Christmas Dinner

The G-man and I have been cooking Christmas dinner for extended family (usually his, on rare occasions mine) for about, oh, the past twenty years or so. The first year it was self-defense, as I was a bit overwhelmed by la familia Guerrero, and I found refuge in the kitchen. It's certainly no longer about hiding, but it is a nice (albeit sometimes tiring) tradition.

This year's menu for 17 adults (including the priest who baptized Juj) and 4 kids:

• Gin-n-Tonic, Sazaeracs with Blue Cheese Fig Savouries
• Apple-Fennel Salad with Walnuts
• Blanched and Sautéed Green Beans with Shallots, Thyme & Lemon Zest
• Chipotle Sweet Potato Gratin
• Rib Roast & Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy (pan drippings, flour, beef broth)
• Pear & Sour Cherry Brown Betty with Brandy Hard Sauce

UPDATE:  This qualified as one of the both better AND easier holiday dinners we've done.

We rubbed the roast the night before with basic cajun rub - two parts salt, one part each onion, garlic & mustard powders and black, red (cayenne) & white peppers - and had one of the aunties take it back out of the fridge at 7 AM on Christmas Day. Then we seared it on three sides before slow roasting at 250 degrees for about 3-4 hours. (Actually, we cut the one HUGE roast we had in half, and started one about an hour before the other, so that there would be some rarer meat for those that like it that way...like me.)

We also peeled the potatoes and made the Blue Cheese Fig Savories the day before, and bought pre-washed arugula and frozen haricots verts, which reduced the prep time further.  Still cooked from about 9 AM to 2 PM straight through on Christmas Day, but it was certainly less tense than some years!

As requested by the Juj

Julian and I are now on vacation until the first week of January, and we are making the most of it! The family had an incredibly lazy Sunday, where we didn't even get dressed until almost four in the afternoon - and that was only because we wanted to go to the "travelers Christmas eve" service at Cathedral of Hope. (How thoughtful to celebrate in advance, for those who will be out of town!)

Anyway, this was the telling of the Nativity that was used in the service. Very fun, and the Juj has been after me to post it here. Enjoy...

There and Back Again...

Whizz - that was the sound of November!

Did my normal month close reporting the first week, spent a week in Colorado on business, came home for a week with my folks visiting that also included my birthday and cooking Thanksgiving dinner for seven adults and four kids, then back to Colorado for another week of business meetings.

Now I'm home, happy to be with my little family and enjoying the iPad I won. Yes, free iPad - not doing 3G or anything, but certainly having fun playing games and crawling blogs in bed. And if it had actually been delivered before I left for that second trip to Denver, I would've probably downloaded and watched some shows or movies. (Could've caught up on Glee!)

But it's maybe better that it didn't arrive until the day I left, because I ended up reading two good books instead: Take This Bread by Sara Miles, and Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. Really enjoyed them both; very affirming. (Although I guess I could have ended up downloading and reading them as well.)  Anyway, now two more weeks of working and then two weeks of vacation and holidays, which I am very much looking forward to.

I love what Juj's teacher has assigned for the kids for these last two weeks before winter break: nine 'gifts of kindness' and then a secret present exchange.  There are ten kids in his class, and for the next two weeks, each one has to do an anonymous gift of kindness (free or under $1) for one person in the class each day, until they have done a gift of kindness for everyone. (She told them that they could skip themselves, since they should always be kind to themselves!) On the last day, they are doing some kind of white elephant or secret Santa exchange (under $10).  I think it's a great idea; perhaps I should try it at work the next ten days myself.

Finally, although we haven't decided on the Christmas menu -- we've cooked for G-man's extended family, up to 20 of us, for most of the past ten or more years -- we did have a lovely repast on turkey day:

• Blue Cheese & Pear Tart with caramelized shallots (adapted from the Nov 2010 Sunset magazine that my mom brought with her)
• Turducken Roll (which G-man built out of all breasts - turkey, duck, chicken - with three stuffings: one cornbread and one Andouille sausage adapted from Paul Prudhomme, and one rice & mushroom improv) and a couple of turkey thighs roasted on the side for dark meat lovers
• Gravy
• Orange Cranberry Sauce (homemade, with a hint of chile added)
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes Mashed with salt, butter, and cinnamon with three toppings: one-third Plain, one-third Pecan Streusel, one-third with mini-Marshmallows (inspired by this but not so sweet and ground pecans instead of flour)
• Brussels Sprouts Hash with Caramelized Shallots (have had it for most or all of the past four years - nearly guaranteed to win over 'sprouts haters!)
• Apple, Fennel Salad with Walnuts (also from Sunset)
• Pumpkin Cheesecake (Splenda sweetened, pecan crust - something I came up with a few years out of two or three other recipes)
• Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream (OK, it was Jack Daniels, which some would say is NOT bourbon)

Mr. W brought the wines, so we had him, the three adorable W kiddos, my parents, Ron, Bill, and the G's Three.  And there was much feasting, drinking, playing, and a walk down the block to see an early Christmas lights extravaganza (a lot of folks in our neighborhood really go all out!) Really lovely afternoon and evening - although a Cherpumple did not get made.

Thinking about Thanksgiving....

Contemplating this year's menu (always want to include more than we really need, but so hard to narrow it down), and being thankful for many things this year:

• My husband - who has now been with me through thick & thin for more than half of my life
• My son - amusing, annoying, intelligent, and oh so close to my heart
• My parents in town to visit - still crazy after all these years (they drove out from the West Coast!)
• Taking most of the week off - and that I have a job to take a vacation from
• My birthday during Thanksgiving week - it always seems like the holiday is for me
• The true abundance we have in our lives - sometimes, it's easy to let that fall by the wayside in all the chaos and busy-ness, and we shouldn't forget it, for we are truly blessed

I wish all the best to everyone in our families of origin, and the "family" we've chosen as well, and to anyone else who needs some best wishes. Thanksgiving is my Peace on Earth and goodwill unto men holiday.

Why I Love the Internet

Although I was deprived of the Internet in college (learned to program in BASIC on an Apple II - yes, Virginia, in the time before Mac this and iThat), I am a happy user in my middle-age.  (The other day, when I dropped J's lunch off at school, a kid in his class said "That's your mom? I thought it was your grandmother!" so I'm trying to embrace my apparent crone-ness, but that's another story.)

Anyway, without the Internet, no Facebook and no Twitter (which I prefer to FB, but that's another other story). And without Facebook, I wouldn't have followed this link that an acquaintance posted, and I wouldn't have known about
The Cher-pum-ple!

And then I had to Google the inventor, and found his fab-u-lous website of kitsch...and other people's Cherpmuples.

So now you now you know why I love the Internet. (Plus it's a great tool for a world-class procrastinator like myself.)

Not quite Tur-duc-ken

The past weekend was a bit of a haze. Worked from home Thursday, while Juj stayed home with a cold.

Took a vacation day Friday and hung out with him again, except for the thirty minutes of parent-teacher conference which was why there was no school. (He's doing great, of course.) Caught Megamind (fun, cute) and had dinner at the Studio Movie Grill. (BTW, reserved seats with a required pre-purchased food credit rock!  Totally worth it.)

Saturday was a blur of making paper airplanes, shopping and playing Wii Rock Band, mostly with Juj, because G-man had to work much of the day.

Sunday was my turn for the cold, and I spent much of the day in bed. Oh, except I played more Rock Band and blew out what was left of my voice. (I'm the vocalist in our trio, mostly because I'm too uncoordinated to play Wii guitar or drums.)

And made dinner, with the greatest of ease, thanks to Costco featuring stuffed chickens from La Boucherie (purveyors of turducken that we've had for more than one Thanksgiving, although this year the G-man is threatening to make one from scratch by his own self!)

