Things I learned this week- Holiday edition

Here's a CBL secret: There is an ORDER to my posts. If there is going to be an image, it must be chosen and uploaded first, then the post is titled. Only then can the blogging begin. Originally, I had titled this post "Things I learned this year," but then I realized that was an awfully ambitious title. So here's what I learned this week:

* I learned how to cook a prime rib roast. (preheat the oven to 500. Liberally season the roast. Put it in an uncovered pan and put it in the oven. Turn the oven to 350 and let it cook for 3 hours). My mom has been doing this for years, and I guess she had me fooled into thinking it was difficult. I also thought it was terribly expensive, but I got mine at Safeway for $3.99 per pound, which is not much more expensive than ground beef. My roast was 'select' grade, so technically not a prime rib, but it was delicious and I couldn't tell the difference.

* I learned that I am never buying bread crumbs again! I found a recipe on-line for "deviled prime ribs" when I was looking for ways to use the bones from the Christmas roast. The recipe, which turned out sorta so-so, called for the ribs to be brushed with spicy butter, then rolled in fresh bread crumbs and broiled. I found instructions for making fresh bread crumbs- put fresh bread in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes until it is crusty, then tear it into hunks and run it through the coffee grinder. It worked like a charm, and I did not get bread puree like my husband predicted. Each piece of bread made about 1/2 cup of crumbs.

* Of course, I learned that the difference between cappuccino and latte is the ratio of milk to coffee.

* I learned how easy it is to use Red Box to rent dvds. We stopped at a McDonald's after Zoo lights, and the cashier forgot a couple boxes of fries, so they gave us (along with the fries) a couple coupons for free dvd rentals. I have had these coupons before, but I was never really interested in renting from Red Box because I thought they had primarily straight-to-dvd releases. But on the 23rd, we thought it would be nice to have a movie to occupy the kids, so we took a look. We rented the sixth Harry Potter movie and Up a couple days later, which we actually paid a dollar for because Spencer forgot to use the code. Still a good deal, and it's easy.

* I learned more than I probably ever will need to about lightweight golf bags- the kind you wear as a backpack as opposed to the kind you strap into a push or pull cart or a motorized cart- after spending about an hour at Fiddler's Green comparing all the models that just wouldn't satisfy my dad.

* The best thing of all that I learned is that Trader Joe's is coming to Corvallis! The store is built and the signs are up, all Joe has to do now is load the shelves with pad Thai and fresh bruschetta.