Already voted. Mailed it in weeks ago. If you haven't yet voted, please do so.
If it's Election Day, that must mean it's November, and if it's November, that means it's time to get ready for Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is my husband's favorite holiday. It ranks up there for me too. This year, I've decided to bring in some new side dishes to the rotation, courtesy of the New York Times website:
Roasted corn with mint
Roasted cauliflower with sage
As you may know, I like to roast vegetables - easy and little cleanup. These side dishes can be done ahead of time and kept warm in the oven. I'm big on getting as much done ahead of time as possible for these big events. Here is my prospective schedule:
Tuesday: do all shopping, pick up the bird (a fresh bird)
Wednesday: make pumpkin pie, sweet potato souffle, cranberry chutney, brine turkey, and prep all vegetables for tomorrow (except for potatoes). Get second table leaf into the dining room table. Go out for dinner.
Thursday (early morning): make stuffing, stuff bird and get it in the oven, clean up kitchen round one. (late morning): Set the table. Prepare vegetables for side dishes, peel potatoes and get them cooked. Once potatoes are cooked and mashed, add them to slow cooker set on Warm. Cook all other side dishes and keep them warm in low oven. Clean kitchen round two.
[it helps to have double ovens on days like this]
I leave the appetizers to the guests to bring unless I'm feeling particularly ambitious.
A new-ish tradition for our family is to have a second turkey, a smoked one from Greenberg Smoked Turkeys. Let me tell you, it is one delicious bird - we let it get to room temperature and let people carve up some smoked turkey if they are so inclined. And the leftovers are delicious. We just have to remember to keep the dogs away from all the food! Here's the link: Greenberg Smoked Turkeys
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Why I Love This Country
Many years ago back in the salad days of my youth, I joined the Peace Corps. I didn't join because I had starry-eyed notions of world peace or a deep-rooted need to help the poor. Sorry if that offends you. The Peace Corps doesn't actually want people who are too idealistic. When reality hits, and it will with a vengeance when you are sitting in a hut somewhere with no electricity or running water, fighting off insects the size of small birds, and nursing a fever or a wound that refuses to heal, the idealists are the first to cry out, "get me the hell out of here!" So it helps to be motivated by some self-interest. In my case, I wanted to travel and see the world a little bit. I figured it would look good on my future resume and set me apart from the rest of the pack.
I made the decision during the last quarter of my senior year at UCLA. I was an English major, it was 1982, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do after college. So, I joined the Peace Corps and got sent to Liberia the following December. I became a high school English teacher in a small-sized town in the northernmost part of the country, along the border with Sierra Leone.
For two years I lived in a small house made of mud bricks with a tin roof. During the rainy season it was really noisy. I had electricity at night, usually. I had a small refrigerator and was able to keep a few things in it (and away from any bugs) and as long as I didn't open it much during the day, it kept the food cold.
I taught four classes of 9 - 12th graders and over the two years I was there, I had many great experiences, a few bad ones, and met many wonderful people. I traveled to Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone. I got malaria, twice.
When my time was nearing an end, the people in my town knew I was going to be leaving soon. Several people came to me, and offered me their children. I'm sure some of you might read this and think, "Wow! That's awful! Who would give up their kid like that?" I can assure you they did it because they loved their children so much, and knew that life in America was so much better than their life in Liberia, that they would willingly (and sadly) give their child to a silly American girl. They had more faith in the American dream than the typical annoying college student who wants to Occupy Wall Street and demands someone else pay off her student loans.
Of course, I declined the offers.
When I got back to the States, I was in a fog for a few months because of all the choices that were available to me again. From the grocery store to a department store, to restaurants, to museums and libraries, it was glorious! Being away from all the conveniences of life made some of my fellow RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) contemptuous of America. For me, I remember walking around thanking my lucky stars that I lived in a such a great country.
