Current mood: praises be
Considering the levels of worry, sequential nights full o' nightmares, sharing of stress, late-night heart to hearts (yes, plural, to the tune of "up till 4 AM", no wonder I was having nightmares), the nagging, and the atmosphere of heightened and artificial expectations, meet the parents has got nothing on meet the siblings!!! Let's just say I haven't been here in quite a while...Madness, hatred, flailing of limbs, and hurling of invectives and furniture fortunately did not ensue. Thank goodness that's over with!!!!!!!! (Artificial gaiety and friendliness are a bit wearing and creepy. Let's just all go back to our normally grumpy and comfy selves!)
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christmas Dinner
Currently: breathing in the aroma of turkey stock
General consensus: Best looking and tasting holiday meal I've put on the table, excepting the rather overwhelming quantity of food. I guess practice does make closer to perfect! However, I learned a Valuable Lesson about not counting children under 5 as "people" when calculating expected numbers of servings. I also learned that starting the food prep the night before is an invaluable step towards preserving sanity, "cool," and the required quantity of clean dishes to get through the cooking on The Big Day. In addition, I need to get me some nice serving dishes. A laden table looks rather wonderful when food is beautifully and thoughtfully arranged on decorative dishware of complementary and contrasting colors. Finally, I learned that care for small children takes precedence over food prep (??!!) and that the little ones are good at and smug about robbing me of my kitchen slaves. Argh! So, food synopsis:
Everything was served HOT without being rewarmed! I am so proud! It is really hard to do that!!
Turkey, 13.5-pounder, rubbed with scallions, onions, and a ruddy buttload of Chinese 5-spice, which includes MSG, 1.5 sticks of butter under the skin, sprinkled with salt and pepper, 3ish hours @ 325 degrees, finished with the last half hour at 400 degrees, 1st few hours with foil on. Verdict: Extremely flavorful, juicy meat, nicely browned skin, lots of butter juice. (Folks rather liked the "more Chinese-tasting" turkey. 5-spice was a hit, but folks were strangely thirsty for hours and days following...)
Tomato and roasted red pepper soup, served with a dollop of cream and a sprinkling of parsley. Thanks TJ's! I offered to make a homemade soup, but TJ's soup was requested. Verdict: Enjoyed by all, though T prefers the straight tomato soup. Great presentation, looked "all fancy." (DO NOT SPRINKLE WITH A LOT OF PARSLEY. A little goes a loooooong way...)
Sweet potatoes, roasted in foil for ~ 1.5 hours on a baking sheet, super-soft and very well done. Verdict: Who knows? They looked good, but there was too much food and no one even tried these. Next time, only making 1!!!
Butternut squash risotto, half baked and mashed, half sauteed (in olive oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper), swirled in last minute to a standard risotto (onion, garlic, olive oil, chicken stock, cream, butter, parmesan, and romano) base. Stir, stir, stir. Verdict: My first risotto kicked booty!!!!! Perfectly al dente, rich and creamy with very little cream, subtly sweet yet savory squashy flavor, gorgeous fall-winter orangey color, fantastically dense yet smooth mouthfeel. Excellent recipe, great execution, PITA-amount of work, but completely worth it! Only flaw - does not keep At All. Must eat while fresh, do NOT make extra. (This is how white people eat rice? Strange-looking but - Hey it's good! It's great! Can I have some more??!!)
Mashed potatoes, one bag of Yukons, butter, cream, chicken stock, salt and pepper, boiled then mashed. Verdict: MUCH better than T-day; Yukons made all the difference -fluffier, tastier, more-potatoe-y, while holding the creamy mashed texture without becoming grainy. Very nice, people ate quite a bit, and quite worthwhile keeping the HALF GALLON in leftovers.
Mushrooms, steakhouse style, sauteed in olive oil with onions, garlic, sherry (well, rice wine), and finished with butter, salt, and pepper. Verdict: Good. Made about twice as many as T-day, so we wouldn't run out. However, the greater quantity was more difficult to cook down to "dry," when all the flavors are packed in the mushrooms themselves, and not in the juice. Still a welcome addition to the meal and folks enjoyed them. Likely will become a staple, but make slightly less.
"Au jus," turkey drippings and butter, plus added ~ 2 cups of chicken stock. Still hard to capture, but worth every drop! Verdict: Now considered a staple and absolutely essential by all. Per usual, barely enough to go around, especially when people starting pouring it over their food like gravy. (AU JUS, FOLKS! NEARLY PURE BUTTER! FOR THE DIPPING!)
