, add cooked potatoes and toss in bacon
Add vinegar mixture and green onions to pan
Toss and serve warm

Tunie's Slaw (my southern grandmother's famous slaw)

1 package cole slaw mix
2 tbs. sunflower seeds
4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbs. dijon mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice green onions - whites and greens
Combine in a large bowl with slaw mix and sunflower seeds
In a separate bowl mix together mustard, sugar, and vinegar
Slowly add olive oil to emulsify
Add salt and pepper to dressing to taste
Slowly add vinaigrette to slaw mixture - may not need all
Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.