Merry X-mas, from the Doofuses

My friend Jane took some photos of us and the dog for our Christmas card, and also just to have around. Michael nixed this one, but it's one of my faves, so I figured I'd post it.

Say it with me now: "AWWWW"



I hate that painting, incidentally.

Best. Apple Pie. EVER.

First, a caveat: this isn't really pie. It's more like a cakey danish in a pie plate. But oh my dear is it good. At a Thanksgiving potluck last night, it was declared an "addiction". Apt praise in this crowd, although a bit disturbing. I'm regretting not taking photos, because while it didn't look all that impressive, it did look... comforting. Basically, this is a good dessert to make when you don't feel like dealing with pie crust, you don't want to use store bought, and you want something relatively simple and homey that goes well with vanilla ice cream.

Norwegian Apple Cake Pie

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup + 4 tsp sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups peeled grated apple (about one and one half apples, I like golden delicious)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut together butter, flour, baking powder and salt as you would for pie crust. Add 3/4 cup sugar and mix well. Beat egg, add vanilla, and stir into flour mixture—the result may be crumbly. Spread half of dough in bottom of greased pie plate.

Drain and lightly press some liquid out of apple (don’t squeeze all liquid out) and add 4 tsp sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mix well. Spread apple and spices evenly over dough in pie plate. Cover with remaining dough. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until sides and top are golden brown. Spread thin powdered sugar icing over cake while warm (not hot).

Props to my coworker who made this for a pie content at work and her grandma, who gave her the recipe.

My Favorite Work Accessory

Like most women, I'm almost always cold. Especially at work, where I'm chained to a desk with few excuses to get up and move about. Hence, the technically verboten space heater. And these:



Love Hate Fingerless Gloves from Urban Outfitters, $12

Positively filmic, yes?

Excavating Etsy

My current favorite item on Etsy:

A Useful Government Publication. No, Really.

During my recent review of all things usability, I came across Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines from the HHS department. I ordered the book itself, but you can actually download and print the entire book in PDF format, if you like.

It's basically a compendium of most of what Jared Spool, Jakob Nielsen, et al have written about already, but it ranks individual issues on a scale of 1-5 based on strength of evidence (i.e., research-based or expert opinion) and relative importance—helpful metrics when you have limited time and/or resources and need to prioritize site enhancements. These are well-organized guidelines, generously illustrated and thoroughly cited, that allow you to back up your assertions of what makes a good user interface.

The downside? I didn't get to order it from Pueblo, Colorado.

Early Christmas Shopping

Yes, I'm getting started early. No, I don't want to hear any guff about it. Here are a few things I'd like to buy for someone, but can't figure out who I'd give them to:

Atypyk 'Be Tough' T-Shirt from Charles & Marie, $40.

Gun Flower Vase, Uncommon Goods, $50.

Gun and Dagger Necklace, Erica Weiner, $35.

You can see my dilemma.

i can has midsentchury modurn?

Dunno if they're authentic or not, but I got some Saarinen chairs from eBay. Fortunately, the cat likes them.

Farewell, Bungalow

Yes, I sold it ages I go. Yes, I'm only now getting around to putting the photos up. No, I don't want to hear your guff.

Curb appeal:



Living room:





Dining room:



Upstairs bathroom:



Backyard:



Kitchen:





Downstairs bathroom:





Master bedroom:



I still miss the skylight and seven foot high shower spray in the old upstairs bathroom. Maybe I'll keep writing entries, even though I don't live in a bungalow anymore. Hell, maybe I'll just write about the puppy!