Green beans, sauteed with garlic in olive oil and "au jus," finished with toasted almonds slices and salt and pepper. Verdict: Crisp, almost underdone. Again, made too much, since afraid of running out a la T-day. Sauteeing up smaller batches is easier and tastier, though people enjoyed them.
Spinach and mushroom quiche, with um, spinach and sauteed mushrooms, swiss and gruyere, eggs, cream, salt and pepper, in a store pie shell. Verdict: I though it was underseasoned but otherwise quite good. Great for breakfast the next day, but especially when there weren't 3 other quiches to eat. Simple and tasty, but I didn't really think it went well with the other dinner food. Looked good on the table, but did not need it, food-volume wise, though a few people tried it at dinner.
Antipasti - Artichokes, olives, mozzarella, and red peppers. Thanks, A&S! Verdict: Again, barely touched, but looked very nice on the table. Perhaps next time get charcuterie for the appetizer plate? A&S is The Pork Place, after all...
Tiny toasts, with brie and sun-dried tomato spread. Thanks, TJ's! Verdict: (Why do I keep serving cheese to Chinese people? I like it, but they really don't.) Delicious and a rather excellent market find for appetizers to serve to a different crowd.
By request, apple upside-down cake, with vanilla ice cream, with sauteed apples, toasted almonds, and yellow cake "bottom." Verdict: (Very nice as long as you don't use SALT instead of SUGAR!!!!! Gah, I can still taste that awful concoction!!! But I am very glad that I tasted it before baking it and calling it done...) Good but sweet, with crumbly cake (a texture I don't particularly care for, but everyone else seems to love it) bottom. Thank GOD! I made it the night before, but it turned out that we didn't even get to dessert on Christmas Day...
Assortment of hulled berries and fresh whipped cream. Prepped but didn't get to eat. Verdict: Too much d*mned food!
Biscotti, cookies, and fruits for chocolate fondue. Prepped but didn't get to eat. Verdict: Seriously, too much food!!!
Best part about a "kids Christmas" is cooking and eating in pajamas!!!
General consensus: Best looking and tasting holiday meal I've put on the table, excepting the rather overwhelming quantity of food. I guess practice does make closer to perfect! However, I learned a Valuable Lesson about not counting children under 5 as "people" when calculating expected numbers of servings. I also learned that starting the food prep the night before is an invaluable step towards preserving sanity, "cool," and the required quantity of clean dishes to get through the cooking on The Big Day. In addition, I need to get me some nice serving dishes. A laden table looks rather wonderful when food is beautifully and thoughtfully arranged on decorative dishware of complementary and contrasting colors. Finally, I learned that care for small children takes precedence over food prep (??!!) and that the little ones are good at and smug about robbing me of my kitchen slaves. Argh! So, food synopsis:
Everything was served HOT without being rewarmed! I am so proud! It is really hard to do that!!
Turkey, 13.5-pounder, rubbed with scallions, onions, and a ruddy buttload of Chinese 5-spice, which includes MSG, 1.5 sticks of butter under the skin, sprinkled with salt and pepper, 3ish hours @ 325 degrees, finished with the last half hour at 400 degrees, 1st few hours with foil on. Verdict: Extremely flavorful, juicy meat, nicely browned skin, lots of butter juice. (Folks rather liked the "more Chinese-tasting" turkey. 5-spice was a hit, but folks were strangely thirsty for hours and days following...)
Tomato and roasted red pepper soup, served with a dollop of cream and a sprinkling of parsley. Thanks TJ's! I offered to make a homemade soup, but TJ's soup was requested. Verdict: Enjoyed by all, though T prefers the straight tomato soup. Great presentation, looked "all fancy." (DO NOT SPRINKLE WITH A LOT OF PARSLEY. A little goes a loooooong way...)
Sweet potatoes, roasted in foil for ~ 1.5 hours on a baking sheet, super-soft and very well done. Verdict: Who knows? They looked good, but there was too much food and no one even tried these. Next time, only making 1!!!
Butternut squash risotto, half baked and mashed, half sauteed (in olive oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper), swirled in last minute to a standard risotto (onion, garlic, olive oil, chicken stock, cream, butter, parmesan, and romano) base. Stir, stir, stir. Verdict: My first risotto kicked booty!!!!! Perfectly al dente, rich and creamy with very little cream, subtly sweet yet savory squashy flavor, gorgeous fall-winter orangey color, fantastically dense yet smooth mouthfeel. Excellent recipe, great execution, PITA-amount of work, but completely worth it! Only flaw - does not keep At All. Must eat while fresh, do NOT make extra. (This is how white people eat rice? Strange-looking but - Hey it's good! It's great! Can I have some more??!!)