Which is why I have a hard time when I hear certain people (who are abundant in this part of California) wax poetic about reducing their carbon footprints, growing what they eat, recycling everything, becoming vegans, and so forth. I've seen this life, up close, and there is nothing romantic about it. Just ask the people currently suffering without electricity in the New York area. An hour might be charming. A day becomes really irritating. Weeks without electricity and clean water breed desperation and anger.
I made the decision during the last quarter of my senior year at UCLA. I was an English major, it was 1982, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do after college. So, I joined the Peace Corps and got sent to Liberia the following December. I became a high school English teacher in a small-sized town in the northernmost part of the country, along the border with Sierra Leone.
For two years I lived in a small house made of mud bricks with a tin roof. During the rainy season it was really noisy. I had electricity at night, usually. I had a small refrigerator and was able to keep a few things in it (and away from any bugs) and as long as I didn't open it much during the day, it kept the food cold.
I taught four classes of 9 - 12th graders and over the two years I was there, I had many great experiences, a few bad ones, and met many wonderful people. I traveled to Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone. I got malaria, twice.
When my time was nearing an end, the people in my town knew I was going to be leaving soon. Several people came to me, and offered me their children. I'm sure some of you might read this and think, "Wow! That's awful! Who would give up their kid like that?" I can assure you they did it because they loved their children so much, and knew that life in America was so much better than their life in Liberia, that they would willingly (and sadly) give their child to a silly American girl. They had more faith in the American dream than the typical annoying college student who wants to Occupy Wall Street and demands someone else pay off her student loans.
Of course, I declined the offers.
When I got back to the States, I was in a fog for a few months because of all the choices that were available to me again. From the grocery store to a department store, to restaurants, to museums and libraries, it was glorious! Being away from all the conveniences of life made some of my fellow RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) contemptuous of America. For me, I remember walking around thanking my lucky stars that I lived in a such a great country.
Which is why I have a hard time when I hear certain people (who are abundant in this part of California) wax poetic about reducing their carbon footprints, growing what they eat, recycling everything, becoming vegans, and so forth. I've seen this life, up close, and there is nothing romantic about it. Just ask the people currently suffering without electricity in the New York area. An hour might be charming. A day becomes really irritating. Weeks without electricity and clean water breed desperation and anger.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
House Hunter Whiners
Okay, so I'm watching House Hunters again and I find myself wanting to throw something at the tv. I've had this feeling before. Usually the cause is some entitled, whiny female. Do they pick the people for this show based on how obnoxious they appear on camera?
Here's a checklist for how to appear on House Hunters in the most unflattering light possible:
Here's a checklist for how to appear on House Hunters in the most unflattering light possible:
- Have a huge "wish list" of "must-haves" in your "dream house".
- Have a budget for your house in exact inverse to the size of the wish list.
- Complain about every room in every house you see. Find very little to like about each house.
- Accuse your real estate agent of not understanding your need to find the perfect house for a small amount of money.
- Accuse your real estate agent of incompetence for not finding you the perfect house for your paltry budget.
- Act like doing any work at all in your future home is simply out of the question.
- Immediately enter a room and complain about the paint color, because we all know how incredibly difficult and expensive it is to repaint a room.
- Act as though not having stainless steel appliances in your starter home is a felony worthy of the death penalty.
- Demand a gourmet kitchen and then jokingly mention how you hate to cook and never plan on doing any cooking.
- Question the presence of a dining room, especially by saying something like, "What am I supposed to do with this room! This isn't how I live!"
And yet I keep watching.
Don't even get me started on the dimwit on House Hunters International who complained the entire episode about how terribly difficult it was to find a suitable Parisian apartment for her measly $3 - $4 million budget. This chick and her French hubby were looking at some absolutely stunning and huge apartments with views of the freaking Eiffel Tower and all she could do was complain that the kitchens needed to be gutted.
Friday, October 26, 2012
What Dementia Is (cont.)
