All posts by hannahviolin

I am a violinist. I also enjoy running, working out, reading, and hanging with my friends and cat.
Product Reviews

Some cool product designs from zazzle.com

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As the holidays approach, two things are happening on this blog.  First, I’m becoming more sappy and sentimental.  You know how that is—holidays make you think of family and being a child and all the things you’re left behind as you make your move into adulthood.  Secondly, I’m becoming more commercial 😉  I’m in my pajamas, eating stuffing and corn pudding, and debating a run.  And going through my email inbox trying to respond to various people and their bids for my time, money, or attention.  (I’ve got another one of these kind of posts coming up tomorrow.  I’ll try to counter it by talking about pie in between, and maybe telling you how awesome the run I have yet to take was.)

Zazzle contacted me to see if I would let you guys know about some of their products.  I’ve ordered mugs and tote bags from them before, so I definitely don’t mind sharing some ideas with you guys.  Here are some cool products I picked out, and I invite you to visit the site and mess around a bit.  You might find some great gift ideas, and naturally they have some good Black Friday sales going on.

 
 

I should mention that Zazzle provided me with a gift certificate in exchange for my time.  Blogging isn’t free you know 🙂  Maybe I’ll buy my favorite reader a gift with the gift certificate!  Who wants what? And what makes you think you’re my favorite reader?

Giveaways

One good friend deserves another (Giveaway closed!)

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I am a sucker for a good “chick-lit” book.  I’m partial to those with plots that take place in London, but New York is acceptable, and I will consider other cities.  Some of my absolute favorite authors include Elizabeth Young, Marian Keyes, and Anna Maxted.

I was recently given the opportunity to read and review a book by Lisa Verge Higgins called “One good friend deserves another.”

(From the back):

“Dhara, Kelly, Marta, and Wendy have been the closest of friends since college.  So close, that after a series of romantic disasters, they bond together to create Rules of Relationships to keep their hearts safe.

Years later, the rules seem to have worked…until Marta discovers that her hot boyfriend is married, Kelly begins a risky love affair, Wendy inches closer to a pre-marital infidelity, and most shocking of all, Indian-American Dhara suddenly agrees to an arranged marriage.

Hearts are about to be broken and the bonds of friendship are tested.  Is it possible to find true love, when you’re breaking all the rules?”

 

I thought the book was a good read.  It’s not overly dramatic or emotional but it’s fun and the characters are generally likeable and relatable.  I especially appreciated that the author kept us up on all the characters by using the third person rather than the oh-so-popular-and-gimmicky FIRST PERSON with different chapters for each person.  (Just finished the most recent Emily Giffin and was totally annoyed by that—am I alone in this?)  I don’t want to spoil the plot or anything, but I enjoyed the book and will likely re-read it.  The characters were fairly well-fleshed and the ending wrapped up nicely and believably.

The author has another book coming out in March called “Friendship makes the heart grow fonder.”  In fact she has written 15 novels according to her facebook page, so I will have to read some more of them!

Okay, giveaway time (perfect for Black Friday, right?):  One lucky reader will win a free copy of the book “One good friend deserves another.”  Open to US/Canada residents only.  Contest runs through Tuesday night 11/27 at 10 pm CST.  Winner will be notified via email.

Three ways to enter (leave a separate comment for each, up to three chances): (Edited:  Contest is closed.  Winner announced soon!)

(You must leave a comment here on the blog!)

1. (Mandatory) Leave a comment and tell me what genre or author you love to read.  (Bonus points for sending me a copy of your favorite book for Christmas…just kidding…)

2.  “Like” Lisa Verge Higgins (the author) on facebook and leave a comment telling me you did.

3.  “Like” Hannahviolin on facebook and leave a comment telling me you did.

I was provided a review copy of the book free of charge, but all opinions are my own. 

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night!

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How pretty is our table?

tablesetting I

I just spent the last three straight days preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.  Shopping and cleaning for one day, then practically two straight days cooking.  We had a garbage disposal mishap last night which thankfully Chris was able to fix, and today’s biggest mishap was when I cut my thumb wrangling with my food processor.  I meant to take tons of pictures today, and I absolutely FORGOT.  I was so stressed and so busy that I just didn’t.  Blogger fail.  But it was a wonderful day.  The food was amazing and plentiful.  The company was wonderful.  Chris and I worked together to do something challenging and really pulled it off.  I love that feeling.

Tomorrow I’m sleeping in, finishing cleaning up, running about 400 miles, and probably eating corn casserole, turkey, and pie.  I can’t wait.

creampie

Don’t judge my pie crust. 

