SNOWMYGOD

Ricky and I are at home this Friday due to the snow storm Nemo.  Ricky is off getting a bit of gas and a DVD player (priorities) and I have made a roast so we can eat for the rest of the weekend.  Lewis is beyond excited to have both of his parents at home all day.  We have salt and shovels at the ready.  The laundry is done. 

BRING IT, STORM.

I'm excited to use my new camera to take high-quality storm photos.  Probably won't do it until after the snow has fallen.

According to the news, the snow has already started and Al Roker is in town.  It looks quite light right now, which is good since Ricky is still out buying a DVD player to replace our broken one.  I'm looking forward to being snowed in and drinking wine and eating pot roast and brownies while we watch movies.  It seems very cozy.

Again.... BRING IT, STORM.

Romney 40, Obama 64: party food!

So much party food!

Romney 19, Obama 3: did I mention I made cookies for tonight?

Because I did! Mittens for Romney and a horse/donkey for Obama.

Election 2012: bagel quote

Election Day bagels are always made with more freedom. ~ Ricky

Fall update

While we weren't able to pick apples, we were able to have a few of these bad Larrys:

Mmmmm.  Seriously, this is what makes fall for awesome.

One more thing from Julia Child

The Huffington Post shared some of their favorite quotes from Julia Child, so I decided to follow suit and share some of my favorites from their list.

I think careful cooking is love, don't you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who's close to you is about as nice a Valentine as you can give.

Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes.

And my favorite, which makes me think of Tim Duffy:

The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appetit.  

Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

It's Julia Child's 100th birthday today!  My first job out of college was for public television, and I remember getting goosebumps standing on the stage where The French Chef was shot.  You could see the pipes for her kitchen in a corner!  When they tore down those offices, moved across town, and sold the land to a local college (years after I had worked there) I remember feeling melancholy that her studio was gone in turn.

Anyways, I feel like so many people are inspired by her, so it would feel done and disingenuous to talk about it here.  She did a lot for French cooking, and making it accessible, she did a lot for women in television and in a field that was dominantly menfolk.  And she did a lot for those cooks who when a mushroom or chicken falls out of the pot and no one's home, dusting it off and putting it right back in the pot and pretending it never happened.

I mean, that's never happened to me.  I don't know what you're talking about.

I found this clever video that has a variety of clips of her through the ages, and it felt appropriate today.  There are many more clips on youtube, which I'd recommend checking out.

Lame Saturday night

I'm staying in on a Saturday night with a massive tension headache, enjoying some Rolling Stones:



Wishing I had this

And that my Netflix would work...

Back from Buffalo

Back from a whirlwind weekend in Buffalo for Erin's wedding.  I'll post more photos of it later, but for now... let's take a moment and take in the glory that was ALL THE TIM HORTONS I bought before hitting the road:

So let's break it down.  This is, from l-r, an iced coffee, ground coffee, a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit (so flaky and tasty, a million times better than Dunks) English Toffee Cappuccino mix , and two glazed sour creams.

And so you don't think my entire trip was spent eating doughnuts and drinking iced capps (other than the wedding itself) here's a hipstamatic photo Ricky took of our trip to the Falls.  How wonderful and creepy does that look??

MFT Day 26: Mandee's

This post may be biased by the fact that I'm enjoying myself a little Friday night that will involve yoga pants, trashy TV, doing a mountain of laundry, and a calzone from Mandee's.

When I first moved to Salem, I needed to find my neighborhood pizza place.  I somehow stumbled upon Mandee's, possibly because they were only a couple of miles away, and also because you can order online.  Yes, you can order online.  It's insanely helpful for those times when you don't want to have to call.  They're also very quick with their delivery, which is nice.  I got a calzone, and in less than half an hour it was in my hands.  How's that?!

I've discussed convenience, but onto the food itself.  Mmmmmm  Their buffalo chicken is insanely tasty.  I also just had a calzone with a bunch of veggies in it, and that also was quite tasty.  Their salads are massive.  I've never had food there I didn't like.

When I go into the store itself, I'm always pleased at how nice and friendly the staff is.  I feel like I know them personally!  And they're always willing to appease our requests for insane amounts of blue cheese dressing, which is a win.

Salem residents, definitely check out Mandee's!  So worth it!

MFT Day 24: Pinterest

I know I know...