So I had to take my mother to the doctor's yesterday for a routine visit. I don't actually take her - I meet her there because she is brought to the office building by a big van that can hold a wheelchair. As I start wheeling her into the building she says something about wanting to go home and see her husband. She wants to see her family. I reassure her that that is just what we will do as soon as she has her doctor appointment. (My father has been dead for over two years and she's been living in an assisted living facility for almost three years.)
I get her into the doctor's office and thankfully we don't have to wait at all. We go into the examination room and the nurse comes in to do the usual blood pressure, etc. She looks at the nurse and says, "I love you" probably five times. Then she looks at me.
Her eyes narrow. And she gets the meanest look on her face.
I give her a big smile.
"What's wrong? You look upset."
"That's because I'm looking at a JERK!"
"I'm not a jerk. I'm here to help you."
"You are not here to help. You are a piece of SHIT!"
And so it goes. I look away for a minute and when I look back at her she's still staring at me through little slits. She again calls me a jerk.
When the doctor comes in, she tells her she loves her. Over and over.
After her appointment, she was much calmer. She actually got a flu shot and didn't get upset at all. I would have thought she might have called the nurse a piece of shit for sticking her with a needle, but no, that honor was reserved for me.
When the big van came to get her, she told me over and over again that she loved me.
I get her into the doctor's office and thankfully we don't have to wait at all. We go into the examination room and the nurse comes in to do the usual blood pressure, etc. She looks at the nurse and says, "I love you" probably five times. Then she looks at me.
Her eyes narrow. And she gets the meanest look on her face.
I give her a big smile.
"What's wrong? You look upset."
"That's because I'm looking at a JERK!"
"I'm not a jerk. I'm here to help you."
"You are not here to help. You are a piece of SHIT!"
And so it goes. I look away for a minute and when I look back at her she's still staring at me through little slits. She again calls me a jerk.
When the doctor comes in, she tells her she loves her. Over and over.
After her appointment, she was much calmer. She actually got a flu shot and didn't get upset at all. I would have thought she might have called the nurse a piece of shit for sticking her with a needle, but no, that honor was reserved for me.
When the big van came to get her, she told me over and over again that she loved me.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Joys of Roasted Vegetables
I think this is becoming a cooking blog. Oh well. I love to cook and love to share ideas.
The other day my friend Patti asked me what I thought she should serve with a special dinner she was preparing. She wanted an easy to make and serve vegetable side dish since the rest of the dinner she was making was more complicated.
That was an easy answer for me. My favorite go-to vegetable preparation is the roasted version. Why? First off, less cleanup. I seriously look for reasons to not have to do cleanup after dinner. Secondly, a lot of vegetables taste a whole lot better after they've been roasted. Third, I feel like a real chef when I'm doing this, as I use no measuring spoons or cups.
Ready? Here goes.
Vegetables that you can use (alone or in combinations):
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Onions
Garlic (don't peel - just separate the cloves)
Asparagus
Small, waxy potatoes
Sweet potatoes
What you need:
A rimmed baking sheet
Foil
Cooking spray
Good olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Heat the oven to about 425. You want a hot oven to really roast your vegetables.
Line the baking sheet with foil. Don't be skimpy with the foil unless you want to wash that baking sheet later. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Prepare your vegetables. Wash and cut them to a manageable size. For example, cut the cauliflower into flowerets. If a floweret is still too big, slice it in half. Cut the brussels sprouts in half, through the stem, so that the leaves stay together. You can leave asparagus whole, but trim off the tough ends. If using sweet potatoes, peel them and dice into pieces that are bite-sized, but not tiny (you don't want them to burn). You don't need to peel your waxy potatoes, but make sure they are all about the same size. If there are some larger ones in the group, cut in half. Your goal is to try to make sure everything cooks at the same time.
Toss the vegetables onto the baking sheet, and drizzle well with olive oil. If you have it, try an oil that is infused with another flavor - a citrus olive oil is great with asparagus or sweet potatoes, for example.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don't be shy about that part.
