How to Get Scammed

A Cautionary Tale  

Like many of you, I get tons of email and facebook posts from companies I do business with.  llbean has been sending quite a few.  Today, I fell for one that looked legitimate on facebook.  It was a super sale on shoes and boots.

I clicked on the facebook link.
It looked quite real.  The little logo on the tab was as expected, a green square with a boot.

The URL was close to real.

BUT . . .

The URL was close to real - not real.  Now that I look back, I see that the real URL is always beginning https://www.llbean.com/

The prices were too good to be true!  That should be a clue.  We got 7 pairs of shoes/slippers/boots for $149.00!

Another clue, there were only shoes in full sizes, no half-sizes.

A fourth clue, they were not out of any of the sizes/styles.

The fifth clue was the text from Citibank saying they suspected fraud, and did we really authorize that payment? 
Free L.L.Bean Citi Fraud Msg: Card 1167. Did you attempt $149 at RELIABLE KIND on 05-31? Yes=1, No=2. Reply STOP to Opt-Out

Well, we had made the purchase, so we authorized it. . . 

Then we began to second guess.  Did we authorize payment to a not-llbean company?

Stay tuned - we now think we fell for a scam.  We have received an email from the seller with the purchase summary. . . we'll see what happens next.  

My guess - nothing more will happen and we will have to challenge citibank to avoid this bill.

Let this be a warning.
TANSTAAFL

Fluffy Pancakes

  Fluffy Pancakes

Recipe By:kris

"Tall and fluffy. These pancakes are just right. Topped with strawberries and whipped cream, they are impossible to resist."

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2020 Allrecipes.com

Printed From Allrecipes.com 2/8/2020

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• cooking spray  (I use butter)

Directions

• Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".  ( I use a 4 cup measuring cup, in case I want to pour.)
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
• Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. (Well, not really - mix until lumpy - like large-curd cottage cheese.  That's enough.)  
• Each time I have made this, I've needed to add 1/4 cup milk.)
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. (I use a non-stick skillet, so I skip this step.)
• Pour 1/4 of batter onto the skillet, (I use an ice cream scoop) and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. 
• Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2020 Allrecipes.com

Printed From Allrecipes.com 2/8/2020

makes 10 medium, very fluffy pancakes.  
I make them one at a time and put them on a cookie sheet in a 175º oven to keep warm until I'm ready to serve. 

Serve with butter and a sweet topping.  Honey, maple syrup, lemon curd, jelly, jam or marmalade all work well.


 You know it's time to flip when there are lots of bubbles and the edges are a bit dry.

 These edges were not very dry - that's why it's misshapen.

 Misshapen or not, these are delicious!

I put extras in the fridge or freezer, and then I can put them in the toaster oven when I want one.  

Hermès Scarf - La Promenade de Longchamps - Redux

On May 11, I got a new iPhone.

One of the reasons was the 

deteriorating quality of pics.

This is the same page with the photos redone.

If you wanted to compare, here is the original page.

La Promenade de Longchamps was first issued in 1965, but it has been reissued numerous times, with the last reissue in 2002.

It was created by Philippe Ledoux depicting the parade of carriages on the way to the race track at Longchamps in the Bois de Boulogne.  The race track was begun in the 1830s and continues today.
Philippe Ledoux, working from 1958 to the mid '70s, also made the wonderful Napoleon scarf (1963).

Hermès scarves are created with silk-screens.  There is one per color.  This scarf does not look like many screens are needed, but there are actually 25 different screens to create this scarf.  This is described as "red with browns".

In case you were wondering how to pronounce some of these words:

• Hermès - Air Meszz - the final s is heard because of the accent grave (Ax Sahnt Grahve)
• Longchamps - Lown Shahn
• Phillippe  Ledoux - Fill EEP lu DOO
• promenade -  PRO mah nahde

The title is below the central image.  The artist's signature,  LEDOUX is above and to the right of the title.

Copyright appears is different places in various reissues.
In this scarf  © HERMES is on a stem in the top right corner.  This indicates post 1980 reissue.

The Hermès signature is in the bottom-center.  It is HERMÈS.PARIS

The care tag is three lines in French and in English.  There are three stitches holding it in place.

I wonder what the A signifies.  I have seen A on a couple of scarves.

I have learned that the best seamstresses who do the hand-rolled edges have the initialed tags to attach.  I don't know if it's a personal initial.  If you know more, or if I'm wrong, please let me know!

This scarf, like the others, drapes beautifully.

In 2019, Queen Elizabeth wore this scarf to the Royal Windsor Horse Show. 

This scarf is frequently faked.

One thing to look for is the C

PLEASE NOTE that there are THREE different versions of the copyright on genuine scarves: 

The original issue has a C hidden in the centre of a 'flower' in the bottom left corner golden horsehead supports. Later vintage issues have the copy right after the Hermes Paris C, 

and post 1980's re-issues have the separate Hermes C hidden in the top right golden work.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=Hermes.Scarf.Guides&set=a.395131657190545

Hermès Scarf - Les Cavaliers d'Or

This lovely scarf, Les Cavaliers d'Or, was designed for Hermès by Vladimir Rybaltchenko in 1975.

This scarf, designed in 1975, is the only Hermès scarf designed by Rybaltchenko in the Metropolitan Museum of Art design collection.

