Vote Tomorrow

It's finally here. Well, tomorrow it is. The presidential election. And barring any strange accidents, hanging chads, recounts, etc., we should finally know who our next president is by Wednesday morning.
Do you find yourself in need of some last minute political information before tomorrow? (At this point, who really is undecided?) Or are you afraid that you'll find yourself missing the non-stop campaign coverage?

Click on over to Real Clear Politics. It has everything you need to bore friends and family who are already sick of politics.

Want a more interesting perspective on the elections? Go to Cafe Press to see which candidates have sold more merchandise.

Now get out there and vote.

Mac and Cheese

Halloween is tonight. It's a good time for warm comfort foods like mac and cheese. Here's an easy recipe that is a winner every time.

It calls for white cheddar, although friends have substituted other cheeses in this same recipe. I originally found this recipe in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, but I've made some upgrades to it. (Sorry Martha!)

1 1/4 cups milk
2 tsp melted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound grated white cheddar cheese (4 cups)
1 cup of parmesan-romano cheese
8 ounces elbow macaroni
2/3 cup Progresso Italian style breadcrumbs
Salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl, toss the 2 tbs melted butter with bread crumbs. Then add 1/4 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup parmesan-romano. Set aside for later.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni until al dente, according to package instructions; drain.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add cream cheese, cut into cubes, stir until melted, 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the cheddar until melted, 5 minutes. Add parmesan-romano cheese. Add the cooked pasta, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; toss to combine.

Divide the mixture among prepared dishes. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until bubbling, 30-40 minutes. I like to broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs.

Finally, find a big spoon and eat and eat and eat. Don't share with anyone (except me). Tell everyone else that not sharing is part of the recipe.

Add this to your TasteBook.

TasteBook

I know some good cooks that have made some incredible meals. If only they would invite me...

I guess my friends could create a personalized cookbook for me instead of inviting me over. TasteBook is a web site that allows you to upload your own recipes and photos, choose your cover and personalize the book. They will print it, gift wrap and ship it to you for about $30.

You can create personalized holiday gifts with some of your favorite family recipes. And say you're looking for a gift for someone who likes to cook, but you've got no skills? You can choose from a variety of recipe sources found on TasteBook's site to create a themed cookbook.

Be sure to add Snackworthy recipes, such as Bacon Swiss Dip and Fruitcake Cookies.

A personalized cookbook is almost as good as being invited for dinner. Almost.

TasteBook

Music and Fashion

Ready to rock your wardrobe?

Buy this shirt to brighten up your style. There's a tiny battery pack in the seam of the shirt that enables the equalizer graphic on the front of the shirt to interact with the music. The shirt actually lights up in response to sounds. Click the Firebox link to see the shirt in action.

Wear this next time you hit the town and want to be the center of attention.

Be careful not to spill your drink on it though. I'm not sure how strong the battery is, but we don't want you to get zapped, now do we?

Firebox

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Can't take another political ad on TV? Me neither. I'm getting TiVo thumb from pressing the fast forward button all the time. (TiVo thumb is a real diagnosis, just like tennis elbow. Ask your doctor. I'll probably need time off from work.)

Rent Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It is a cute movie starring Frances McDormand (the sheriff from Fargo) and Amy Adams (the princess in Enchanted).

A poor governess named Guinevere. A ditzy starlet named Delysia. Pair them up for a screwball comedy that will make you laugh.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Wilt Pruf

Our neighborhood has a pumpkin carving party to make jack-o-lanterns each year for Halloween. Perhaps it's not the safest soiree - drinks and knives.

Unfortunately, unless you carve the pumpkin just the night before, they disentigrate before the big event.

This year, I'm getting Wilt Pruf. It will keep carved pumpkins from shriveling, collapsing and turning black. Made from pine resin, Wilt Pruf leaves a protective film on plants (and pumpkins) that lasts for months.

So instead of Christmas lights hanging all year round, my neighborhood will have pumpkins through the new year!

Wilt Pruf

Silver Cocoon

Recognize the design? It's the symbol used by the Obama campaign.

A clever designer in Minneapolis has watched her sales take off with the inclusion of this product. She sells them on a chain as a necklace or with a pin.

It's a subtle way of showing your support.

I'm not sure how she's filling all those orders, but I just image a room full of elves with carving tools.

Silver Cocoon