Mashed potatoes, one bag of Yukons, butter, cream, chicken stock, salt and pepper, boiled then mashed. Verdict: MUCH better than T-day; Yukons made all the difference -fluffier, tastier, more-potatoe-y, while holding the creamy mashed texture without becoming grainy. Very nice, people ate quite a bit, and quite worthwhile keeping the HALF GALLON in leftovers.
Mushrooms, steakhouse style, sauteed in olive oil with onions, garlic, sherry (well, rice wine), and finished with butter, salt, and pepper. Verdict: Good. Made about twice as many as T-day, so we wouldn't run out. However, the greater quantity was more difficult to cook down to "dry," when all the flavors are packed in the mushrooms themselves, and not in the juice. Still a welcome addition to the meal and folks enjoyed them. Likely will become a staple, but make slightly less.
"Au jus," turkey drippings and butter, plus added ~ 2 cups of chicken stock. Still hard to capture, but worth every drop! Verdict: Now considered a staple and absolutely essential by all. Per usual, barely enough to go around, especially when people starting pouring it over their food like gravy. (AU JUS, FOLKS! NEARLY PURE BUTTER! FOR THE DIPPING!)
Green beans, sauteed with garlic in olive oil and "au jus," finished with toasted almonds slices and salt and pepper. Verdict: Crisp, almost underdone. Again, made too much, since afraid of running out a la T-day. Sauteeing up smaller batches is easier and tastier, though people enjoyed them.
Spinach and mushroom quiche, with um, spinach and sauteed mushrooms, swiss and gruyere, eggs, cream, salt and pepper, in a store pie shell. Verdict: I though it was underseasoned but otherwise quite good. Great for breakfast the next day, but especially when there weren't 3 other quiches to eat. Simple and tasty, but I didn't really think it went well with the other dinner food. Looked good on the table, but did not need it, food-volume wise, though a few people tried it at dinner.
Antipasti - Artichokes, olives, mozzarella, and red peppers. Thanks, A&S! Verdict: Again, barely touched, but looked very nice on the table. Perhaps next time get charcuterie for the appetizer plate? A&S is The Pork Place, after all...
Tiny toasts, with brie and sun-dried tomato spread. Thanks, TJ's! Verdict: (Why do I keep serving cheese to Chinese people? I like it, but they really don't.) Delicious and a rather excellent market find for appetizers to serve to a different crowd.
By request, apple upside-down cake, with vanilla ice cream, with sauteed apples, toasted almonds, and yellow cake "bottom." Verdict: (Very nice as long as you don't use SALT instead of SUGAR!!!!! Gah, I can still taste that awful concoction!!! But I am very glad that I tasted it before baking it and calling it done...) Good but sweet, with crumbly cake (a texture I don't particularly care for, but everyone else seems to love it) bottom. Thank GOD! I made it the night before, but it turned out that we didn't even get to dessert on Christmas Day...
Assortment of hulled berries and fresh whipped cream. Prepped but didn't get to eat. Verdict: Too much d*mned food!
Biscotti, cookies, and fruits for chocolate fondue. Prepped but didn't get to eat. Verdict: Seriously, too much food!!!
Best part about a "kids Christmas" is cooking and eating in pajamas!!!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
I sing of thee
Current mood: giddy
Oh EZ Pass, oh EZ pass,
Your booths are so inviting.
Oh see me drive, so quick and sure,
Through nonexistent traffic.
I haven't stopped, but once this night,
nor witnessed yellow blinking lights,
Oh EZ Pass, "Toll has been paid,"
You are a sight delightful!!
**************************
(Jeezum crow, why did I wait 4 years to get one??!!)
Oh EZ Pass, oh EZ pass,
Your booths are so inviting.
Oh see me drive, so quick and sure,
Through nonexistent traffic.
I haven't stopped, but once this night,
nor witnessed yellow blinking lights,
Oh EZ Pass, "Toll has been paid,"
You are a sight delightful!!
