krismulkey.com

It's time to light up the barbeque. It's a three day weekend. And for some of you it's a four day weekend. {happy dance} Not for me. But I'm dancing anyway. Here's an easy idea for dinner.  Jazz up your barbeque with these yummy kabobs. I got the idea to ribbon wrap the zucchini from a Jamie Oliver recipe. All you have to do is slice the zucchini with a potato peeler. So easy and looks cool. I wanted to try his recipe, but I didn't have any of the ingredients needed for the sauce and seasoning. I had the chicken and zucchini, and that was about it. So I made up my own. Well technically, this was a Don/Kris combo recipe. I skewered the chicken and squash alternating each one, then seasoned everything with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon and some Penzey's spices. Then Don walked in the kitchen. He took one look at the kabobs and went right to the fridge. He grabbed bbq sauce and before I knew it had them slathered in it. Okay. Does this happ...

It was 1978. I was in 8th grade. All of my classes were standard except for one. I signed up for a music class called "The History of Rock and Roll." It sounded more fun than the other electives. Plus there was a field trip to New York City to see a new show called Beatlemania. I had never been to "the city."  It sounded awesome. I remember sitting on the bus next to my friend Donna Sclafani. I stared out the window the whole time. Her family was from Yonkers, so this was nothing new to her, or anyone else on the bus. But it was all new to me. The road was windy, and surrounded by trees. We drove along the Hudson river passing tall gray office buildings, and really large brick apartment complexes with laundry hanging out the window. People were lounging everywhere on the sidewalk and sitting on apartment steps. Their brown faces stared at our yellow bus full of middle school kids. I remember being in a packed theater, but I don't remember anything abo...

Honey Almond Cake Last Wednesday was our 20th wedding anniversary. Twenty years of married life. 7,300 days together 175,400 hours of wedded bliss So in honor of all that time together I made a cake. Because all milestones should be celebrated with cake, don't you think? We were in the middle of a little heat wave last week so I chose to make a cake using a Williams Sonoma mix. The less time in our non-air conditioned kitchen the better. Plus I really like the Williams Sonoma cake mixes anyway. They are perfect if you want a home-made cake but are afraid of making one completely from scratch. Or just don't have the ingredients, or the time, or the desire to do that. The flavor and texture of the cake is amazing. It doesn't have that fake sugary-taste most box mixes have. It's gooooooood. And no one will know it's not from scratch. The urge to tell your secret is big. But stay strong and keep your mouth shut. Your friends will be impressed with your...

Last weekend was the first time I camped after forever whining about not wanting to go. "Do you want to go camping?" Don asked when we were dating, knowing the answer might not be what he wanted. "No. I don't camp. I like hotels. In fact I consider staying in a motel without a pool roughing it." I answered laughing, but serious. And that was the end of that. Over the years the joke has been "Kris doesn't camp." I would laugh and nod in agreement then relay old camping stories from when I was in the girl scouts, youth group, and the sleep-away camp I attended in fourth grade. It was the trip that sealed the deal for me. There were swamps, spiders, mean boys and cabins that were musty, dusty and just plain yucky. It was nothing like the camp in "The Parent Trap." I never wanted to camp again after that week. So I didn't. And we didn't as a couple. It got to be a little embarrassing after a while. I felt like eve...

The last time I checked it was ok to eat a turkey burger. Has anything changed? I honestly can't keep up with what's good and what's bad in the world of food. It seems like something new is added to the "bad" list every day. They flood us with foods that cause cancer, make us fat, clog our guts, corrode our arteries, and give us hives. It's all too much for me to keep up with. So I've stopped listening. Certain people on Facebook are so full of gloom and doom, I can't even look at their posts anymore. I don't want to know if my wine is going to cause my hair to curl. I don't care. I'll live with curly hair. So here's a fantastic, and really easy, turkey burger recipe that the whole family will love. And the kick? Diced jalapenos. Oh, yeah. Now we're talking. Okay, okay, you might not want to put the diced jalapenos on the kids' burgers, or grandma's. But then again, maybe you do. You'll never grill a *naked*...

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective , which endorses Blog With Integrity , as I do. Sharing. That's the best thing about email. Sharing pictures of first born children and new puppies, new houses, vacations, good news, bad news, new jobs, lost jobs, lost jackets, wine tips, shoe sales, party invites, thank you notes, dinner invitations, and recipes. Like this one for chicken salad. I know my mom and sister will love this recipe. So I can just drop it in an email and {poof} it's all theirs. Instantly. No time zones to worry about. No postage necessary. Just a few clicks, a little typing and it's done. Summer Chicken Salad Summer Chicken Salad  adapted from Whole Foods recipe  Dressing 1 cup low-fat mayo 4 t. cider vinegar (4 capfuls) 5 t. honey (5 slow swirls around the bowl) 2 t. poppy seeds freshly ground pepper and salt. ...

