Happy Valentine's Day!

So Valentine's Day is sort of a mixed bag of emotions for me....

It is my parents' anniversary, which is nice, although probably not as romantic as it might seem. My mother alluded that she knew that my dad would never forget their anniversary with a whole industry reminding him, weeks in advance, that the day was coming. Anyway, they celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary today! Wow!


As for me, two years ago, I got broken up with on my Valentine's Day weekend trip to see my boyfriend. So, that is not such a good memory but it was actually a catalyst for me to start blogging! My second ever post was a poll about the situation, as a few of you may remember.

I can count the times that I have gotten flowers on Valentines day on one hand, two fingers to be exact, and one time was from my parents! Until today! Now, let's hear it for 3 fingers! As you can see, I recieved a lovely bouquet of red, pink and white tulips this year and I have to admit, I am really pleased!

I know it seems a little stupid to get all wrapped up in a holiday that is largely the creation of commercialism but for me it is really about being appreciated. And, while it is truly better to feel appreciated throughout the entire year and not just on one day, especially when relationships are new, it is really nice when someone takes advantage of the opportunity to show that they care!

New Year traditions

So, for some reason, maybe in an attempt at comfort, I decided on a whim to make black eyed peas this year. This is funny because 1) I have never made them before and 2) I never really liked them when I was a kid and I don't think that I have ever had them since then. Also, I decided to buy 2 1 lb bags of beans. Maybe subconsciously I figured, the more good luck the better! So now, having convinced myself that I could make them taste good, I have a 9 qt stockpot full of peas and you know... they really taste good! I think the difference is that I cooked them in chicken stock instead of just water.

So the New Years tradition with black eyed peas is that you are supposed to eat them on New Years Day for good luck but I was talking to a friend of mine and she mentioned something her mother told her about not washing clothes or dishes on New Years Day because that would be bad luck --- something about washing away good fortune or something like that. Have you heard of this tradition? What other New Years traditions do you know about?

Happy New Year!

Wishing peace, prosperity, health and happiness to you all!

There is no debate....

So if you had read a prior post , you know that my parents and I were planning to go see The Great Debaters on Christmas Day. We decided to go see the first showing and that I would finish cooking dinner afterwards.

Let me tell you, this movie does not disappoint. It was a great story about a group of history making college students who, inspired by a seemingly, slightly eccentric professor, proved that a group of black students from a small liberal arts college in depression-ridden backwater Marshall, Texas could develop the oratory skills to win debate after debate, and also eventually, beat a championship-winning white team.

The movie is just good film-making. Although, a few constructs seem a little too convenient and seem likely to have been the results of a little poetic license, it is a great, inspiring, and emotional story based on true events. I tried to finish my "ugly cry", as Oprah puts it, before the lights went up in the theater. I was somewhat successful....

Before hearing about this movie, I had never heard of Melvin Tolson or Wiley College or their debate team. And after seeing this movie, I can't help but be struck by how many other courageous stories may be out there in our history that we have no idea about whatsoever! I mean, this guy went on to Langston University and taught my mother English, and besides being the Poet Laureate of Liberia, she had no idea about his time at Wiley. It makes me wonder about how many other inspiring and unknown stories are out there.

Bottom line: Go see this movie before the weekend is out!

Merry Christmas!!

It was quarter past dawn...
All the Whos, still a-bed
All the Whos, still a-snooze
When he packed up his sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! 

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit,
He rode to the tiptop to dump it!
"Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"The all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!" 

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch,
"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow... 

But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY! 

He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise! 

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same! 

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" 

And what happened then...?
Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And he... 

...HE HIMSELF...!
The Grinch carved the roast beast!

Excerpt from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss from the Absolute Grinch website


Merry Christmas everyone!!!

It's time for a little holiday baking!

As you have probably been able to tell by now, I get a little self-involved in my cooking. And, true to form, every December I jump into my yearly holiday baking tradition. It started mostly as a way to provide gifts for friends and co-workers and, of course, it has evolved into me spending days cooking a myriad of things to include in little gift baskets. Because, of course, I can't just cook a bunch on one thing for everybody, I have to provide variety.

This year has been true to form. This year I decided to make about 12 things to give to about 25 people. One or two recipes were new ones, and there were a number of old favorites. Here was the list of goodies:

Holly Wreath Treats

Holiday Biscotti with Pistachios and Cranberries

Chocolate Hazelnut Ginger Biscotti

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Poundcake

Cinnamon Popcorn (the one thing I didn't make)

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

Rum Balls

Pecan Sandies

Spiced Rum Pumpkin cupcakes

Red Velvet cupcakes

What I didn't factor in was how much more difficult it would be to get the treats to people this year. I am used to just bringing a bunch of stuff to work and walking around to people's desks. Obviously, this year was more difficult. I missed one couple because I couldn't get stuff to them before they left for the holidays but all in all, it worked out. I'll just have to get the folks I missed next year.