Somehow my "I will be diligent and write every day!" mantra derailed last week.  For a weekend with not a lot going on in it other than The Oscars, it was pretty busy and lacked time and motivation to think of my favorite things I want to share with you.  But because I don't want this dragging along all summer (hello, favorite song meme?) I'm going to write something up today and probably tomorrow night.  Saturday is Jess' wedding, and I can guarantee that I will not have enough time to write something.  So this sadly stretches into March, but I'm okay with it.

Today I'm going to talk about Pinterest.  Many months ago my friend Kirsten mentioned that she had gotten an early invite to this new website where you pin your favorite things on boards you create.  I was intrigued, so she passed an invitation along to me.  I am now HOOKED.

I love that I can collect favorite ideas and images in one place and recall them visually.  I have a saved file on my browser for recipes, but I feel like they don't pop as much as when I can see the picture of the meal or dessert.  What's key is that Pinterest saves the link the photo came from, so when I click on the photo of the cake batter milkshake recipes, I automatically am there.  (PS, I will be trying this soon)  I've also been using it for the following uses:

--planning trips.  I used Pinterest last summer to plan my trip to Burlington, by pinning images of stores I wanted to go to and sites I wanted to see.  I'm also planning my return to the Hudson River Valley with Ricky and our trip to Buffalo for Erin's wedding.

--design ideas for future homes.  I've been getting ideas for paint samples and layouts for when Ricky and I eventually move.  I've also found several nice bureaus I want to get soon.

--gifts for people.  Ricky has his own board where if I see an idea for what to get him, I'll save it for a future event.  His 30th birthday is coming up, so right now there are several things on there that he'll probably get.

--pretty things to look at.  Hey, sometimes a girl just wants to look at a board filled completely with puppies and flowers.



Many of my friends are using Pinterest for helping them plan their weddings as well, which is brilliant.  You can see all the great ideas you have for dresses and flowers and decor, receive feedback, and have the original links to the source. 

So in short, I love Pinterest for how easy it is to sort, organize, and display ideas I have.

MFT Day 21: Oscar Season

When I was in high school, my Mum would sneak me a print out of the Oscar Nominations while in class.  She would say that it was an important note from the front office (where she worked) and I would pull off my own award-winning performance, reading the list solemnly as if taking in an important message about after school activities.  Over a decade later, I still wish someone would secretly hand me over the list while I'm at work.

The last two years, Ricky and I have decided to make an event out of Oscar Season.  We've challenged ourselves to watch as many of the Oscar-nominated films as possible (now that there are 10, it's hard to catch all of them) so we can watch the ceremony informed.  I also make a nice meal for that night so we have a tasty meal for the awards.  We also fill out the ballot that's printed in Entertainment Weekly and whichever one of us gets the most correct gets a nice dinner out of it.  Last year, I smoked Ricky, so I'm hoping I can make my record 2-0.

I've enjoyed embracing the Oscar season with Ricky, because it gives us a reason to watch a lot of really good movies, have a nice meal together on a Sunday night, and a little bit of friendly competition.  I'm hoping that this is something we will continue for years to come.

As far as our rankings go, we've seen The Artist, Moneyball, The Descendants, and Midnight in Paris for the Best Picture nominations.  The Help should be arriving in Netflix soon.  And obviously my vote is going to Man or a Muppet, in case you were wondering.

In light of The Oscars coming up this week, here's Rex Harrison winning his Best Actor Award* for My Fair Lady.  I put this up because I always joke that Ricky is the Rex Harrison of musical theatre performances, since when he played Uncle Max in his high school's production of Sound of Music, he just spoke all the songs since he can't really carry a tune.  And clearly that's an award-winning strategy when you're carrying a movie musical...







*Peter Sellars was 10000% robbed, for the record.  Also, Audrey's trying to upstage this entire process.

MFT Day 11: Trader Joe's Super Spinach Salad

I work a few doors down from a Trader Joe's, so more often than not instead of packing a lunch I'll just go to Trader Joe's to get yogurt or something microwaveable.  A lot of Trader Joe's prepared foods leave little to be desired (I'm looking at you, sandwiches) but they tend to have really great salads.

My coworker turned me onto their Super Spinach Salad.  It is amazing.  There are a lot of calories to it, but everything that's in the salad is really good for you, so I think it's just a meal that fills you up and packs a healthy punch.  Spinach.  Quinoa.  Edamamme.  Chickpeas.  Sunflower seeds.  Carrots.  Cranberries.  It's SO GOOD.  I could eat it every day.

