March 1st, 2010 by Erin

Steve and I have had our fair share of problems with weeds in our yard since we moved into our home last April.  Our neighbors were not too pleased with our brand of yard maintenance, and weren’t shy about letting us know (in an anonymous letter).  And while we tried to convince ourselves that it really wasn’t that bad, we did find some pretty hideous weeds. 

Last year, we finished the task of clearing the major weeds from the yard, and swore we would never let it get like that again.  The idea was we would nip the weeds in the bud, so to speak, and with some frequent low level maintenance, they would never get out of control.  With the recent rains, that hasn’t been too easy.  Our busy schedules limit the time we can spend in the yard, and there haven’t been any weekends recently that weren’t too wet, cold, and yucky to go out and work in the yard.  As a result, the weeds have grown like, well, weeds.  So we find ourselves right back where we started.

Enter the Weed Dragon weed torch. 

The best way to describe it is a mini-flamethrower.  Powered by a standard gas grill-type propane tank, it subjects the weeds to super-high temperatures, bursting the cell walls and killing the weed.  The Weed Dragon consists of the aforementioned propane tank, a handy dolly to transport the tank, and the hose and torch itself.  We also chose to purchase an optional trigger valve. 

The standard weed torch emits a constant flame which can only be controlled by adjusting the flow of propane into the torch.  With the trigger valve, you do still always have a small pilot flame in the torch, but it won’t be shooting out the big flames until you pull the trigger.  We thought this would give us more control and make using the torch safer overall. 

There is one additional essential piece of equipment:

In addition to having the fire extinguisher nearby, we decided that weed torching would always be a two person job, one manning the torch and one with a garden hose to wet down any dry looking areas before torching them and to spritz out anything that did catch fire or smolder after being torched.

Since Sunday was nice and sunny, we were finally able to take the Weed Dragon for a spin.  First, Steve tested it to make sure there were no propane leaks by pouring soapy water over all the connections and watching for bubbles for a few minutes.  When he was satisfied there were no bubbles, he rinsed it off and we lit it up. 

It didn’t take long for us to recognize that just a few seconds of heat from the torch was enough to kill most weeds.  When they wilted and turned bright green, like vegetables do when you cook them, we knew they were toast.  Our test area was a rock-covered area in the back yard.  This is what it looked like when we were done, and then a few hours later after the dead weeds became crispy. 

Notice all the still healthy weeds in the background along the fence.  We didn’t have a chance to get to those, but we did cover a lot of area in the front yard. 

The process was certainly a lot more fun than pulling each weed out by hand.  So far, it also appears preferable to Round Up.  You get more instant gratification because the weed wilts right before your eyes instead of a few days later.  It’s also nice to know we aren’t spritzing all kinds of chemicals into the soil.  Hopefully we will continue to be pleased with it as we get to use it on more areas of the yard. 

General Sherman would be proud.

© 2010 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

February 17th, 2010 by Erin

I had so many plans for this blog, but things have really slowed down, mostly because I went back to school.  I’m getting a certificate in interior design, which takes about two years of full-time study.  This semester, I’m taking:

1)  Elements and Principles of Design;
2)  Graphic Techniques;
3)  Interior Architectural Drafting;
4)  Construction and Building Systems; and
5)  Color Theory and Application.

I’m told this is a pretty ambitious course load.  Three of the classes are studio courses, which require a lot of time doing hands-on things (drafting, drawing, painting and the like).  Plus I’m still pretending to be a lawyer three days a week.  Doesn’t leave much time for blogging.  Or sleeping, for that matter.  But I’m really enjoying it so far, even if I don’t have a lot of down time. 

© 2010 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

January 18th, 2010 by Erin

I’m ashamed to admit, I no longer remember how the whole ring shopping thing came up, but some how, in about November 2007, we ended up at Shane Co.looking at rings.  Digression: although we have received no compensation from Shane Co., I have to say we had a pretty great experience buying from them.  Larry from Manila worked with us and we had a fun time.  At least I did.   I’m pretty sure Steve did too; he seemed to like examining the stones with a loupe.