Pop the pan into the oven. Keep an eye on things - the time it takes depends on the vegetables. It is a hot oven, so smaller stuff will cook pretty fast.
The vegetables I tend to do alone are the sprouts, cauliflower and asparagus. The potatoes can be done in combination - sweet and regular, along with some quartered onions and a few cloves of garlic. That's a great side dish and very easy.
The other day my friend Patti asked me what I thought she should serve with a special dinner she was preparing. She wanted an easy to make and serve vegetable side dish since the rest of the dinner she was making was more complicated.
That was an easy answer for me. My favorite go-to vegetable preparation is the roasted version. Why? First off, less cleanup. I seriously look for reasons to not have to do cleanup after dinner. Secondly, a lot of vegetables taste a whole lot better after they've been roasted. Third, I feel like a real chef when I'm doing this, as I use no measuring spoons or cups.
Ready? Here goes.
Vegetables that you can use (alone or in combinations):
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Onions
Garlic (don't peel - just separate the cloves)
Asparagus
Small, waxy potatoes
Sweet potatoes
What you need:
A rimmed baking sheet
Foil
Cooking spray
Good olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Heat the oven to about 425. You want a hot oven to really roast your vegetables.
Line the baking sheet with foil. Don't be skimpy with the foil unless you want to wash that baking sheet later. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Prepare your vegetables. Wash and cut them to a manageable size. For example, cut the cauliflower into flowerets. If a floweret is still too big, slice it in half. Cut the brussels sprouts in half, through the stem, so that the leaves stay together. You can leave asparagus whole, but trim off the tough ends. If using sweet potatoes, peel them and dice into pieces that are bite-sized, but not tiny (you don't want them to burn). You don't need to peel your waxy potatoes, but make sure they are all about the same size. If there are some larger ones in the group, cut in half. Your goal is to try to make sure everything cooks at the same time.
Toss the vegetables onto the baking sheet, and drizzle well with olive oil. If you have it, try an oil that is infused with another flavor - a citrus olive oil is great with asparagus or sweet potatoes, for example.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don't be shy about that part.
Pop the pan into the oven. Keep an eye on things - the time it takes depends on the vegetables. It is a hot oven, so smaller stuff will cook pretty fast.
The vegetables I tend to do alone are the sprouts, cauliflower and asparagus. The potatoes can be done in combination - sweet and regular, along with some quartered onions and a few cloves of garlic. That's a great side dish and very easy.
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Barking Dead
Scout: "No, you idiot! That won't work! We need to bring on the full death stare. Ready? Let's give her the freaky glow eyes."
Houston: "Here goes!"
Scout: "That's right, lady. Pick up the food bowls and fill them up. RIGHT NOW."
A Nice Way to Start the Day
My older son loves the breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks. You know the ones - an egg, cheese, some kind of meat, all bundled up in an English muffin.
He drives himself to high school now, and prefers to leave a bit early so he has a decent parking space. So, I've been making him a breakfast sandwich in the morning, and wrapping it up so he can eat it once he's at school.
Here's how I do it and what you'll need:
Purchase Norpro non-stick egg rings (sold as a set of two) from Amazon. Make sure you buy the smaller size, which are intended for eggs, not the larger size which are for pancakes.
You also need cooking spray, butter, a good small sized non-stick pan, an egg (duh), an English muffin, and some kind of breakfast meat and cheese.
The meat part is easy - cook a sausage patty (flatten it as much as possible to keep it from shrinking too much), or heat up Canadian bacon or a small ham slice.
Use an English muffin which is sturdy - some brands are thicker than others. You don't want it to fall apart once you've put it together and wrapped it up. Time the toasting of the English muffin or bagel so that it is done about the time the egg is done. This will probably take a few tries to get it timed correctly.
The hardest part is cooking the egg right. Although you are cooking it in an egg ring, there is a trick to getting it cooked without making a mess of it.
At this point, you will look at that egg and say, "What is the Bubble Lady talking about? That's not enough egg for Junior's breakfast sandwich."