The title, "Les Cavaliers d'Or", could translate as "The Golden Horsemen".  It shows pieces of Scythian Gold, mostly now in the Hermitage Museum.  The Scythians were nomads in the 7th to the 4th Century BC.

Vladimir Rybaltchenko signed his Cavaliers d’Or as “Rybal”.  (I guess I would consider abbreviating a long name. . . )
The 1975 issue is signed under a horse.  This one is signed on a ribbon.

In two of the corners there are cougar type animals.

This one has the © HÈRMES on the bar above the animal's head.

In the two other corners are reindeer type animals.  The gold reindeer date from about 600BC.

Scythian Gold is found in the Hermitage Museum.

The pieces date from the 4th to the 7th Century BCE.

Hard to believe these stunning works were made during the Iron Age.

The central pectoral is described in Wikipedia:  

"Gold pectoral, or neckpiece, . . . dated to the second half of the 4th century BC, of Greek workmanship. The central lower tier shows three horses, each being torn apart by two griffins. Scythian art was especially focused on animal figures."

 Those curved plaques may be panthers chasing their tail.

There are loops on the back of the original gold to be able to fasten them to clothes.

The torques with horsemen on the ends date from the 4th Century BC.
For a fascinating analysis of the pectoral, from a jeweler's point of view:  https://www.ganoksin.com/article/great-pectoral-tolstaya-mogila/

 The Hermès logo is on the medallion beneath the hair comb.  The comb with battle scene dates from the 5th-4th century BC.

Like all the Hermès silk scarves, this drapes well.

(FWIW, Vladimir Rybaltchenko 1939 - 2002 was the great-nephew of Philippe Ledoux and father of Dimitri Rybaltchenko, all outstanding Hermès artists.)

These scarves are endlessly fascinating.  I love the attention to detail - in the scarf above, notice the shadows cast by the torque.

Oh, ho!  I had the opportunity to get the same scarf in green.  Also lovely.

To see the other Hermès scarves I have blogged, click here.

Garden in the First Week of May 2020

It's the beginning of May, 2020

The daffodils are winding down, but still lovely.  We deadheaded the first daffodil on May 2, which is very late!

In March, the neighborhood woodchuck discovered the garden.  We thought we were being so clever, planting tulips, which are delicious, surrounded by daffodils, which are not.  Didn't matter to Mr. Woodchuck!  He ignored the daffodils and gobbled down the tulips. This Red Emperor Tulip was a little slower than the others, so it only had its top nipped a bit.  It was able to bloom!  It's companions were not. . .

The forsythia is still in bloom.

To thwart the ravenous beasts, D caged many plants and much of the entire garden.

His work paid off, and we are enjoying the daffodils and tulips.

These cute daffodils are called tête-à-tête.

Each bloom is smaller than a quarter.

As the red tulips begin to fade, the pinks and yellows are starting.

The dandelions have started.

D has cut the lawn two times already!

One of the plants that was here when we arrived is the pulmonaria (lungwort).

It has speckled leaves, and the flowers look like the kind you made in elementary school by making a cup of a small piece of crepe paper by wrapping it around a pencil top.

They start blooming in pink and then fade to blue.  They like shade.

There are tiny blue flowers in the lawn.

Fritillaria, Crown Imperial, grows from a bulb.

It is one of the earliest blooms, often blooming before the bees are out.

So in order to attract a pollinator, it stinks!  Really!  It smells like skunk.

But at about two feet tall, it is impressive to look at.

If it seems familiar, you may have seen it in a medieval tapestry or illuminated manuscript.

Here's an idea of what is coming.

D ordered a 10 new daylilies.

It was a bargain collection, so there were several roots of each of the ten.

Here they are, sorted on the lawn, waiting to be planted.

This should be interesting in a few months.

There are lots more things getting stronger and ready to bloom, so check back. . . 

Then today, May 9, Mother Nature decided to throw a curve.

We got a couple of inches of snow overnight.

These are the daffodils in the front yard.

We do not have any tender plants out yet, so all should be well.

But our temperatures should be close to 70º, not 30º.

It has been a lovely spring.  We have enjoyed having cut flowers in the house.

Some of the daffodils smell wonderful!

Chewy Chocolate Cookie - America's Test Kitchen

I watched a video of a review of cocoa powders on America's Test Kitchen.  They prefer "Dutch Processed" and with a high fat ratio.  It's a fascinating video.

SPOILER:  The winner is Droste.

I found some on Amazon.  It's pricey.

ATK tested it with a soft, chewy chocolate cookie.  We were almost out of molasses cookies, so this was a good one to try.

For the chopped chocolate, I used 4 ounces of 85% chocolate bar from Aldi.  That's a lot of chocolate!

I rolled it in a mixture of 1/2 granulated and 1/2 coarse sugar.

I can't imagine getting more chocolate flavor in a cookie.

It may be too much.

They say it makes 16 cookies.  I made 38.

OUR REVIEW:

This does not fit my definition of cookie.  To me, a cookie is a sweet or slightly sweet snack to enjoy when some comfort or a raise in blood sugar is needed.  This cookie is intense.  It is probably a chocoholic's dream.  It should be savored. It should be an event, not a snack.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Recipe from America’s Test KitchenMakes 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for coating
• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp table salt plus 1/8 tsp table salt
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup  (use 1/2 measure with light syrup + molasses)
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 Tbsp (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

375º 10-11 min - centers must not be cooked.