• Chicken stuffed with Crawfish Jambalaya
• Sauteed Delicata Squash Rings with Browned Butter & Fresh Sage
• Blanched Broccoli and Peas
• Romaine & Spinach Salad with Carrots, Avocado & Sass
• Fresh Pineapple Brulee

Just don't ask about how the The Kitchen Cure is going...

Chicken Soup

Happy Halloween! I once again forgot to photograph the Juj in his costume (nothing new there), but we had a lovely time trick-or-treating around the neighborhood after a dinner of

Tortilla Soup:

• sauteed chopped vegies: half and onion, couple of carrots & stalks of celery, and a jalepeno (no seeds) with a bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, new mexico chile powder
• added chopped raw chicken thighs and salt and pepper
• 2 chopped zucchini & 1 chopped yellow summer squash
• a can of chopped tomatoes and a chipotle in adobo sauce
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• some frozen corn

served with all the fixin's:

• tortillas that I sliced up, sprayed with cooking spray and toasted in a 350-degree oven
• grated cotilla cheese
• sliced avocado
• chopped cilantro
• raw radishes on the side

But I think I'm going to have a candy hangover. And probably eat soup for lunch more than once this week. And I need to remember a few things like

• do not process chiles with your bare fingers
• and especially don't touch your lips or rub your eyes if you do, even if you wash your hands first
• and NO COFFEE AFTER 11 AM! 

Although I did wash and fold four loads of laundry, watch and erase one of the five new episodes of Glee that had been languishing on the DVR (Rocky Horror, oh, yeah!) as well as an Outsourced.

Better Late Than Never

Just after I typed it, I realized the title could refer to so many things:
...like thinking *I* would be all organized and get the Juj to school on time this week while the hubby is away visiting his folks, so I could show him how easy it is (which I didn't and it's not!)
...or the fact we'll be having a certain September birthday boy's actual party in November (thanks to booking constraints).
...or the effects of perimenopause (short, normal, normal, long, short, long - did someone say this could go on for ten years?!)

But actually, I just meant dinner.

Dinner for Unca Ron, to be exact. Not only did we stand him up Sunday before last because we were having too much fun to come home on time, apparently we never made a special birthday dinner for him either. Back in March.

So this what I made on Sunday, mostly from Stephan Pyles' New Tastes From Texas:

• Southwestern Caesar Salad with Parmesan-Anchovy Wafers
• Cowboy Ribeye with Pinto-Wild Mushroom Ragout & Caramelized Onions with Chile
• Splenda Lemon Ricotta Cream over Fresh Raspberries with Dark Chocolate Garnish

And since I forgot that the amount of steak called for in the cookbook was for four servings of bone-in ribeye but I bought boneless -- plus, unbeknownst to me, Juj decided he no longer likes steak -- we ended up inviting Ron back for a second round on Monday evening.

Just realized one more thing about that title -- could be a comment on the timeliness of this post, too (hello, Thursday night!) Or the egg sandwich I promised J for dinner...30 minutes ago. Or maybe it's just my rhythm and I should accept it.

The Kitchen Cure

So, despite the fact that I haven't been cooking as much (or perhaps BECAUSE of that), when I saw someone tweet about The Kitchen Cure, I checked it out and decided that it was for me.

Now, I am working it through the four weeks of assignments slowly (already a week behind), but it's been very, uh, educational.

For Week One - clean & organize the fridge, freezer and pantry - I've thrown out more food than I care to admit, and so far, one shelf of the pantry has actually been washed down - perhaps for the first time since we first moved in 8+ years ago - and lined with that cushy stuff. Among the more interesting archeological finds were:

• a complete shelf of week-old leftovers I threw out from the refrigerator when I first started
• the remains of a bottle of dark corn syrup in the panrty, as well as one of light corn syrup in the fridge (cleaned those bottles out for recycling, since I have no idea of when I bought them and why do I need corn syrup anyway?)
• an unopened jar of pimento-stuffed sliced green olives that were leftover from a tamalada in 2003 or 2004, if memory serves
• a can of chicken noodle soup with a 'best by 2006' date on it
• several other expired canned goods
• some ancient frozen meatballs from Costco
• Hawaiian Ice flavor packets and horchata drink mix packets, neither of which had expiration dates, but all of which predate our eight-year-old son (I think)

You get the picture.

No doubt when I make it to the Week Two assignment - purging, cleaning and organizing the non-food cupboards and drawers - I will have more embarrassing oddities to share. For example - how many pizza cutters does one family need?

Seriously, I do like the way the assignments are broken down in small pieces, and can be worked in whatever chunks of time I can dedicate to the effort. I'm really hoping that after completing four weeks of The Kitchen Cure, although may take about 6+ weeks at the rate I'm going, I will be inspired to tackle other parts of the house one drawer, shelf, or pile at a time. Don't want to end up on Hoarders (just kidding, Mom; we're not that bad)!

Dinner

Didn't go to church today, but I spent the day cooking a meal of communion -- fun to have a larger than usual gathering to share the Sunday supper. And it was delicious to boot. (Although I forgot my promise to myself to wear shoes for marathon cooking, since my feet and ankles aren't as young as they used to be. Ouch.) This must mean it's truly autumn...

• Brisket with Parsnips & Leeks (this was awesome - and I got to use the Dutch oven I won from Pioneer Woman)
• Barley Pilaf
• Broccoli for the kiddos
• Salad (baby greens with herbs) for the adults
• All-time favorite almond cake from Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte

P.S.  And a happy Thanksgiving, my Canadian friends and colleagues!

Nothin' cookin'

Except the weather, and even that ain't so bad now: low- to mid-90's for the highs, low- to mid-70's for the lows (and to show off, that's 32-35C for the highs and 21-24C for the lows), although it's still pretty humid.

Juj went off to a laser blastin' birthday party on Sunday evening, so while he was in the woods shooting infrared guns at other kids (really - how far my parental boundaries have fallen!), G-man and I ran off for a nearby (somewhat pedestrian) dinner a deux that I did not cook.

And thus starts the September through December blur of attending and hosting birthday parties big and little, school fetes, State Fair, church events, wedding anniversary, visits from grandparents, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and no doubt at least one trip out of town...

I'll be here when I can, but somehow, this is always the busiest four months of the year -- can I get an "Amen, sister" anyone? -- so don't be worried (ha!) if I'm even worse at posting that usual.

Relax...have a steak

Last Sunday, I made a vegie & shrimp red Thai curry with brown rice (frozen cooked brown rice is a great if indulgent invention) and fresh figs with Greek yogurt and honey for dessert. Relatively healthy, relatively quick, relatively good. Which fit the bill, as I've been feeling kinda stressed as of late. G-man and I are both busy at work, and it wipes me out to the point where I have a hard time keeping up with the home front. But the weather continues to cool down -- I think it's dipped below 90 for the high some in the past week or so -- and that helps. Oh, and we got our HVAC system replaced, which helps, too, in a big way, since air conditioning is a necessity in summer in Texas in my opinion.

This weekend we had a wonderful unexpected albeit short overnight visit with our 2/3 of our family friends from OKC, en route to a fencing tournament in Houston. It was lovely to see them, and it also pushed me into cleaning up the guest room a bit. Which was great. Plus we had breakfast at our favorite, the Original Pancake House, before they left town Saturday morning.

For Sunday dinner today, I asked Juj if he wanted roasted chicken or baby back ribs (one is an old standby that I haven't made in a while, the other was a recipe I had downloaded to try), and he surprised me by saying ribs rather than chicken. But then he said "Can we have steak?" Wow - this from the kiddo who is not usually a big read meat fan! And since it so happened that I had some rib-eyes in the freezer that I'd bought on sale a while back, I pulled them out for a quick microwave defrost.

• BLT wedge salad with fresh buttermilk ranch dressing
• Sauteed spinach, steamed broccoli
• Seared & oven roasted steak
• Red fingerling potatoes pan-roasted in bacon fat with rosemary, salt & pepper
• Peaches poached in Teavana Orange Blossom tea with agave nectar (strained and reduced to a syrup with orange zest & juice after poaching)

Cold front!