Back to the point, we had purchased a setting and a diamond, and I knew that Steve had picked up the ring when it was finished and had it in his possession.  But he wouldn’t let me look at it!  It drove me crazy knowing that it was somewhere in his apartment.  I think because we had gone ring shopping together and I knew it was coming he wanted to keep as much of the proposal a surprise as he could.  And I did end up being surprised. 

Fast forward to December 19, 2007.  Steve had a gift certificate to a restaurant in SF, Town Hall, and he decided we needed to use it.  I was certain he was going to propose over dinner.  Of course, he didn’t.  I was pretty disappointed.  What could he possibly be waiting for? 

Image courtesy of ovahere.com.

We drove back to Steve’s apartment.  When he opened the door, there were candles flickering on the coffee table.  They turned out to be real wax faux candles.  He had worked hard to find something realistic looking that he could turn on before leaving for work that would be safe all day until I opened the door that evening.  We still use the faux candles regularly; they sit atop our fireplace mantle. 

When I turned on the lights, I saw a trail of pink rose petals leading into the kitchen and right up to the refrigerator, which had a single, pink long-stemmed rose slipped through the handle.  When I opened the door, I saw that pretty much all the food had been cleared out and the center shelf had been removed.  Instead, there was a silver tray trimmed with green Christmas garland and dusted with snow. On the tray sat a bottle of Dom Perignon, flanked by two crystal champagne flutes and two more pink roses. In the center was a box holding the sparkling engagement ring that we had picked out together.  The next thing I knew, Steve was down on one knee, and I guess the rest is history. 

The (empty) bottle of Dom is still around, sitting on our kitchen counter right next to our wine rack. 

We used the champagne flutes from the proposal as the toasting flutes at the wedding. 

© 2010 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

January 17th, 2010 by Erin

It’s official: as of today, Steve and I have been married a whole year.  And to celebrate the fact that we’ve survived relatively unscathed, we’ll be spending the next few days looking back on the big day and beyond.

It makes sense to start with the story of how we met.  It was nearly 8:00 on a Thursday night in March 2005. I was flushed and sweating from my after-work spinning class, and I was rushing down to the Embarcadero muni station, hoping to catch the N-Judah to the Caltrain depot in time for the 8:07 train.  But there was no muni in sight. So I waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  Typical.  I looked around and saw a number of others waiting impatiently. Including that cute guy I saw on the train all the time, and me all yucky and sweaty from working out.  How awful. 

Of course, it was Steve, and I didn’t know it at the time, but he was working late because it was the middle of tax season and, being an accountant, that’s his busy time.  He was also hoping to get the 8:07 train. 

After some waiting, the muni came. I got on, relieved that I would likely make my train and not have to wait an hour for the next one.  Steve got on too.  My relief was short-lived, though, because the muni driver announced that it was going out of service at the next stop and we would have to wait for the next one. 

I was frantic.  If I missed the train it was an hour until the next one and I’d be getting home past my bedtime.  So I disregarding my disheveled appearance and approached Steve. I asked if he was trying to catch the 8:07 train — which I was sure he was since I saw him on the train regularly — and asked if he wanted to share a cab to the station.  No sooner had he said yes than the next muni came, so there was no shared cab ride. But, we did make the 8:07 train (barely), and sat next to each other on the train pretty much every day after that. And that’s about all there is to it.

© 2010 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

January 15th, 2010 by Erin

My latest attempt at dinner was a little Mexican rice casserole.  The great thing about this recipe is that much of it can be made from non-perishable pantry staples, with the addition of just a few fresh items. 

I started with a chopped onion and a pile of minced garlic.  Saute the veggies in a big pan with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  It looks like not a lot of stuff for the pan, but trust me, you want to go big because you will be adding to it. 

Next, add a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and a small can of diced jalapeño peppers.  Let that simmer together for a few minutes until it thickens up a bit and the flavors have had a chance to marry a little bit. 

Now, for the stuff that requires more space in the pan.  Add about two cups of cooked rice, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, and a can of drained corn.  Stir well to combine. 