We bonded on the playground outside of the pre-K classroom. We were both new to the area with kids in the same class. She was from Jordan, but was raised on an island called Cyprus, near Turkey. Her father was a successful businessman. They led a privileged life with servants and private schools. She dated princes, and had three beautiful sisters whom she was still really close to. She went to grad school in Colorado, fell in love, and got married to a guy from Alaska. He was a few years younger than her, really smart, and gorgeous. They were a very exotic, and sexy, couple. I found her stories fascinating. Don thought she was a spoiled, self-centered diva, and wondered why we were friends. I was just an ordinary gal from the Midwest, a little on the prissy side. Nothing like her. I was raised by a hard working dad and stay-at-home mom. We didn't have a servant. In fact we often whined that we were the servants. Our different backgrounds didn't stop us from becomi...

The day started like any other day. Except Elli wasn't in school anymore. She would be going with us to the store in Napa where she would play, do crafts with scraps of fabric, foam and empty boxes, and just hang out. Don had to make some deliveries in San Francisco so he rented a Budget cargo van. We have a big truck but it's hard to maneuver in the city so Don thought this would be a better idea. Elli thought the van was pretty cool so she asked if she could tag along with him for the day. I was a little worried because she would have to sit in the front seat, and even though she's nine, she's kind of small. But I gave in because she was so excited to go with him. They returned to the store around 1:30. Their day had gone without a hitch. Our customer in Larkspur loved their dining chairs, the drapes were installed successfully in San Francisco (they even saw a SF Giants player in the lobby of the building) and the couch frame they picked up was perfect. Elli ...

Our backpacks were heavy, packed with food, linens, and clothes. Everyone had to carry something, even the kids. This always led to some whining, and sometimes tears. We would get them singing or chanting as we walked up to The West Point Inn to keep their minds off the fact their packs were heavy . "Left. Left. Left, right, left. I left-my-wife-and-42-kids-on-the-verge-of-starvation-with-nothing-but-gingerbread-left. Left. Left, right, left." we repeated together. "Mom, why would the dude leave his wife without any food?" Elli asked. "Elli it's just a chant to march to. It's not true." I replied, and kept chanting. "Left. Left. Left right left....." "Do you think it's responsible to have 42 kids? I think it's really irresponsible." Elli stated with some authority. "Well, yes, it does seem like a lot of kids. But it's just a chant. It's not real, don't worry about it." I said, feeling ...

Big Dog. Little Dog. Hot Dog. Cube Dog. What? I promise I haven't lost it. It's the first thing that popped in my head when I sat down to write this review of the new app for the iphone and ipad called Cube Dog . I don't know about you, but I have at least 3 folders full of games on my iphone. And none of them are for me. They are Elli's games. They give her a little something to do when we're riding in the car. Or if we land somewhere with a little time to kill and she doesn't have a friend. It would be pure torture to have to converse with me or her dad..... So when I told her we were going to get to review a new game app she did a little happy dance. We created my little pup together and named her Peanut. The dogs have square heads, and lots of design options. Mine has big googly eyes. Our favorite part is the camera feature. They act just like real dogs, or kids, or a weird combination of the two. They fall asleep if you ignore them, get...

The lake water was cold and dark. The bottom was slimy. I could see shiny green algae all over the side of the raft in the water. The smell of gasoline was floating through the air. This was my fifth or sixth summer to try to get up on skis. I'd been trying every summer for as long as I could remember. This year would be different. I was another year older. I was stronger. I was going to do it this year. The life jacket was tight and resting under my chin. I kept pulling it down but it kept floating back up. I was holding on to the rope trying to relax. I finally heard the charge of the engine. This was it. I adjusted the life jacket one last time. They gave me the thumbs up. So I gave them the thumbs up. And in one split second the boat lunged forward. It happened so fast. I wasn't ready. I only had one hand on the rope. The force yanked me out of the water leaning forward. I tried to straighten up but I couldn't hold on. I let go and fell flat on my face...

Dance weekend is over. We had a super busy, and really fun weekend here. The Roco show was great and interesting as usual. But now I'm pooped!!! Our out-of-town guests are leaving today. In other words, my parents are heading home to Phoenix. So tomorrow we'll be back to normal, for a few days anyway. We didn't really get any wine tasting in. But we did stop at Jacuzzi Winery on Friday afternoon to buy some of their olive Tapenade. I can't wait to open those and give you a little review. School gets out at noon on Thursday, then it's Summer vacation until Labor day. Oh boy! I'll be back with a regular post tomorrow. Hopefully.

We have a few camping trips planned for this summer. This is a new thing for me. I'm not really a camper. I don't like being dirty. I like showers and hair dryers. So camping has about as much appeal as cleaning the bathtub. But Don and Elli really want to camp. They got the bug last summer when they went for a weekend camp out with some friends. Elli loved playing in the dirt, swimming in the river, sleeping in a tent and cooking by the campfire. So how could I deny her this fun? I don't want to be "that" mommy. The one that is no fun and all prissy. The thing is everyone knows I don't really like to camp so now I'm kind of a joke. They talk to me like I'm completely clueless about living outside. I'm not clueless. I know exactly what it's all about, which is exactly the reason I don't want to do it. It's kind of like bungee jumping. I see the rush people get when they jump and how their body bounces around like a rag doll. I...