Perhaps not *exactly* a cold front - but it didn't get up to 100F today, and tomorrow... a chilly 90!  (Hey, at this point, we'll take what we can get.)

Our lives? Freakin' busy! The newly renovated church was open for worship this weekend but G-man and the crew still have lots of details to tie up. The Juj enjoyed his first week back at school, now in the upper elementary class for most of the day. And it seems like things never slow down at the office for me.

But I did cook Sunday - improv:

• Seared scallops on sauteed spinach with a white wine, butter and lemon pan sauce
• Brown rice pilaf with peas and red bell pepper
• Mixed berry fool (lemon juice & zest flavored whipped cream with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and Splenda)

Et voila!  It was also hotter than Hades this weekend, so we escaped to the dollar movies to see Prince of Persia on Saturday. Not bad, for a buck apiece. Also really enjoying the Netflix hook-up via the Wii's internet connection; been watching movies and TV shows on demand like crazy.  And since the heat makes me sleep poorly, I got to use it to watch Desk Set on Saturday -- at 5 AM.  Thanks to MrsF5 for that one!

End of summer

I find it rather annoying that the Juj starts back to school tomorrow. Now, I know - he's in day camp at his school all summer, what's so different about dropping him off at 8:30 and picking him up after 5, just like most days this summer?

Well, for one thing, he's going to start to spend the first half of his day in upper elementary, so we actually have to get him dropped off by 8:30 AM, a feat we have not managed to do on a consistent basis for the first two years he's been at this school. (It's Montessori, they work at the their own pace, what's the big deal...um, 'parent fail' rationalization anyone?)

But also, I've taken off a fair amount of days this summer, between vacation I carried over from the old job, and furlough time, and this new job doesn't allow you to carryover vacation from one fiscal year to the next, so I've got to 'use or lose it' by the end of September.

So it's been a somewhat loose summer for both Juj and I, and now, sadly, it's at an end. No more long weekends, no more weeks off. This is an extra big shame, since it is not going to start to feel like fall in any way for another month or two. And they go and close the city pools, because the kids (including lifeguards) go back to school in another week.  And it just makes me sad. And hot. Which I really dislike.

Although once it really gets to feel like autumn, that's another story altogether - my favorite time of the year...and the run-up to the busiest time. Although this summer, this year, the past two years I'd say, it hasn't felt like there's been anything except the busiest time of the year.

(OK, that was just a nonsensical rant. I'll tell you about what we ate and saw and ate and ate during our few days off in San Antonio this past week another time.  Happy Fall...bwah, ha, ha!)

What do we do when we're alone?

Not lonely, but having 24 hours without anyone else around, thanks to my dearest husband, who whisked the Juj off to the in-laws for a week before school starts up again. G-man comes back today, and then we'll go get the kiddo later in the week, but for one blissful day, I can do whatever I want without having to worry about when anyone else needs to eat, or sleep, or make noise, or be entertained, or anything!

So what did I choose?

First, a long overdue but admittedly not-that-great chick flick at the dollar movie theater.  Seriously - I paid ONE dollar to see this movie. So I don't have to worry about whether I got my money's worth. And yes, Virginia, this franchise is tied to a lifestyle that I can no longer identify with, even vicariously. And, uh, could we MAYBE keep the mic out of the shots, people? Still, an OK escapist matinee, although glad that I only paid a buck, and that I didn't inflict it on anyone else.

Then, a throwback to my misbegotten hippie youth, by way of dinner at bliss raw cafe & elixir bar. Not only was it totally Berkeley-Oregon-commune in look and vibe and taste, but there was XM Classic Vinyl playing my song(s) the whole time.

I managed to drop a small bundle, despite the fact that there was no steak, lobster or sushi involved. But I really enjoyed it, from the Cordial Sampler (Chocolate Bliss, Goji Paradise, and Hemp Horchata superfood elixirs) to the salad and raw corn bisque, to the OMG delicious decadent chocolate-coconut 'cheezecake' (but also OMG $9? no wonder the dessert menu isn't printed!) and a Noni Fire shot to round things out.

The reviews on Yelp said the seating was outdoors, but there is a little inside "bar" area as well, which did have a modicum of air conditioning. I found the service gracious, and the plates were beautifully presented (sort of in contrast to the laid-back atmosphere). Not entirely sure I'd go back, and I certainly wouldn't inflict it on my family, but I did like it. (Did find some controversial comments about the management online, which turns me off a bit, although who knows which side is telling "the truth"?)

Rounded out the evening with a pilgrimage to Lush. Which just doesn't feel the same since they exploded with stores all over the U.S., but I did pick up a couple of lulling lavender bath bombs and bubble bars, and after 90 minutes of classic Cooking Channel shows (this is what FoodTV used to be!), I took a bath and went to sleep.

And now? A morning of bill paying / budget monitoring, reading the blogs online, then probably a break for exercise and shopping, and then I think I will need to do a bit of office catch-up as well.

Oh, and I'd better clean the cat boxes.

Yup, it's still hot

So I didn't cook this weekend. Just had fun with the kiddo and the hub: hair cuts, pool time, movie, eating out ... and complaining about the heat. Maybe I'll have a menu to share in a few weeks, after my bachelorette weekend and visit to the in-laws. So keep cool in the meantime.

(Although we did make some simple speedy homemade spaghetti & meatballs, and broccoli, and squash at home this evening; I must be acclimating after all.)

No one can cook at this speed...or heat

There's been a lack of cooking this week, including today. For one thing, it's hot! (Although we did break down and buy a Papa Murphy's to cook at home last night, while watching pay per view.  But pizza oven temp? Did not really help...)

Also, the Juj had swimming lessons at the Y Monday through Thursday evenings. Going from work to school to the Y meant for four nights of *gasp* fast food dinners. (One day I did bring a peanut butter sandwich for the snack between school and the Y, but that night, we hit Wendy's afterward anyway.)

And, of course, it was the first week back at work after two weeks off, so we're trying to get back into the routine. (We'll probably get it together just in time for our next week off.)

So, while I'm not sure where we are going for dinner shortly (surprise Uncle Ron!), I do know it won't be coming out of our kitchen.

Does this mean that the dog days of summer have begun? Dogs don't cook, right...?

Internet dinner

It's been an online cooking weekend. Well, not cooking online, but cooking recipes found online. Dinner tonight was as good as lunch yesterday, perhaps better because it included a cocktail (actually, two apiece; the Porch Swing is sweet and addictive, especially in this heat!)

• Porch Swing (forgot to buy a cuke on Friday, too lazy to go get one at the last minute, but did make the homemade lemonade base)
• Smoky Pork Burgers with Fennel & Red Cabbage Slaw (open-faced, on ciabatta rolls)
• Sliced Avocados
• Wild Berry Basil Panna Cotta (made with blackberries, and we ate the lavender lovelies direct from the ramekins, no unmolding required: thumbs down from the Juj - no accounting for taste, enthusiastic thumbs up from Unca Ron although he wasn't totally enamored of the whole basil thing, G-man thought it was a bit salty, and I liked it but it was more mousse-y than panna cotta-y IMHO)

And now, back to the regular routine tomorrow, at least for the next few weeks.  (One more break planned before J's school restarts late in August.) Should be interesting, after two weeks off.

Delicious lunch

Thanks to Smitten Kitchen, we had a super-yummy Saturday lunch at home:

• Thai-Style Chicken Legs (which I roasted on a rack above a foil-lined baking sheet for easier clean-up)
• Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint (except I was too lazy to add the cashews and mint, and added a bit of sweet chili sauce to the dressing)

Wanted to make this Thai Basil, Coconut & Lime Sorbet from food52, but although I bought the ingredients yesterday, I did not get it together to make this for lunch today... Will try to check it out soon, though!

