Soap Box Rant

Idiot Appraisers or Why HVCC is worthless

The last two weeks I have had to deal with an appraisal problem that has really brought the problem with real estate to new heights with me. In 2009 there was a new law put in effect that makes it illegal for me to contact an appraiser. It's more complicated than that but that is the basic result. I had an appraisal completed and it came in ridiculously low. I appealed and provided new comparables. It was rejected yesterday basically because the appraiser doesn't have make changes if he uses comparables within the law.

Now here is my problem. Because the appraiser has already been paid, is not contactable (it can be harassment if I do it to influence the value), and has no interest in the results he is done. We should all be concerned with this type of appraiser. Since he did a slipshod job he has contributed to the current economic conditions staying low. How so you ask? By keeping property values lower than comparables say it should be there are fewer home owners who have the ability to refinance to take advantage of these historically low rates. Keeping the homeowners in higher rate loans restricts their cash flow which in turn effects the economy by having those same consumers unable to spend money that they are still having to use for their higher interest mortgage payment. So, the conclusion here? Appraisers need to keep to the one of the real estate use mottoes, "Highest and Best Use Always".

Two Teens & a Tween

It was Tylor's 13th birthday this week. Thirteen is an odd age; you can't go to dances or Primary activities, you can't date - or more likely you don't even like girls, you can't drive, you aren't top dog at school. Tylor has been trying on his "teen attitude" lately with, "Whatev's." and plenty of "Well, why not?" or "I do it all the time.". Uh-huh. If I hear it one more time I'm thinking it's going to be "Whatev's." for him.... Here's to hoping he makes it to 14.

Dining Room Art

For Christmas I might have picked out my own gifts. Maybe. Okay, well, I did. I wanted art for the dining room and found some that I liked and were fun. They lightened up the possible formal feel.

I really wanted one more but the others had weird sayings on them.

Now I will have to make an FHE chart in the same style. Any suggestions?

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

and sometimes you don't! A friend and I made Mounds a couple of weeks ago but they didn't turn out great. I brought mine home and Jim really liked them but the kids said, "Meh.". Well, I decided I would try to make them better. I read up on about 15 blogs, 30 recipes and picked out what I thought would work better and came up with these. They are a little less sweet and stick together really well.


Homemade Mounds or Almond Joys

1 package sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 of a bag of powdered sugar
3/4 cup mashed potatoes (make the instant as directed)
2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons shortening (NOT oil!)

For Almond Joys: toast about 45 whole raw almonds in the oven at 400' for 10 minutes
1 package milk chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons shortening


Fill a double boiler as directed and place powdered sugar and butter over boiling water. Stir constantly until a thick liquid. Stir in mashed potatoes until smooth. Add the coconut flakes and stir for about 3 minutes. Take off stove and place in freezer for 30 minutes stirring half way through.

Spread out 1/4 of the coconut mixture on a wax paper sheet. Put the rest in the refriderator. Flatten mixture to about 1/2" high and cut with a very sharp knife so the pieces are about 3/4" wide by 1" long. I wanted something that was 2 bites. (If you are making Almond Joys press toasted nuts into the top now.) Place these on a baking sheet on wax paper. Repeat until done with coconut mixture. Place molded pieces back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

About 5 minutes before you take the molded pieces out of the freezer boil water in the double boiler and melt appropriate type of chocolate and shortening for dipping.

Working quickly dip each molded piece in the chocolate. (Note: I used two forks and would dip, tap off excess, drag back of fork over edge and replace on the wax paper.) Once completely done it will take about an hour for the chocolate to be set. These will last nicely for about 4 days and, if you are desperate, for about a week.

The recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk are too sweet and mushy. I like this one because they don't fall apart due to the starch in the potatoes and the potatoes cut the sweetness just enough to make me want to eat more than one at a time.

Paula Dean's Prime Rib Revisited

I have read Paula Dean's Prime Rib recipe several times and just couldn't bring myself to do it until this year. I did decide to add my own herb crust but the cooking was all her doing.

Prime Rib

3 to 7 bone prime rib Frenched

1/2 cup coarse ground pepper

1/2 cup kosher salt

4 large cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1/2 cup olive oil

Garlic salt (Lawrys) optional

Preheat oven to 375'. Combine all herbs in a food processor and pulse until combined well. Add olive oil and pulse until combined.

Rinse prime rib and pat dry. Rub herb mixture all over prime rib. I added garlic salt at this point but I know how I like my crust to taste so you may want to play with this a bit.

Place rib in baking pan with rack rib side down. Place a meat thermometer where you can see if from the oven window.

Place in oven for 1 hour. (NOTE: This is for a 3 rib roast. For each additional rib add 5 to 7 minutes up to 1 1/2 hours for a full 7 bone prime rib.) Turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!! Leave the prime rib for at least 3 hours. 3 long hours. Approximately 1 hour before you want to serve the meal turn the oven back on to 375'. Now you need to watch the meat thermometer - DON'T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Remember the end pieces will be more done than the middle pieces so where you place the thermometer is important in a larger cut. Think about how you like your meat and if you want any rarer pieces and then place the thermometer closer to the middle the more well done you want the entire cut. If you want it rarer overall then place the thermometer closer to the ends (between rib 1 & 2) but remember the middle will be more rare than that area. Take the rib out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Serve with au ju and horseradish. Enjoy!

Christmas 2011

My kids were pretty happy with Christmas. You will notice that I am not in any of the photos. Somehow holding on to the camera makes it appear as if you weren't part of the festivies. Not true.... :-)

A Pirate-y Winter Book Fair

Water fall with treasure cave with cannon
Mermaid reading
Pirate ship with mast & sail

Sometimes I like being in charge so I can just run with ideas and not have a bunch of meetings that suck my life away. One of the people who help with the book fairs at school wanted to do a pirate theme. Every year at Christmas we do a "holiday" theme. Every. Single. Year. And every year we get grief from the administration about being "inclusive" and "sensitive". Seriously? So, avast ye hardies we were feeling the effects of scurvy I'm sure and abandoned all thoughts of a holiday theme. We turned the library into a pirate ship and a castaway island. Much fun was had by all and with the sales being the final result and they were up me laddies!