Sweating in December....

I just did my Christmas baking grocery shopping..... in 75 degree weather! I suppose that this is not strange for at least about 50% of the world but I am finding this a little strange. Don't get me wrong, the weather is beautiful but with all this wackiness I wonder if I am ever going to get to wear my boots!

I have some very cute boots!

My Christmas tree solution

So, this year, for the first time in a long time, I am going to be celebrating Christmas in my house. We normally all travel up to my aunt's place and stay there but this year she and her husband are going to see his son so my parents are going to come to my place to celebrate which means I don't have to put out any money for travel which is great. But it did leave me with a little dilemma.

I don't really have many Christmas decorations because, well, I am normally not home and I also don't have a Christmas tree. Artificial trees are expensive and more than I want to spend for one year and, to be honest, in my entire life, I have never had a real tree! (I know, I know...)

The first 5-6 years of my life, we had a little 2 1/2 foot silver tinsel tree that we used to set on top of a decorative trunk and arrange presents around. And you know what, it might as well been 10 feet tall as far as I was concerned. When I was about 6 or 7, my mom bought a full sized, life-like artificial tree from Kmart, which I think is the same tree they have in basement now. And it was great. It even had a little fake snow on the branches. And when we were done, we packed it back away and didnt have to worry about needles falling off or when the tree disposal pickup would be.

Although I seemed to inherit a Christmas tree stand when i purchased this house, I really don't feel like dealing with a real tree, plus I am concerned that my dog will try to eat it, so I came up with an alternate solution...

I bought 2 rosemary bush trees and placed them on the mantle. Perfect! And after Christmas is over, I can use the rosemary for cooking! So I went out and bought little mini ornaments and well, I think they are almost as good as the real thing!

Like the stockings?

Giving thanks....

So it is Thanksgiving time and you know I had to do some cooking. In fact, somehow, I ended up cooking the entire dinner, save about 2 things this year! Oh, and we ended up having 12 people.

After coordinating all the grocery lists etc. with my parents, I headed up to their house on Wednesday, complete with the other things I needed from my house to cook for dinner, and my dog. One Thanksgiving emergency was averted when I realized that I had left the hosue without all the brine that I had prepared for the turkey. Luckily, I was just about to pass an exit for a mall, the last one for another 100 miles, that had a Williams-Sonoma in it. It was right at 10am so I rolled up to the store right when they opened and bought some new brine. Whew!

My normally 3 hour trip ended up taking about 6 hours however because of what turned out to be a tractor trailer accident that blocked off the entire road. In true high tech fashion, while waiting in traffic for about 2 hours, I checked my email, IM'd Brunsli, and, when I couldn't take it any longer, searched for a traffic website that would tell me exactly what the problem was with the traffic! That was how I learned that there was a tractor trailer that had decided to fold itself in half across the highway about 4 miles up from where I was, spewing cardboard all over the place. After 2 hours, 20 miles, and a sorely needed bathroom break (it was touch and go there for a while!) I was able to continue cruising down the road at a regular clip.

Then it was crunch time. My mother, who had gotten more and more OCD about cleanliness as she has gotten older, has decided that she wanted her kitchen to be clean and most of the dishes clean and put away by the time guests arrived and had called me about 6 times over the course of the week prior to me coming to bug me about various aspects of the meal preparation. I finally had to tell her to "stop micromanaging my Thanksgiving cooking!" Here is what was on the menu and what I had to prepare:

• Brined Cranberry Glazed Turkey
• Stuffing with Duck & Cherry Sausage and Porcini Mushrooms
• Smoked Corn and Grape Sauté
• Collard Greens with Golden Raisins
• Triple Cherry Pie
• Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie with Wheat-flavored crust

My mom made Monkey Bread, a holiday tradition, and other guests brought macaroni and cheese, baby artichokes and green salad (a green jello salad with pineapple, pecans and cream cheese, Yum!)

After the guests left, with all the cooking....and eating, I had to take about a 2 hours nap! It was a good day!

My test pie....

I settled on the pecon pie recipe that I was going to make for Thanksgiving -- a Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie with a Wheat-flavored Crust. A friend of mine convinced me that I really needed to make a "test pie" and bring it over for a taste testing. Since, I don't have much experience with homemade pie crusts, I decided to comply and I have to say, this pie was great! The crust turned out well too -- almost looks professional!

I am actually not a big fan of pecan pies, although I love pecans. It is something about the gooey unabashed sweetness of the sweet layer that is just too much. But this pie was different. It has maple syrup and brown sugar that gives it a real depth of flavor that is so yummy! I can't wait to make it again for Thanksgiving!