Summer lists

I'm home but still on vacation through the end of the week. Struggling with the time change (Pacific back to Central), my mornings are lazy at best, so I've been perusing a lot of blogs. I found summer lists, here, and here, and here, so in that meme way, I figured I'd do one. At first, it had only one item:

• Clean out the guest room

The 'guest room' (our spare bedroom) has become kind of a dumping ground, unfortunately. Fortunately, one of G-man's buddies is coming to stay with us in August, so now I have motivation to clean the joint up. And maybe get some new curtains, because the ones that are in there are very sheer and afford little privacy or ability to block the morning sun. Which I know now is very important in a guest room, after staying at my parents' place in Oregon - 2nd story guest room has a great view over the Rogue Valley but is east-facing and gets light early in the summer!

But that seems like a pathetic list of things to do / be inspired by for the summer, so then I started on a list of the things I've already done that were pretty good in a summer kind of way:

• Revisit the Oregon Country Fair (see yesterday's post)
• Live without air conditioning (accomplished in Oregon, sometimes quite well and sometimes with less than stellar results)
• See the stars (nice and dark at my folks' place)
• Go to the pool (we've been more times already this summer than all of last summer)
• Visit our favorite shaved ice stand (been going here since before Julian was born; the woman who owns it is a teacher, super-friendly, and this is how she spends her summers -- and she has the finest textured ice around!)
• Fireworks
• Wade in a creek
• Visit with family, and with friends
• Make ice cream (well, sorbets at least)
• Spend lots of time with the Juj (already spent over 3 weeks off during May, June and July, with another planned in August)
• Hey, and I have a tan & a tattoo, although both are temporary

So what else is there?

• Beach (although I fear this may not actually be accomplished this particular summer)
• Make (and eat!) more salads
• Drive-in movie (although maybe that's not such a great choice, given the heat here)
• How about just more movies in the theatre?!
• Exercise
• Relax

Well, I'd better go get started on that guest room; Juj is engaged in a movie at home, so no time like the present!

Vacation glimpses

The Juj and I just spent over a week with my family in Oregon. My parents, grandmother, aunt, two cousins & two children of one cousin all live in in or near Ashland, home of the famed Shakespeare Festival. And as soon as I figure out how to suck the photos out of my phone in bulk, I'll post more pictures of the small-town Independence Day parade, playing in the creek, and a blast from the past (for me) visit to the Oregon Country Fair.

But for now, here a few that I emailed to G-man, as he was only able to join us for a few days at the beginning of the trip.

Henna "tattoo" I acquired at the OCF. The fun thing was that after the artist painted it on, she blew glitter all over it, so it would be pretty while the stain was sinking in...

The Juj playing with this cool toroflux from FlowToys that my brother (who does poi & buugeng) brought along -- although now that I see them, I think they could use a little editing to make the toy (which looks kind of like a slinky) more visible...

I first visited the Fair in 1977 or '78 when I performed with some friends (we thought we were the coolest kids EVER!) and the Flying Karamozov Brothers, visited off and over the years, including seeing the Grateful Dead on the site for the The Second Decadenal Field Trip in 1982 - but haven't been since we took toddler Juj when he was less than two years old.

We also had dinner at Amuse for G-man's birthday before he returned to his construction project.

• Arugula, Shaved Fennel and Israeli Feta with Pine nuts and Creamy Lemon Dressing
• Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with Corn Puree, Cherries, Pearl Onions and Bacon Jus
• Wood Grilled Painted Hills Ranch Ribeye with Pommes Frites, Spinach, and Shallot Butter
• Rogue Creamery Crater Lake Blue with Dried Apricots and Thyme Honey
• Mt. Townsend Creamery Cirrus with Candied Fennel and Marcona Almonds
• Peach Polenta Cake with White Corn Ice Cream

We had local (Rogue Valley) Roxy Ann 2008 Syrah with dinner, along with some Grahams Tawny Port with the cheese (oh, the cheese - and the 'dried apricots' - not like any I'd every had, thin slices deliciously reconstituted in honey or juice, yum, yum, yum!), and a bit of Castelnau de Suduiraut Sauternes to close out the meal.

Hope to get more pictures going soon...

Healthy dinner

We had a delicious, and fairly quick, Sunday supper of:

• Lime Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (used romaine leaves because I had them on hand - bit more like a taco than a wrap - and I did add cilantro, as some of the comments suggested)
• Asian Slaw (only red cabbage & purple carrots, no green cabbage or bean sprouts, also added cilantro, and next time would use a little less vinegar, a little more peanut butter, and perhaps a pinch of sugar in the dressing)
• Half an Avocado apiece, with Whole Foods Miso Ginger Dressing optional
• Boiled Edamame in the shell with tossed with a little coarse salt & red pepper flakes

Nice low-key day; just girding my loins for the week ahead (busiest work week of the month).

Not much cookin'

It seems like it's been much longer than a week since I last posted. We went out for Father's Day, so I didn't cook last Sunday -- although on Saturday, I whipped up some grilled chicken breasts and black bean & corn salad that we nibbled on in various guises through the week: on salad, on nachos, in quesadillas. Sometimes for lunch, and sometimes for dinner.

Work has been QUITE busy, although it seems like it's been that way for a while...and that other people are feeling it too. The pains of integrating our company into the acquiring company are lasting longer than my peon self expected, but I think it's actually going pretty well. The cultural adjustment continues, along with the consolidation of systems and applications. Now I know how some of my peers felt back when the old company acquired theirs, many years ago. (Of course my hormonal attitude has also affected how I see all this recently, so take my whining with a grain of salt or two.)

Summer has come along with a blast. Not too many triple-digit days yet (and I wouldn't really know, because they keep the air conditioning only a notch above freezing at my office!), but plenty just kissing that.  And then I have to laugh when my mom says it's been hot in southern Oregon: their highs look like our overnight lows at times!

Hmmm... the cats seem to be eyeing me rather intently. It's really a bit early for their breakfast time, but I think that's what they have in mind. And my tummy is a bit rumbly, too. (My poor tummy - I started back into exercising a bit more - Bollywood workout videos at home, and a couple of classes at the YMCA so far - and I have known more soreness in the past week than in years previous. G-man loves to quote the whole "weakness is pain leaving the body" thing, but I just wish it would "leave" a heckuva lot faster!)

Ciao, babies!

Lunch ideas?

I was out perusing web sites this morning, updating my "Cool Links" area (which hadn't been changed since I started this blog, almost three years ago) and thinking about lunch.

I'm struggling with some food dilemmas, mostly lunch related. Now that I work at an office without much of a cafeteria, I take my lunch most days. Which affords me the opportunity to eat more how I should be - heavy on the vegies, with legumes & whole grains, and more of a grazing, mini-meals pattern (as opposed to one big lunch). And the G-man and I have come to the realization that the Juj is not eating enough roughage *ahem*.

So I want some ideas for better lunching. Things that are delicious and balance nutrition with convenience. Currently Juj and I both eat a fair amount of microwave meals, and while mine tend towards some of the yummy Kashi vegetarian and chicken entrees, my preferred selection is kind of limited, and Juj has narrowed his choices down to Whole Foods enchiladas or chicken taquitos.

And for him, there is the added limitation of NO NUT PRODUCTS! I understand about other kids having nut allergies, but the fact that this means I can't ever rely on the standby PB&J in my kid's lunch? Is kind of annoying. Plus I can't pack a few raw almonds (which he likes, and which are a daily component of my at-work eating kit) as a snack for him. Also annoying.

So, I checked out some new web sites this morning, and I hope to get inspired before I go grocery shopping tomorrow. If anyone has any great ideas -- we both have access to a microwave, I have a fridge & freezer at the office but J's food has to get by with an insulated "box" and ice pack, and no nut products for him -- feel free to share.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Back in the Day...