Finally, remove the pan from the heat.  It’s time for the most important ingredient: cheese.  12 ounces of cubed Monterey Jack, to be exact.  Once you’ve stirred the cheese in, put the mixture in a casserole dish and pop it in the oven.  I think I used 375 or 400 degrees.  When the cheese is all melty and bubbly, it’s done.  You might want to reserve a little extra grated cheese to sprinkle over the top of few minutes before the casserole is done, so you get a little extra browned cheesy goodness on the top. 

Steve and I both enjoyed this recipe, so I think it’s a keeper.  I’d like to add something to it to make it a little bit creamier, though.  Perhaps stir in some sour cream with the cheese, right before it goes in the oven? 

Stay tuned for my first crack at some soup from a recipe book I got for Christmas. 

© 2010 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

January 14th, 2010 by Erin

I’ve been delinquent with respect to the blog lately.  It’s not that I haven’t been thinking about it; I’ve been taking pictures with the intention of posting them on the blog, but when it comes to uploading and sizing, I’m not too motivated.   

Today, I finally got around to taking down our last piece of Christmas decor: our front door wreath.  Most of it has been down for a while now, but I guess since we tend to go in and out via the garage, there wasn’t a visible reminder that we needed to do something about it. 

To console myself over the fact that we won’t be enjoying Christmas lights for a while now, I’m going to recap how we made our house a little festive last year. 

First, the dining room. We spread a silver and gold accented table cloth on the table, with some burgundy and gold napkins in the center. On top of that we filled a decorative glass bowl with cinnamon-scented pine cones and some metallic ornaments. We finished off the table with a grouping of candles on either side of the center piece.

On the buffet, we displayed a nativity set given to us by Steve’s parents.

I used an inverted stemmed hurricane to elevate the heavenly host up above the holy family and its visitors.

Also, you’ll notice a couple of copies of O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” next to the visiting wise men.

I was given a copy by a friend when I was in college. I actually hadn’t heard the story before, but I had listened to a record of “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street” over and over and over again when I was a kid. Bert and Ernie’s gift situation was suspiciously like the one in the O. Henry story. Every Christmas since then I’ve searched for copies, since I thought it was a great gift. I was never able to find it, though. Until 2008. A bookstore near my work was closing up shop at the end of the year, and would you know it, they had several different versions on super duper clearance! I snatched one up and gave it to Steve that year. In hindsight, I should have purchase several more copies.

We also scattered some metallic Christmas trees, some of which I had collected and some of which I borrowed from my mother, around the manger scene, with more groupings of candles, of course.

Things were a little bit more casual and bright in our family room. We decked out the fireplace mantle with Christmas stuff.

The stockings were inexpensive, plain felt stockings which I dressed up just a bit with an iron-on initial for each of us.

I also swagged a piece of festive ribbon between the two stocking holders to add a few glass ornaments to the display. We scattered some Christmas items we’d collected over the years in with our usual mantle decor. My favorite is the pair of kissing dogs, which was a gift we received when we got engaged, just before the previous Christmas.

In case you were looking for pictures of our Christmas tree, you can stop. We didn’t have one. We found an artificial tree at Costco that we liked, but waited to long to buy it and they ran out. We then decided we could do without for this year and wait for after-Christmas sales to purchase a tree. That idea was a bust because as far as I could tell, most retailers were clearing out their Christmas stuff about 2 weeks before Christmas to make way for Valentine’s Day merchandise. So next year we will be looking for a tree early.

Now that I think about it, this post is probably a lot more timely than I thought at first, since it’s probably about time for retailers to start putting out Christmas stuff for next year.  I mean, it’s almost February, so they better get on it or Christmas will pass them right by. 

© 2010 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

December 14th, 2009 by Erin

Steve and I took a trip to the grocery store yesterday evening.  It was pretty uneventful, until we got home and I tried to lift one of the bags out of the trunk of my car and it nearly ripped my arm off due to its excessive weight.  It contained one large jar of pickles, three jars of pasta sauce, and one bottle of olive oil.  The contents weighed in at 11 and a half pounds, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it sure felt like a lot.  Not to mention the fact that the glass jars could very well have banged together and shattered, leaving my car a mess. 