**************************
(Jeezum crow, why did I wait 4 years to get one??!!)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Gamer delight
Current mood: cue the nostalgia
When I first started playing board games with this group, I thought it would be kind of lame. I really liked the people and wanted to spend more time with them, but boards games seemed like such a geeky, indoor, homey (and possible hokey) way to spend a weekend night - pretty much the kind of entertainment I was running away from (my past, my childhood, what have you). At first, I pushed for Sundays and afternoon, but was mostly vetoed by the majority. In the beginning, I didn't really like these games of "strategerie" and got easily confused (selective memory for detail is NOT a good thing in this context) and frustrated. I did, however, always enjoy the gathering of collegial spirits, the FOOD!, and the general camraderie.
And yet, last night marked the passing of a bona fide era in my life. I've been hanging out with these people, playing new and old games, chatting and chomping the night away, and loving just about every minute for nearly 4 years. First off, HOLY CR*P! does time fly by, and secondly, I'm really going to miss some of my closest friends. Folks have come, gone (well, mostly gone), and been born, guests have dropped in, but the core of our little group has stayed intact for far longer than usual D.C. probability (people only live here for 2-year stints, right?!). Thirdly, I guess my inner slight nerdiness was neither so "inner," nor so slight. I love games!!!! Of course, my liking grew in direct proportion to how well I understood the game. (I'm still, um, unhappy when I play badly or when I lose, ahem, tantrums.) Now that we are no longer a minimum of three, random games of Settlers, Puerto Rico, Risk, Trains, and Allahambra are far less likely to happen, and definitely not in our usual configuration for a long, long time. And that is an unqualified sad thing. Either I've come a long way, or haven't gone anywhere at all, and I don't really care which it is. I'll really miss you guys!!!!!!!
When I first started playing board games with this group, I thought it would be kind of lame. I really liked the people and wanted to spend more time with them, but boards games seemed like such a geeky, indoor, homey (and possible hokey) way to spend a weekend night - pretty much the kind of entertainment I was running away from (my past, my childhood, what have you). At first, I pushed for Sundays and afternoon, but was mostly vetoed by the majority. In the beginning, I didn't really like these games of "strategerie" and got easily confused (selective memory for detail is NOT a good thing in this context) and frustrated. I did, however, always enjoy the gathering of collegial spirits, the FOOD!, and the general camraderie.
And yet, last night marked the passing of a bona fide era in my life. I've been hanging out with these people, playing new and old games, chatting and chomping the night away, and loving just about every minute for nearly 4 years. First off, HOLY CR*P! does time fly by, and secondly, I'm really going to miss some of my closest friends. Folks have come, gone (well, mostly gone), and been born, guests have dropped in, but the core of our little group has stayed intact for far longer than usual D.C. probability (people only live here for 2-year stints, right?!). Thirdly, I guess my inner slight nerdiness was neither so "inner," nor so slight. I love games!!!! Of course, my liking grew in direct proportion to how well I understood the game. (I'm still, um, unhappy when I play badly or when I lose, ahem, tantrums.) Now that we are no longer a minimum of three, random games of Settlers, Puerto Rico, Risk, Trains, and Allahambra are far less likely to happen, and definitely not in our usual configuration for a long, long time. And that is an unqualified sad thing. Either I've come a long way, or haven't gone anywhere at all, and I don't really care which it is. I'll really miss you guys!!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Administrative weasels!
Current mood: exasperated
I have just applied to Virginia Tech for the fourth time in 6 years. Even though I'm already a student, with accoutrements such as a Hokie ID and a student number, the computer system's extreme ADD or Momento-ness requires reapplication and processing every so often. I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with the big, fat application fee collected each time. It's particularly annoying because the online application engine kicks you out every so often, so you have to rewrite all your answers to the silly essays questions, (which I'm not smart enough to save, because I don't really think about saving application materials for a school which I already attend).
Why do you want to pursue graduate work? Why this field?
Well, let's see. You're holding 12 credits and approximately $6,000 worth of schooling hostage and I'd really like see some tangible benefits - say, a sheepskin? Eventually? That's be quite nice. I thought I'd just continue in this department, of which I am already a member, so thanks for asking.
Sigh.
I have just applied to Virginia Tech for the fourth time in 6 years. Even though I'm already a student, with accoutrements such as a Hokie ID and a student number, the computer system's extreme ADD or Momento-ness requires reapplication and processing every so often. I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with the big, fat application fee collected each time. It's particularly annoying because the online application engine kicks you out every so often, so you have to rewrite all your answers to the silly essays questions, (which I'm not smart enough to save, because I don't really think about saving application materials for a school which I already attend).