I've really been enjoying the satellite radio in my car.  I know the three months free that came when I purchased the car is just to 'suck you in' - but it might just do it.

You see, before I became an overpaid corporate hack who spends her day doing VLOOKUPs and pivot tables in Excel, I was in the entertainment business on the West Coast. Well, actually in the low paying, part-time teaching, touring with dance companies, sometimes doing industrials, business of lighting design and production & stage management for colleges and summer stock. And over the years, I worked on a fair number of musicals.

So, when I discovered the XM-Sirius Broadway channel, I was hooked. And it seems like they're playing a lot of Sondheim, which I didn't appreciate quite as much in my youth as I do now "in my middle years." Now, when I unload my car after work, gathering up my purse, and laptop, and lunchbox, and J's lunchbox, and whatever other gear has been required for the day, I am likely to be singing Another Hundred People or some such at the top of my lungs. (Hope it bemuses the neighbors; it's not like I have much of a singing voice.) And I have fun explaining the shows to Juj, because he loves to read the scrolling  Info screen on the radio from the back seat.

The real question is: does this mean I miss it enough to get involved in community theatre? Probably not; I've always been kind of a snob about that, even back in the day, and I certainly do NOT miss working evenings and weekends. But I do sigh every now and then, and think that perhaps I should at least go see some live theatre.

P.S.
On re-reading this, I realize that reminiscing for "the good old days" is a sure sign of encroaching middle age. *sigh*


Oh, and I've decided that Glee should do a Sondheim themed show next season - come on, guys, whaddya say?

Tired redux

I know I used the 'Tired' title last week. But it just keeps being the dominant feeling. Perhaps watching all of season 2 of True Blood in less than two weeks was a bit much. Perhaps work is a bit much. Perhaps my weight is a bit much. Perhaps seeing the pain & effort that some of my IRL and mostly virtual friends are going through is a bit much.
But, I made a yummy dinner on Sunday:

• Thai Beef Salad, actually inspired by the recipe in this cookbook, but with way more vegies (romaine, cilantro, mint, cucumber, grated carrot, scallions, sesame seeds, avocado, red cabbage) and freshly cooked flap meat (which is way better than flank steak) that I marinated in Thai red curry paste, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, freshly grated ginger, and a bit of brown sugar and then cooked briefly in the grill pan
• Tequila Refresca Sorbet (2 cans classic Fresca, a big splash of Campari, a small splash of Cointreau, and bit of agave syrup muddle with mint, then frozen in the ice cream maker) with incredible fresh strawberries

Tired

Spent nine of the past ten days off work, mostly hanging with the Juj. Might should've spent a wee bit more time on my own (to recharge), but glad that I have the extra vacation and furlough time available this summer, so that he doesn't have to spend every single week in 'summer camp' at his school. Mostly, I think it's fine that we're a family where both parents work full-time; J's school is great, and we are both blessed with jobs that are flexible enough to afford us to work from home when he's sick or to spell off when the school has more holidays than our offices do. But the summer? That's when I feel a little bit bad about it, because *I* always looked forward to that time off as a kid. Oh, well.

Guess I shouldn't waste time regretting something that I'm not going to change for the foreseeable future, so on to tonight's dinner:

• Grilled (well, actually roasted in our case) Halibut with Fennel, Orange & Onion (well, actually shallots)
• Sauteed Broccoli
• Romaine Salad with Avocado, Radishes, Carrots & Fennel
• Baba Ghanoush & Pita Crisps (eggplant roasted, not grilled - and no pistachios!)
• Gin & Tonic Sorbet (dee-lish! made it with one part St. Germaine liqueur to two parts London Gin)

Besides, once they finally opened, we did have fun hitting some local pools / water parks -- and I have the sunburn, uh "tan" to prove it. ;-)

Sunday dinner...in another state

We drove up to spend time with dear friends in OKC this weekend. (My husband has known the other guy since kindergarten, the three of them knew each other in college, and I, the johnny-come-lately, have known them for about 20 years!) Another time, I might write a post on my musings about being the only person out of the six of us (two couples with a kid apiece) who is not an only child, but for now, how about what we ate?

We drove up Saturday, later than we had hoped, but before we left, I did manage to sell my old car to the mechanic who had done its state inspection, which it had not passed. His truck had a newly broken transmission, I didn't have to clean or inspect or list my car & talk to strangers, so I considered it a big win-win. But it did make us late getting out of Dodge -- or Dallas.

So, after we arrived and exchanged Christmas gifts -- we like to do it in person, but this year had really gotten away from us -- we went out for a delicious dinner. The boys (theirs starts high school in the fall, but still plays wonderfully with our Juj when we're around each other) ate too many chips and queso to make much of a dent in their quesadillas and nachos, and we all had to take a walk afterwards to avoid just beaching belly-up around their house.

Sunday had a lot of things on the agenda, and one of them was cooking. We made dinner:

• Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
• Warm New Potato-Green Bean Salad with Sweet Onions, Tomatoes & Mustard Vinaigrette
• Hamburgers with the Caramelized Chipotle Onions & Blue Cheese Spread from this recipe plus fresh packaged Guacamole because the avocados were rock-hard at the store & Lettuce & Tomato
• Whoopie Pies (three words: easy as pie, and three more words: to die for!)

Monday, after I had stayed up way too late reading one of the Christmas presents I had received, we went cheerfully off for brunch which was quite yummy, once the service issues were ironed out (long wait for the table we expected but really long wait at the table to have our order taken? Not so good.) Fortified with pancakes and migas and chinook eggs, we finally hit the road. And picked up take-out barbecue to complete the day at home.

So good to see our friends!

Now, it's back to work for a day for me, then spending the rest of the week home with the Juj. Since I had some extra time off to burn this summer (vacation carryover from the old company, plus some furlough days), and our school allows you to pick and choose which weeks of 'summer camp' to attend and pay for, I decided to spend some time at home together. Hope we manage to survive all that quality time! ;-)

Quickie

I have time for a quick Sunday supper post before I commute to the dining room and my office computer for the start of my work day.

• Teriyaki Salmon Burgers (courtesy of Whole Foods, but yum!)
• Sauteed Spinach with sesame oil, ginger & gomasio (no parenthetical comment except I think this was my favorite part of the meal)
• Sautéed String Beans (with a nod to Still Life with Menu - thanks, Mollie!)
• Tofu Fried Rice (this company makes UNBELIEVABLE tofu entrees, mostly Asian but also the tamales that shocked Los G's with their authentic tasting goodness - really!)
• Citrus Sparkler (supremes of grapefruit & orange, along with a bit of local fresh peach and julienned mint, served in a margarita glass with club soda over the top because we were out of Fresca & I didn't feel like opening a bottle of prosecco)

Insomnia

That of the too-full monkey mind, and overly warm night, and twinging back, and a budding cold or maybe just allergies causing an uncomfortable tickle in the my throat. And realizing I'd made a stupid comment on Twitter without having the full context of what the other person was saying (which was more than the single, first tweet I responded to). Maybe it's time to work on my real life, which I fear has been sadly neglected in favor of work, fitful sleep, and perhaps an unhealthy relationship with technology. Not sure I could pull this off, but it may be time to cut back at least a bit.

I've already basically stopped visiting Facebook because I can't stand the onslaught of Mafia Wars, Farmville and the like.  (Not to mention some of the other challenges raised in this commentary.) And last fall, I un-followed my friends (IRL and otherwise) on Twitter because I felt like it was acting as a substitute for a social life without real effort or rewards. Then, in November and December, when I had surgery followed by my dad's fall and head injury that left me feeling scared and isolated (although he's fully recovered now), I felt like I needed that network just to know the world was bigger than the circle I was drawing myself into, so I re-followed again.

I read somewhere that women are great adopters of online social networking, just the newest way to carry the torch of connection. Does that mean Twitter has replaced quilting, or Facebook is like a church potluck? I definitely feel that social media has its place, but I'm not sure it's to reinforce a deep sense of human community.