I do take some care myself when I put my groceries up on the conveyor belt at the checkout.  I try to group like items together, so frozen or refrigerated items will stay colder since they are all grouped together.  I also try to put the heavy stuff on first, since it should go at the bottom of the bags, and the delicate stuff, like bread, eggs, and chips, last so that it goes on the top of the bags.  Seems like they often don’t end up this way in the bags, though.  I often end up starting to bag my own groceries when there are no baggers around, and I’ll admit it’s not as easy as it looks, but it’s not that hard either, and I’m pretty sure if I did it every day I could get the hang of it and make smart decisions about how I group items. 

So, should I be able to expect my bagger to combine items wisely, or should I just be happy he double-bagged all those heavy jars?

November 18th, 2009 by Erin

My latest project is painting the dining room.  I’m probably about 2/3 done at this point.  Here is what it looked like before.

And I’ve also added a little fall flair.

Assuming I don’t get side tracked, the afters should be coming in the next couple of days.  And I have learned my lesson about putting the old curtains back up, so don’t expect to see those again.

© 2009 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

November 13th, 2009 by Erin

DISCLAIMER: I am not pregnant.

I browse craigslist from time to time to see if there may be some diamond in the rough piece of furniture we might want or need for our house.  Last week, I found a great buffet/sideboard in a dark wood that matches our dining room table and chairs for a song.  The woman selling it was also trying to unload a changing table.  Solid wood, only $40!  Needed a bit of wood glue to repair the drawer front, but I decided to take it.

Did I mention I am not pregnant?

We do have a five-month-old niece, though.  And I hope she comes to visit more often.  And now that we have a changing table just for her, there really is no excuse for her not to be visiting. 

In addition to needing the small drawer repair, I also wanted to put a new cover on the pad, because who knows what the prior owner did on that thing.  Most likely things involving human waste.  We don’t want those things touching Allison.  So I went to the fabric store to pick out some super-cute kiddie fabric.  Here’s how it turned out. 

I loved this bright cotton fabric with little bugs all over it.  I choose a coordinating green flannel for the other side so the baby’s butt could rest against something a little cozier in cold weather.  I sewed some hot pink bias tape into the seam as a sort of faux piping, and closed the cover with hot pink buttons. 

I think it turned out so cute, I now have the urge to design an entire kids room around it. 

And by the way, I am not pregnant.

© 2009 The Beehive All Rights Reserved

November 12th, 2009 by Erin

One positive result of unemployment is that I have been cooking a lot more than I used to.  The other night, I made Tuscan Chicken Stew for dinner.  It went something like this:

I bought a package of chicken thighs, a little over two pounds.  The original recipe called for skinless bone-in thighs, which my grocery store did not have, so I was stuck skinning them myself.  Not my favorite kitchen task.  I really don’t like touching raw meat, so I used latex gloves a la Alton Brown, which made it much less gross.  I coated the bottom of our cast iron dutch oven with a little olive oil, seasoned the meat, and browned it on both sides. 

While the chicken was browning, I chopped an onion and minced a few cloves of garlic.  I added the chopped veggies to the dutch oven after removing the browned chicken to a platter.  Let those cook a few minutes until the onion is translucent.  Then, add a tablespoon of tomato paste.  Stir the paste in and let the mixture continue cooking until it is well mixed and becomes a brick red color.  Next, add about half a can of chicken stock to the pot to deglaze.  You can substitute wine here if you like, but we aren’t big wine drinkers and generally don’t have any sitting around and ready to use in recipes, so the stock works just fine.  Let it boil down until it is a bit syrupy.  Then add the rest of the can of stock, a can of rinsed and drained white beans, and a can of diced tomatoes.  Nestle the chicken pieces into the stew and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Then, add about eight ounces of baby spinach and simmer another minute or two until the spinach is wilted.  Serve and enjoy. 

When I made this, I really was not in the mood for it.  I really did not want anything tomato-y, but I had purchased the ingredients and needed to cook it before anything went bad.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The meal was hearty and extremely tastey.  It’s chock full of veggies and lean protein, too.  My only qualm with the dish is the bone-in meat.  It takes a bit or work to eat when it’s in a stew.  I’d say just use boneless thighs, but that would change the cooking times and the bones might add flavor to the stew that would be missed if they weren’t there. 

© 2009 The Beehive All Rights Reserved