Monday, November 17, 2008

Style and Substance

Style
I doubt it's a surprise to you, dear reader, that I enjoy the work of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. This piece was on Radio Kansas last week: Cello Concerto in B-Flat WQ 171. Besides being a cello concerto, it also has some nice harpsichord passages. I've wanted a harpsichord for a long time (as well as an organ, but Paul bought me one of those), but they are very very expensive and don't show up very often at estate sales like organs do. I really like this one from Robertson Harpsichords:

It should also be no surprise that I have a certain fondness for china and a tendency toward Anglophilia. Prince Charles just turned 60, so naturally I want this commemorative plate from Caverswall China. There is a video on their website which you will like if you (a) loved the Mr. Rogers factory visits and (b) are a total snob. Needless to say, I was riveted.


Substance
Sustenance, rather, I should say. Below is a photo of yummy Pork Chops with Horseradish Apples from the November issue of Gourmet. The recipe is available here. I served them with roasted sweet potatoes (60-70 minutes in 350-degree oven). I love sweet potatoes, but I am not a fan of marshmallows unless they are in Rice Krispie Treats, so I'll be picking the marshmallows off at Thanksgiving.

I've also made bread for the first time ever and I have to say I'm rather proud of myself. It turned out really well! I even enjoyed the kneading though I'm too short for my kitchen counter and had to stand en demi-pointe. Next time, I'll just channel June Cleaver and wear high heels. I have to admit, though, that many of my endeavors end in mess and chaos so I should probably revise it to say I will be channeling Lucy Ricardo. The bread recipe is online here.
Occasionally, I eat healthfully at lunch and it gives me a chance to show off my baking and yogurt-making skills.

Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Blog Smorgasbord

I had ballet class this morning (which means I actually wanted to get out of bed this morning because I didn't have to go to the worst class I've ever taken in my entire life, which I skipped all this week) and we're working on our recital piece. I haven't been in a dance recital in over a decade, but I am so ridiculously excited about it because I am a line-leader, which is great because I am such a show-off. Right now, I am avoiding working on an English paper about the changes in public morality as evidenced in George Etheredge's Man of Mode and Sheridan's School for Scandal. First, it was "I'll eat lunch and then I'll work on it," then "I'll take a shower first," then "I'll make some tea first," and now I'm to updating my blog first. Someone will have to restrain me before I start cleaning. Unfortunately for him, the task of making me do my homework has fallen to Paul recently. I am really really really looking forward to next semester when I'll only be taking two classes: Ballet 2 and Jazz 1 and cooking, cleaning, reading, knitting, luncheoning, volunteering and not feeling guilty about doing what makes me happy.

To accompany on my journey to housewifery, I will employ Barbara Cartland novels. I've never read one, but these were only $1 each in a nasty little used bookstore on South Oliver. I say that lovingly.
Another thing housewives do (or maybe not, considering we live in a world of processed, industrial foods made of God-knows-what) is make yogurt. No I have not joined a hippie commune and it is not pointless. Do you have any idea what is in commercial yogurt? Plus, I really like the cute glass jars and the lid even has a dial to set the expiration date.

Moving from bacterial culture to human culture...

I was pleased to find Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938) in its entirety on YouTube. It's another train movie and is pretty fun. I love the clothes!

Below are some selections of music I've heard recently on Radio Kansas. You're probably discovering from this and other posts that I like concertos and trumpets.

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A


Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor (3rd movement: Rondo)


Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in c Op 68


Tartini: Trumpet Concerto in D


I leave you with a photo Paul took when we were in OKC a couple weekends ago:

Rather poetic for graffiti, isn't it?