Once again, it's beginning to feel like I'm kind of faking a feeling of intimacy with people that I connect with 140-characters at a time, or through blog rolls and comments, but that I don't really interact with face-to-face much, if at all... And it's getting me down again. I fall into believing it's something it ain't.

Well, that and the fact that I've been awake since before 2:30 AM. Maybe if I go catch a couple more hours of zzz's before the workday starts, I won't feel the need to dump Facebook and Twitter and have to figure out how to connect for realz.

Most likely, the truth (or at least a workable path) is somewhere in the middle.

Preview: Dinner to get whacked for!

Tomorrow, we cook a long overdue offering we made at Horizon's fall service auction.  (J was sick when we had it originally scheduled.)  Seven guests paid good money (to the church) to dine with us, so we need to live up to our side of the bargain.

The only thing I really haven't decided on yet is...a signature cocktail to serve, along with beer.  I'm thinking mojitos or maybe a subtly exotic margarita (prickly pear?), but still toying with other ideas as well.  Any suggestions?

The meal is built around Puerco (or Cochinita) Pibil, banana-leaf-wrapped pork braised in achiote paste, as featured in the Robert Rodriguez movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

• Cochinita Pibil (this link includes the recipe as well as the 10-miunute cooking school video; very funny but not rated G!)
• Salad of avocados & citrus (will be consulting Judy Rodgers on this, and plan to create a citrus-cilantro dressing)
• Fried platanos (plantains, the yummy soft ripe ones, a la comida Cubana)
• Buttery white rice
• Black beans
• Corn tortillas from the local mercado
• Aztec Chocolate Pudding with vanilla ice cream
• settled on Tequila Refrescas

P.S. No pictures of the food, but did snap the tablescape...

Mother's Day Poem

Happy Mother's Day (by Julian)

We like too Play Wii

Your so sweet!

You are the Best.

We like to have tea.

I like when we meet.

I put your limits to the test.

[Gotta love that ABC-ABC rhyming scheme!]

Catch up

A lovely looong weekend for Fiesta in San Antonio (including the Battle of the Flowers with the in-laws, 24 hours in the hotel room with a sick Juj, and also a fabo dinner a deux here)... came home and bought a family sedan to carry me into my 50's (yikes!)... got a great start on the backyard spring cleaning last Saturday, which left us too tired to cook Sunday, even though I really wanted to make this (and did make the dessert; but with takeout dinner)... Scarborough Faire yesterday (and the good Doktor was hilarious as always)... made chai this morning, inspired by recipes here, to start my Mother's Day off right (that and the Batter Blaster chocolate chip pancakes that Gilster made for me).

So now you know.

Oh, and as for the cooking...

I woke up at 4 AM. I stayed in bed until 5:30. I read blogs until now. So here's a post of what we ate this weekend.

Saturday:

• Flap meat briefly marinated in spicy smoked sesame oil, grated garlic & ginger, soy, hoisin, thrown in the grill pan & finished in the oven
• Spicy hoisin glazed eggplant (under the broiler, not on the grill) - super yummy!
• Whole Foods Asian stir fry mix (carrots, celery, zucchini, mushrooms, bean sprouts), stir fried

This with Planet 51 on the video on demand. A quiet end to a busy day!

Sunday:

• Artichokes baked covered in the oven (45-60 minutes at 425; perhaps a bit too long but the "heart soft as pudding" was actually pretty good!) with lemon, fennel seeds, celery, and olive oil; I cut them in half lengthwise so they cook faster and put them cut-side down over the slice of lemon and celery
• Beef short ribs with dried herbs, slow-cooked with Luchador (how could I resist that label?! plus we like Shiraz), tomato paste and mirepoix, which I stick-blended into 'gravy' at the end - sort of inspired by this but with less liquid
• Polenta
• Kale sauteed with dried chilis & shallots, finished with a bit of balsamic vinegar
• Salad of red leaf lettuce, purple cabbage, and green onion
• Rogue Smokey Blue (cheese) with toasted walnuts and honey - OMG! - especially with more of the Luchador
• Quenelles of vanilla ice cream rolled in mini-semisweet chocolate chips or mini-marshmallows with a nice homemade caramel sauce

Speaking of movies, if you like anything by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, y'know) and/or you're a Neil Patrick Harris fan, you GOT to check out Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. (Frankly, if you like comic books, Glee, musicals, satire...you'll probably like it.) I realize I'm probably one of the last to the party on this, but the DVD was fun because it's got the typical bonus materials, but even watching it online, as it was originally released, would be pretty good (three 15 minute "acts"). Thanks to Uncle Ron for the tip!

Cooking up a storm...

Well, we had thought it was going to be the weekend to work in the backyard, but with our oddly Pacific Northwest-y weather (cool-overcast-intermittent rain), plans changed.

Yesterday was surprisingly busy. In the morning, I went to the vet to get catfood (yes, our cats have delicate stomachs, and in the interest of keeping the carpets somewhat clean, they eat a very specific and somewhat expensive diet), then off to the salon, and on to the grocery shopping.

In the afternoon, we spent some time online, consulting Edmunds and Consumer Reports, and then went off to test drive a potential new car.  My darling Saturn, first new car I ever owned, is now old, burns oil, and in need of a bit of body work, so I'm getting ready to say good-bye.

There is tension between my Scottish side that says

"Don't spend more than you have to - and make sure the mpg is decent!"

and my I-don't-know-what side that says

"Well, you are going to have it at least ten years, and it's already uncomfortable when two adults and the Juj have to share the backseat of our existing cars when we have visitors, and J is only going to get bigger, and you should have a ride befitting a senior manager [whatever that means!], blah, blah, blah..."

Definitely want four doors, and am torn between hatchbacks and small family sedans. I really like hatchbacks, but then I start thinking about the whole seating 3-across in the back thing and... (Full disclosure: I also feel lust in my heart for cross-overs/small SUV's, but I'm probably too cheap to buy one, both from a purchase price and ongoing fuel consumption standpoint.)

So what's in the running?

Mainly a bunch of Hyundai's because CR says they are a good value and reliable.

The most economical and sensible choice is the Elantra SE:

But also considering the Elantra Touring Wagon, since I like hatchbacks:

And G-man thinks I should keep the Sonata in the running (more room, classier, but more $ and frankly, I think I actually prefer a boxier design with more window glass):

And my wish list might include the Tucson, except that (a) I can't test drive, or even sit in, one because the dealer can't keep them on the lot, and (b) therefore, even if the mileage was better than it is, I'd still be less likely to be able to drive a decent bargain, given the laws of supply & demand -- and that I suck at negotiation.

But I'm also considering a Volkswagen because we already have a trusted VW mechanic, and I really like the fairly roomy interior feel of our current Jetta (which is a diesel model, and gets great mileage but then I think I might be too cheap to buy a diesel). I think I'd like the gasoline version of the 4-door Golf just fine (haven't visited a dealer yet), but CR says the mixed driving mpg is low on it, although they also think it's a great car other than that, and I do mostly drive highway as there are almost no surface streets on my daily work commute.

Basically? I can't make up my mind. And that doesn't even consider other options, like Honda Accord or Nissan Sentra, or Subara Impreza Wagon... I'm so afraid of buyer's remorse, from either not really loving the car for the next 10+ years, or not really loving the monthly payment, or not really loving it at the pump.

(Got an opinion? Feel free to weigh in!)

And, yes I was going to post about what I cooked / am cooking this weekend, but too bad, it'll just have to wait, since I've already blathered on this long, and now I really want to get back to cooking.