Food

Sour Cream Apple Pie

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Since one person asked, I thought I’d share my grandmother’s recipe for Sour Cream Apple Pie.  I’m making one of these tomorrow and can’t wait (I like to lick the bowl after I make the sour cream mixture.  This is why I’m fat.) I don’t think I’ve ever had one made BY my grandmother but it is from the recipe box and it’s just delicious.  You should probably add it to your menu.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

6 Tbsp flour, divided

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups chopped peeled cooking apples

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp cold butter or margarine

1 pie crust—8 to 10 inches

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the sour cream.  Stir in the sugar, 2 Tbsp of the flour, vanilla, and salt—mix well.  Stir in the apples.  Pour into a pie crust.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the topping: combine brown sugar and the remaining 4 Tbsp of flour; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top of the pie.  Return to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set. 

Cool completely on a wire rack.  Serve right away,  or cover and refrigerate.

Not pretty, but delicious!

Random thoughts

Theorbo, brisket, and a banana peel

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Happy Monday, dear readers.  I trust you all had wonderful weekends to relax and prepare for the upcoming week.  I don’t know about you all but I feel like I’m on vacation already, even though I do have a couple more days of teaching and a concert to play tonight.

Saturday I went to Dressel’s with Melissa and then to a concert at the Tavern of Fine Arts.  It was an early music concert, which isn’t really my thing, but man, the instruments sure are gorgeous.  The group, called Such Sweete Melodie, was very good though, so the concert was enjoyable.image_2

You can see the man playing the theorbo in the background—it’s the really long guitar like instrument.  I think it’s a funny word.

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And this is called a virginal.  It’s similar to a harpsichord.  AMAZING looking.  (I know you’re all snickering.  I’m pretending I’m mature, okay?)

Sunday we went to our friend Vanessa’s house for a brisket dinner.  Russell, her fiancé, spent days making the brisket.  It was well worth it, I’d say.

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We realized there was quite the collection of symphony “one-year” musicians so I tried to get a picture.  This is actually the best one of a series of about six that I took. 

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Brisket, chili mac and cheese (homemade chili over what the Canadians call “Kraft dinner”) and coleslaw.  YUM.  Russell is a genius.

This morning I had a workout with Mike at the gym.  Front squats, back squats, straight leg dead lifts, leg press, and back extensions.  When I returned to my car I saw this.

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Somebody was trying to kill me!  Did you ever play Mario Kart?  I couldn’t stop laughing at this. (In Mario Kart, you can toss a banana peel at another player and they will skid off the road.  In reality, banana peels do not make cars do this, no matter how tempting it would be when somebody is tailgating.)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Menu

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If you follow me on twitter, it’s no surprise that I’ve been struggling to finalize my Thanksgiving menu.  I just posted that it’s like Sophie’s Choice (confession, I’ve never read that book, but I understand the premise)—I keep seeing delicious looking dishes I want to make, but I don’t have the space on my menu!

(I like this idea but Chris is in charge of the turkey and isn’t quite the bacon fiend that the rest of us are. I like most of all that a friend thought of me and posted that on facebook for me.)

I thought I’d share my menu with you so you can start drooling and agonizing as well. 

THANKSGIVING MENU 2012:  {insert awesome nickname here}

Drinks:  Beer, wine, sparkling wine, coffee, Perrier

Appetizers:

Veggie Platter

Something else, light and easy…?

Friend bringing: some kind of chip/crackers and dip

Main Course:

Turkey and Gravy

Sweet Potato Casserole

Picture of Soul Sweet 'Taters Recipe

Dressing (Family recipe)

Corn Pudding with Cheddar and Chives

Cranberry Sauce

Something else green?

Friends bringing:

Martha’s Mac and Cheese

Brussels Sprouts Salad (my friend recreated the one at Trattoria Marcella.  That’s why we are friends, actually…hers is BETTER somehow…maybe because it’s free?)

Cornbread Stuffing

Green Bean Casserole

Scalloped Potatoes

Pies: Pumpkin, Sour Cream Apple, Old Fashioned Cream.  And I’m going to make my own pie crust this year if it kills me.  I have a marble rolling pin that should help (a wedding gift from one of my favorite students.)

Dessert: Friend bringing something else

Okay, honestly this looks ridiculous when I’m looking at it.  (I think we are going to have to make a nice food bank donation to feel less guilty.)  But I still want to add something else, or make some bread or something?  I know, I know.  So…recommendations? It’s not like we NEED anything else, it’s more that I want to spend two days cooking and banking and that’s how I want to spend my Thanksgiving.