If you are near a Trader Joe's, I highly recommend getting this salad for lunch or dinner.  You will not regret it.

MFT Day 7: Clementines

I had half of this written yesterday, but never got to finishing it until just now.  I blame this to a busy day at work and How I Met Your Mother finally being new again.

One things I love in the wintertime is that clementines are fresh and abundant.  I think you can get them year-round in some supermarkets, but they're not as good as this time of year, their sweet spot if you will.  So tiny and cute, they are such great snacks when it's cold and gray out.

We got a bag of clementines on Sunday, and a lot of that bad is already gone.  I've been packing some in my bag for work, and devouring them well before 11am. 

I inevitably will try to stretch out clementine season longer than it is, and then get disappointed by dry, bitter fruits, but for now I am reveling in these delightful tiny little gems.  So bright, and sweet, and juicy.

MFT Day 5: Old friends

It's like that old saying about make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold.

Today I helped several ladies throw Jess' bridal shower.  I'm a bridesmaid in the wedding, and it's exciting to think that her wedding day is arriving in less than a month.  I've meet a lot of nice friends and family of the couple since they got engaged, so I'm glad I'm becoming closer to Jess and Giacomo's friends and family.

The shower went off well.  It was a very classy and pretty affair in Beverly, perfectly pink with many a cupcake to partake in.  We opted for a Saturday tea with snacks, old family teacups, and lots of pink things.  We also had lots of sweets, since the Jess and Giacomo are high school sweethearts.

I've been friends with Jess since 1993, when we were two awkward 9-year-olds in 4th grade.  It's great that we've managed to remain good friends since those days.  There were many guests where I remember being in elementary and middle school with, and it's nice that we've remained friends through the years. 

What a crock...

Guinness beef stew with cheddar biscuits.  Mmmm

This year for Christmas, Ricky's mother surprised me with two things I desperately wanted or needed:  one, a new lightweight winter coat (the red toggle coat is a string now with no working pockets) and a crock pot.  I've always wanted a crock pot to make soups and stews, especially in the winter.

So far, I've only made one thing, which is a Guinness beef stew.  I was surprised at how easy it was to make a delicious flavorful stew!  I got up early and set it up, and then in 8 hours dinner was done and amazing.  I also made cheddar biscuits using an Irish cheddar I found, to keep the country of origin-theme going.  All in all, it was a huge success and a hit in our household.

I'm a little leery of leaving something on all day when I work in Boston, for fear that Lewis could get into it or that it could set the house on fire.  I know that everyone does this, and it's probably me just being nervous, but I feel like so I don't fret all day, this will be a weekend cooking option only.

I think I'll try making something over the long weekend, perhaps a soup or a slow cooked chicken.  I've been reviewing my slow cooker cook book and all the blogs and websites online for new recipes that I never thought to make until this winter.  Bean stews, pot roasts, pulled pork... you will all be made and devoured soon.

Friendmas

We're going to my friend from high school holiday party tonight -- dubbed Friendmas -- and the cookies are all packed and ready to go.  Chocolate and peppermint and gingerbread with lemon icing.  I hope they are well received!

I always enjoy Friendmas, because it's a nice way to see old friends and catch up when not at a wedding.  We're all just there to hang out.And now that people are settling down and pairing off, it's also nice to have a big ol' party with spouses and what not.  There's also a lot of good food.  And it's in Beverly.  So a pretty winning combination.

The rest of the weekend will be quite busy, so it's good to have this party tonight.  Christmas Eve is devoted to Ricky's family, and Christmas day to mine.  A lot of running around and time in the car, but it'll be good.

I also finished all my Christmas knitting, and they are blocking.  Tomorrow will involving taking photos to document projects, and then I'll share them here.  I must say, I think they all turned out quite nicely. 

Christmas traditions

As Ricky and I get older and celebrate more holidays together, we've decided to create our own Christmas traditions that are ours.  One that I've enjoyed two years in a row is to travel into Cambridge on a weekend and see It's a Wonderful Life at the Brattle Theatre, then walk around Harvard Square to Christmas shop, eat snacks, and enjoy treats.  Today we went into the city and did just that.

There's something I really love about The Brattle.  I think because it's a small, no frills, independent theatre that plays both large hits and old classics.  I've seen lots of movies here, and it's great seeing movies that I was unable to see on the big screen.  It also feels great supporting a small, independent theatre, something I fear is disappearing in this day and age.