Dinner...Chicken Dinner

Basically southwestern twist on 'chicken & dumplings' on Sunday:

• Chunks of boneless skinless chicken thighs & tenderloins, sauteed in butter with onions, chile powder, cumin (whole & powder), oregano, garlic, carrots, zucchini & red bell pepper. Added chicken stock, and made the cornmeal dumplings from this recipe (with polenta instead of cornmeal, water & stock instead of cooking liquid, and seasoned with smoked paprika & cumin). Chopped cilantro over the top. Yummy!
• Salad of red leaf lettuce, sliced radishes, a little bit of cilantro tossed in, chopped avocado.
• Leftover lemon-cherry sorbet (snow) from last week with another round of fresh strawberries.
• Delicious lukewarm mint tea with fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juice to kick it up (even better later when the ice cubes were frozen and ready to use.)

We actually had a fun although too busy weekend.

Saturday was mani-pedi, haircut, and take Juj to a birthday party at a roller rink for me (where I did lace up a pair of skates and relive my youth albeit sans much disco music); a full day's hard labor on the front yard (which looks MUCH better!) for Gilster. Then we hit the movies in the evening, and agree with so many who recommended How to Train Your Dragon (yes, fun for the whole family, except dad was so tired I think he did zzzz through a bit of it).

Tried to relax a bit more on Sunday, and did manage a little nap (or at least a rest) after Sunday school and grocery shopping, before making dinner. I am SHOCKED at how much work there is to be done as an adult and parent. Sometimes I miss being a kid, or even a double-income-no-kids. Youth is wasted on the young.

And now, it's late and so to bed... This quotidian post will have to do.

And back down again...

A word of advice:  Do NOT eat fish tacos on Sunday at a restaurant in a land-locked metropolis (remember what Anthony Bourdin tells us - fish is not delivered fresh on the weekend)! That is all.

Well, not quite all.  I've had food poisoning many times -- but always in the U.S. and never in exotic places I've been like Mexico, Thailand, or Syria -- and this was one of the worst. (Except that time in San Francisco when I used leftover green-tinged roast beef to make a sandwich to eat on the drive up from L.A.)  I did lose nearly five pounds between Saturday morning and Tuesday morning. However, even though I am quite sure it was the lunchtime fish tacos that did me in, I'm not sure I will be able to enjoy braised lamb- or anything else from Sunday's dinner menu- again any time soon.

Adventureland

My brother amazes me.

He's been to Bali for poi -- and learned to scuba in the frigid waters of the Olympic Peninsula -- and he's been skydiving (once, but still, that's 100% more than I have...or will!) -- a few years ago he learned Japanese and went to Japan -- spent a semester in Sweden in high school (and yes, learned Swedish, too). And he's not even forty yet!

Happy birthday, big guy!

(And yes, I'm cheating and backdating the post on this, since I was sick on your birthday. Big sister privileges.)

Arisen -- or at least coming up for air...

Oh, it's been busy. Mostly busy with work. The nice(?) thing is that, although they "let go" of several people at work in the 2nd part of March, I was not one of them. But there's a heckuva lot of work to do. But it beats unemployment.

Enough of that frivolity...what's for dinner tonight, this Easter Sunday in 2010?

• Slow roasted lamb shoulder and carrots
• Bulghur pilaf with asparagus, peas, and scallions
• Salad with radishes and probably a citrus-shallot vinaigrette
• Fresh strawberries with sugar-free, fat-free cherry-lemon sorbet (sounds great eh? I fear the sorbet may not be as good as it sounds; when you make sorbet or ice cream with Splenda, the cure for the texture problem that you inherit by not using sugar is to add a bit of gelatin, but it's just never quite right)

And while we're at it, what about last Sunday, when the guys came home from their trip to San Antonio? (Boppo is recovering nicely, for the record!)

• Chicken roasted with purple carrots with shallots & jerusalem artichokes
• Salad with fennel, avocado, and citrus vinaigrette
• Kale sauteed with red bell pepper and balsamic vinegar
• Roasted cauliflower with capers

Earth Hour

It's blessedly quiet here right now. And tonight, I hope to remember to make a small gesture by turning off my lights for Earth Hour.

But for now? The cats are milling around to remind me that it's past time for them to have breakfast. There's a retirement account to roll-over. A prescription to refill. Spreadsheets to tame. Taxes to get organized (*groan*). Groceries to be bought and vegies to be prepped. (As you may have guessed from my Spring Break post, I did not exactly lose any weight in S.F. so it's time to get back on top of the lifestyle change!)

So, happy Saturday to everyone! The more I get done today, the more I can observe the Sabbath tomorrow. ;-)

I Left My Heart (or at least some cash) in San Francisco (restaurants)

Visited my parents in San Francisco for spring break. It was a jam-packed adventure, full of food, walking (which only partly counteracted all that food), and lots of family time.

The Juj and I arrived on Monday evening, after a day in which I said I was going to work half the day but I was still on a conference call after two o'clock. However, we managed to get packed up and out of the house in a timely manner, and had a nice uneventful flight.

Tuesday, we spent much of that day at my aunt & uncle's house in Pacifica, visiting with them, their two daughters, a very long-standing friend of my parents, and new twin cousin-lings (son & daughter of one of my cousins). The three-month-old kiddos were way cute, and I'm hoping someone sends me one of the pictures of J holding his baby cousin. Juj and I also walked a few blocks to the beach to build a sand castle to get the week started right. When we got back, Dad and I walked J over to the "baby park" (little local park with a cool play area for toddlers, mostly) while my Mom took a nap. And I cooked for my parents that night:

• rice noodles with a thai peanut (and almond butter) sauce
• sauteed julienned sweet potato with curry powder
• vegie stir-fry

Wednesday, we tried to drown my child. Well, not really, but we went to the Cafe at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for lunch and then took him out to Ocean Beach where we had a sand castle contest, buried him in sand (hmm, another picture I need a copy of) and then he and my dad went wading in the surf. Which seemed harmless, especially since the water was way too cold for you to want to get in more than ankle deep, but they got surprised by a wave that knocked Juj right over, soaking his clothes and filling his ears (and every other part of him) with sand. In the evening, we picked up Gilster at the airport and had too much Thai food delivered from one of their neighborhood restaurants.

(My parents are finishing up a six-month sub-let of a cool little 2-BR apartment in a great neighborhood adjacent to the Castro. We walked to the park at least twice, to several meals, to the library, to two different grocery stores, and to the movies! Oh, and EVERY walk included much uphill and downhill.)

Thursday was date night. But first we took J to the Conservatory of Flowers to see a model railroad and lots of plants (duh!) We also had Peasant Pies for lunch (from the neighborhood), and walked to the library in the afternoon. But the highlight was the dinner that DH and I had at Zuni Cafe:

• Cocktails - Elderflower & Prosecco for me, Sazerac for him
• Fried Sardines with a lovely pickled carrot slaw (I had my doubts, but it was good!)
• Another antipasto that I can't remember except that it was yummy and came with Nettle Pesto Crostini
• A half bottle of Vin de Savoie “Arbin” (Les Fils de Charles Trosset, Savoie)
• Arugula, Endive & Blood Orange Salad (I think; things got a little hazy)
• Plate of spiced baby goat - awesome, with a riblet, sausage, a succulent short rib, garbanzos...
• Bleu cheese with honey
• After dinner drinks (now you see why this whole thing is a bit hazy) - Tawny Port for me, Amaro Nonino for him (which was a revelation; we're already fans of Amaro Averna but the lighter, more citrusy Nonino was even better!)
• Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta (to die for, barely enough gelatin to hold it together, mmm...)
• Espresso

So we walked most of the way home (Dad picked us up before the hard final uphill climb commenced).

Friday, my grandmother drove down from Oregon to see her great-grandson, as well as the rest of us bumpkins. In the morning, before she arrived, we walked to breakfast and Whole Foods (and my dad and I walking beat the ones who took the bus back home!). Then, after Grammy joined us, we spent part of the day at Fisherman's Wharf, doing a couple of tourist things that none of us had done before, despite that fact that my extended family has lived in the Bay Area off and on for much of our lives. We also got checked into our hotel -- I love Priceline! -- so my grandmother could stay in my parents' second bedroom while she was visiting.