Have patience.
After a few minutes, lift up the pan lid and take a peek. See? The egg has puffed up to the top of the egg ring, hasn't it?
You should be able to see whether or not the egg has cooked completely through. If it is still wet looking on top, just put the lid back on and wait another 30 seconds or so.
The beauty of my technique is you don't need to flip the egg over. You really don't want to do that because if you do it too soon, the egg just pours out and well, you've just made a really ugly omelet. This way, the egg is cooked through, and it still looks great!
Lift the ring off (use a fork) and use a spatula to put the egg on the muffin, add the cheese, the meat and wrap it up. It's ready to be eaten! The residual heat of the sandwich should melt the cheese.
Some suggestions:
Meat: sausage patties, Canadian bacon, ham slices, regular bacon sliced in half
Cheese: slices of cheddar, Havarti, smoked gouda
Bread: English muffin, bagel, regular bread
You could even add a slice of tomato if you are eating it right away. Make sure to put it in the middle, as if it rests against the bread it might make it too soggy.
Enjoy!
He drives himself to high school now, and prefers to leave a bit early so he has a decent parking space. So, I've been making him a breakfast sandwich in the morning, and wrapping it up so he can eat it once he's at school.
Here's how I do it and what you'll need:
Purchase Norpro non-stick egg rings (sold as a set of two) from Amazon. Make sure you buy the smaller size, which are intended for eggs, not the larger size which are for pancakes.
You also need cooking spray, butter, a good small sized non-stick pan, an egg (duh), an English muffin, and some kind of breakfast meat and cheese.
The meat part is easy - cook a sausage patty (flatten it as much as possible to keep it from shrinking too much), or heat up Canadian bacon or a small ham slice.
Use an English muffin which is sturdy - some brands are thicker than others. You don't want it to fall apart once you've put it together and wrapped it up. Time the toasting of the English muffin or bagel so that it is done about the time the egg is done. This will probably take a few tries to get it timed correctly.
The hardest part is cooking the egg right. Although you are cooking it in an egg ring, there is a trick to getting it cooked without making a mess of it.
- First, melt butter in your non-stick pan on low heat. You want a decent film of butter at the bottom because it will assist in creating a nice seal at the bottom of your egg ring.
- Second, spray the egg ring in the inside with some cooking spray. Even though the rings are non-stick, this will make it super easy to lift the ring off the egg.
- Third, crack one egg in a bowl and quickly scramble it with a fork. You only need one egg. Trust me on this.
- Place the egg ring in the melted butter and push it into butter to seal it up on the bottom edge of the ring. Then, pour the beaten egg into the ring.
- Take a pan lid and cover the frying pan. Make sure your heat is low. Now would be a good time to toast the English muffin.
At this point, you will look at that egg and say, "What is the Bubble Lady talking about? That's not enough egg for Junior's breakfast sandwich."
Have patience.
After a few minutes, lift up the pan lid and take a peek. See? The egg has puffed up to the top of the egg ring, hasn't it?
You should be able to see whether or not the egg has cooked completely through. If it is still wet looking on top, just put the lid back on and wait another 30 seconds or so.
The beauty of my technique is you don't need to flip the egg over. You really don't want to do that because if you do it too soon, the egg just pours out and well, you've just made a really ugly omelet. This way, the egg is cooked through, and it still looks great!
Lift the ring off (use a fork) and use a spatula to put the egg on the muffin, add the cheese, the meat and wrap it up. It's ready to be eaten! The residual heat of the sandwich should melt the cheese.
Some suggestions:
Meat: sausage patties, Canadian bacon, ham slices, regular bacon sliced in half
Cheese: slices of cheddar, Havarti, smoked gouda
Bread: English muffin, bagel, regular bread
You could even add a slice of tomato if you are eating it right away. Make sure to put it in the middle, as if it rests against the bread it might make it too soggy.
Enjoy!
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