Why do you want to pursue graduate work? Why this field?
Well, let's see. You're holding 12 credits and approximately $6,000 worth of schooling hostage and I'd really like see some tangible benefits - say, a sheepskin? Eventually? That's be quite nice. I thought I'd just continue in this department, of which I am already a member, so thanks for asking.
Sigh.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Thai food:2, me:0
Current mood: sluggish
I should just break down and learn how to use fish sauce and tamarind paste. If I weren't such a slave to Thai takeout, then I would have lots more $ to play with.
At least it's delicious!
I should just break down and learn how to use fish sauce and tamarind paste. If I weren't such a slave to Thai takeout, then I would have lots more $ to play with.
At least it's delicious!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Early resolution
As we enter the holidays proper, I want to make an early New Year's resolution. During this hallowed season of reindeer and elves and shiny things, for office-dwellers and party-goers, there is a near-constant supply of food available. All the time, everywhere you look, free, cheap, easy. I want to try and only eat things that are genuinely delicious, and not just, well, there. Mere existence and proximity should not be food's most recommending factors. I want to try and save calories for actual splurges, rather than, hey, why not?-treats. That third brownie scrounged from the 5th-floor conference room really doesn't have much going for it and doesn't actually taste very good. Neither do stale cookies from the other group's holiday party. And I don't even like candy canes!!! Hopefully, just reminding myself that about this resolution will be enough to rein myself in a bit. That way, I can actually enjoy Christmas dinner and January RW, rather than groaning, ugh, more food??!!
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Paper is done!!!
Current mood: take that, bizzatch!
Yippee!!!!!
One more week of class and then I'm off for 5 months. Intellectual stimulation is great and all but SCHOOL'S OUT!!! has got to be one of the top ten best feelings!
Yippee!!!!!
One more week of class and then I'm off for 5 months. Intellectual stimulation is great and all but SCHOOL'S OUT!!! has got to be one of the top ten best feelings!
Sunday, December 3, 2006
The difference being...
Current mood: whimsical
Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction.
Will Ferrell in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
The dichotomy in his performances between the two is enough to hurt my head, and yet, still be oddly impressive. Go see Stranger Than Fiction. It's the most charming, oddball, and interesting films I've seen in a long time. Also? A great date movie.
Friday, December 1, 2006
Smile!
Current mood: Time to get down to business
Wow, cheeze, am I a whiner. First, let me put in a huge plug for Alieve. When I gave in to the sweet, sweet bliss of pain relief medication, I could actually feel the moment the stuff hit my nervous system. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, what a difference. Note to self: when muscles or bones are hurting, the way you carry yourself to minimize the pain tends to exacerbate, not relieve, the underlying problem. Hence, after you were properly medicated to be mostly pain free (and a bit whee!!!), you were able to move about much more naturally (and less crab- or bear-like) and worked out whatever muscle was knotted up in your back. Thus the lesson, take your meds, fool!
So now, tralalala, all is right with the world. My back is, well, back! And Fedex hath delivereth my missing packages! Albeit 2 weeks later, after swearing up and down that they didn't exist and I must have lost them myself because, noooo, Fedex never makes any mistakes or loses packages and hey, I saw Castaway, so don't give me that! and obviously I'm not at all bitter…anyway, so - happy again. Now, if only this term paper would write itself, then life really would be full of unicorns and sunshine.
Wow, cheeze, am I a whiner. First, let me put in a huge plug for Alieve. When I gave in to the sweet, sweet bliss of pain relief medication, I could actually feel the moment the stuff hit my nervous system. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, what a difference. Note to self: when muscles or bones are hurting, the way you carry yourself to minimize the pain tends to exacerbate, not relieve, the underlying problem. Hence, after you were properly medicated to be mostly pain free (and a bit whee!!!), you were able to move about much more naturally (and less crab- or bear-like) and worked out whatever muscle was knotted up in your back. Thus the lesson, take your meds, fool!
So now, tralalala, all is right with the world. My back is, well, back! And Fedex hath delivereth my missing packages! Albeit 2 weeks later, after swearing up and down that they didn't exist and I must have lost them myself because, noooo, Fedex never makes any mistakes or loses packages and hey, I saw Castaway, so don't give me that! and obviously I'm not at all bitter…anyway, so - happy again. Now, if only this term paper would write itself, then life really would be full of unicorns and sunshine.
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