That evening, we walked down to Castro Street where another old friend of the family (on her way to Panama!) met us for dinner. And gelato. And an uphill walk back to the house.

Saturday, I cooked dinner. Made the braised lentils and broccoli rabe that DH made a few weeks ago, and somewhat improvised a lemon panna cotta that was good but distinctly separated into a somewhat curdled cream layer (tasty, just not smooth) and another more lemon-jello-like layer. We ate it all, however! And that was after going to the local yummy crepe place, Queen Malika, for brunch. And I'm sure we did something else, I'm just not sure what...

Sunday, we checked out of the hotel, and the Gilster and I took my Grammy to Zuni for an early lunch. After all, we had to go back for the roast chicken, which we had along with a shaved sunchoke and orange salad with ginger vinaigrette and Marash pepper, a poached egg with artichoke and big white beans, and three desserts: espresso granita with whipped cream (me), hazelnut biscottini (DH), and creme brulee (Gram). I think the whole lunch took us two and half hours, but of course, they roast the chicken to order. My grandmother took off in the early afternoon, and Gil, Juj and I took in Alice in Wonderland (which I vote as one of Tim Burton's better films) at the Castro Theatre, which is a beautiful old movie palace.

And in the evening, a couple of my oldest friends, who have now been married for many years but that I knew individually in high school before they ever met each other, drove up the Peninsula and joined us for dinner. We even received a call from another dearest high school buddy, who I may get to see when she comes to Dallas in a couple of weeks! We decided to just walk over to 24th Street and see what we could find to eat, and ended up at a great little (very) Italian place, that I would gladly visit again. The fog had rolled in, and it was pleasantly cool and damp, which made our meal, and the little fireplace in the restaurant, all the more cozy.

Then we flew out Monday. And managed to get up and go to school & work this morning, even with it being the first time we'd had to really get going on Daylight Savings Time plus Pacific Time jet lag. (And yikes, look at the time -- I'd better get to bed since I have an early conference call tomorrow!)  Maybe we need a vacation after all that...

Odds and Phlegms

Oh dear. J seems to have another cold.  Well, the past two times, it's been more than colds -- we've already lost 6 days of school to illness since the beginning of January. Add in a couple of snow days, and it's a good thing that he's smart and goes to a private Montessori where he works at his own pace, so I assume he's not falling behind too much.

But it does seem to be just a cold this time (no fever), and we've got an appointment with same allergist his dad sees at the end of the month, so...it is what it is. However, the timing is not good, as he and I are going to San Francisco to visit my folks for spring break. On Monday. So I hope he's not too sick too fly.

I've been working like crazy, trying to get ready for this trip. I've given up my Lenten study group (had to work late on our book night this week, won't be here next week) as well as the 'lifestyle change' classes at my doctor's office. Although I still have all the literature for both, plus my copy of The Happiness Project so I'll continue reading and practicing over the vacation.

And actually I haven't totally fallen off the rails. I'm slowly losing weight -- very slowly, because I backslide some on the eating habits on my worst stress days at the office and I haven't started exercising consistently. But on the other hand, I really am eating smaller amounts of better food more frequently and fewer simple carbs including sweets. And I do exercise occasionally, which is up from never. Plus I finally figured out where the stairs are at work, and the garage is under the building and I sit on the second floor, so I have that to look forward to.

Last Sunday's dinner was not exactly diet food, but I continue to work on my portion control, and this was a yummy little vegetarian feast (well, except I guess maybe gelatin is not vegetarian -- oops!):

• Cauliflower & Caramelized Onion Tart from Smitten Kitchen -- and I made this without a crust, which worked fine and saved me that bit of fat and white flour (which might seem laughable given the other ingredients but hey, take it where you can)
• Butter Lettuce with Oranges, Avocado & Shallot Vinaigrette from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook -- oh, how we love Judy Rodgers around here; we may or may not try to hit Chez Panisse once G-man joins me out West, but Zuni? absolutely!
• Bubble City Salad from Star Wars Cookbook II -- we had actually several recipes from this fine tome over the weekend, but adapted this one with sugar-free jello and Fresca to be more appropriate for low glycemic index consumption

Improv: Might be good, might be bad, usually interesting

It's been an improv cooking week.  

Made skillet chicken and dumplings last night, with cornmeal (actually 'instant' dry polenta) dumplings, cut-up boneless skinless chicken breasts, and frozen mixed vegies, and it was good. Except it was salty. Except the dumplings. But it was still pretty good, I did enjoy the leftovers for lunch today.

Also made a quick garbanzo and vegetable soup from scratch on Wednesday, when I was working from home and looked up to realize that it was after noon and no doubt that's why I was shaking and starving. What could I throw in a pot and not blow my new eating habits too much? Can of chickpeas, can of tomatoes, on top of chopped onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and celery that I sauteed first in olive oil. A little water, a little Worcester sauce, a little better than bouillon, a bay leaf -- et voila!  (And all this was because I opened a can of minestrone in pantry to heat in the microwave and noticed it was a little past due, uh, April 2007 anyone?)

Sunday night, I made

• Ragu of pork sausage & ground turkey thighs (simmered a bit too violently, and the milk broke, even though it was canned evaporated milk, so it looked a little creepy but tasted GREAT)
• Spaghetti squash (which had been in my cupboard forever, but luckily I was inspired by Tasty Kitchen to finally cook it)
• Sauteed ratatouille bake (that is to say, the other day I layered slices of onion, plum tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant with olive oil and thyme and baked it in the oven; then I reheated it in a skillet...and it was a BIG hit with Ron and I because eggplant is one of those things that should not be undercooked)
• Herb salad with baby spinach (and I even washed and dried it first, because G-man read in Cook's Illustrated or Consumer Reports or something that "triple washed" greens in the clamshells aren't actually clean)

It's an award! A major award!

OK, not that the Pioneer Woman needs anyone to pimp her blog, but I'm pretty excited that I won, I won, I won...this bee-yoo-ti-ful pot:

It may be time for Coq au Vin!

In the Meme Time...

I've done more than half of these (and there are a few I didn't bold but I did comment on because my memory is hazy)...not bad for mid-life...although there are several that I have no interest in attempting. Makes me think about starting a personal bucket list (things I want to do/see before I kick the bucket).

Instructions: Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (and Alaska - both more than once; both with family, as well as while touring with dance companies during my first career!)
5. Watched a meteor shower 
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (in my youth, when off-key is more cute than annoying; and more than once...)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (more than once)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (as a kid in the rural community where I spent my middle school years; yes, I've hopped in the back of a pick-up truck driven by total strangers)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (we call those "mental health" days, right?)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon 
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (actually, this is one of the ways I've visited Hawaii)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Scotland)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (at times)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (does Wii Rock Band count or did it have to be in a bar full of strangers?)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (in Alaska with my grandmother, when she broke her ankle)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (but it wasn't my fault!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (not really sure; for my 30th birthday, some friends hired a limo to take us around D.C. on a quest for my first jello shots...I do remember stopping where we could see the White House at one point that evening)
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (probably; have been to NYC several times)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (my very first one; I bet that woman regretted placing the ad for someone to clean her house "perfect job for a teenager")
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (only one, and I'm still driving it 13 years later)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House (see #70 - we didn't go inside, so I don't think it counts)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (chickens)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (more than once)
91. Met someone famous (several including David Hockney, Mark Morris, Kyle McLaughlin & Harry Anderson during my theatre days; Kim Richards when they filmed the original Escape to Witch Mountain at my elementary school; in high school, I jumped onstage and kissed Bob Weir at a Grateful Dead concert -- does that count?)
92. Joined a book club (just!)
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (and pulled out the stinger)