After the movie, we got our standard lunch at Cafe Crema (mmmm) and a dessert at Burdicks, and walked around only slight.  It was waaaaay too cold to do our normal loop.  I saw recently that a Burdicks is opening down the street from where I work, so perhaps there will be more chocolate penguins and teas in my future.

I think it's great that the longer we're together, we're establishing our own traditions for holidays and memories.  Our trip to see It's A Wonderful Life is something I'll look forward to every year for a long time.  It's a nice wintertime date day.

Winter Break Goals

It's like "mini resolutions".

One of the joys of working in education is that I have lots and lots of holidays off.  I also have the week between Christmas and New Years off, as the college closes.  This is, especially after years in the private sector, completely magical.  The whole school is off, and there's no pressure to check email or catch up.  I love it.

Many of my friends, however, do not have this time off, so I find myself with a week almost completely to myself.  This is okay with me, though, as I'm using it as a week to catch up on things.  A mini-GSD week, as it were.  I made a checklist, which I will update as that week progresses:

Grown Up Friend Date with Patti.  My friend/old roommate is a teacher, so we both have a week to ourselves.  We've resolved to grab lunch and catch up.

Clean my closet.  It's become a catch all for all my crap, and now I can't see the bottom of the floor or the crap I've thrown in there.  Time to tackle.

Clean computer room.  Not as bad as the closet.  This is the room where we put things that we don't want Lewis to eat.  But it needs some order of semblance.

Get materials for Jess' ring pillows.  I'm in a wedding in March, and I've been asked to make two ring pillows for it:  one is pink, and the other is the color of The Boston Bruins.  (I'll probably be leaving out gold or just have it as an accent)

Knit something with quince yarn.  I have a ball of this, that's been sitting in my stash since I purchased it in July of 2010.  I want to wear it.  Probably as a cowl.

Organize stash.  With all the Christmas knitting, there are balls of yarn everywhere.  And it's chaos.  I need to make it not be chaos.


Make shepherd's pie for Ricky for dinner.  I love a recipe I found for this that has ground turkey, lots of veggies, and no tomatoes.  I think it'll be a dinner one of the nights, since it is a bit time consuming.

Find shoes for Jess' wedding.  I need a pair of pewter heels.  I've been a giant failure to date in finding a pair that I like and don't hurt my feet.  This is the week to find those shoes.

Donate things to good will.  This will free up some closet floor space.

Fix sewing machine tension.  It's been wanky for a year now, time to fix it so I can use it!

Make ring pillows.  Photos will be posted of this, I am sure.

Another secret project for Jess' wedding and also for Erin's wedding.  Secrets secrets.

Midnight Breakfast

I learned earlier in the year that my college President would be retiring.  He put in 12 good years, and was all-around liked by the community, even naming a building after him in celebration of a job well done.  HC's website has been marking the "lasts" of Fr. McFarland's tenure, which is bittersweet for sure.  But today, I read about a "last" that for some reason hit really close to home.

Fr. McFarland is serving his last Midnight Breakfast with the senior staff at HC.  I don't know why, but this struck a chord with me, as Midnight Breakfast was one of my favorite memories of college.  Every night of Finals Week, staff and faculty members would stay out late and serve breakfast to the overtired, overworked Crusaders.  It was a nice way to break up days of stressful studying and paper writing (and for me, play directing) by meeting friends in Crossroads to read, edit papers, and drink way too much coffee while eating egg sandwiches.  I remember in those broke college student days making sure I budgeted enough in that last week to get orange juice, an egg sandwich, and that side of bacon to stuff into said egg sandwich. 

I know that others went regularly, but I mainly remember meeting up with my friends Tim, Jess, and Karin at Midnight Breakfast.  We were also the crew who spent way too much time in the campus center on couches, reading and drinking coffee and being slightly bitchy.  I also remember making plans to see people or study with certain classmates at Midnight Breakfast.  It was the place to go when being in your room or one of the libraries was a bit too much.

Fr. McFarland would always be there night one, happy to scoop out homefries to the busy students, always trading in his priestly attire for jeans and a plaid shirt.  I don't know why, but this always charmed me. 

So I'm sad to see Fr. McFarland leave the community, and it makes me think fondly of my four years at college all over again.  I only hope the next president enjoys his time at midnight breakfast, and has a trusty plaid shirt to don while scooping out eggs.