Happy "Birthday," Ginger!

I've had Ginger for a year today - B brought her home from the local animal shelter Christmas Eve, 2009.

A week before, I had to have my very elderly cat, Edith, put to sleep. I was very sad, and Smokey didn't know what to do with himself...and that made it all the more sad. (You can tell how thoughtful he is...!)

B and I had split up in the morning to finish last minute errands, and I remember texting and calling him as my day wound down, to see if he wanted lunch. He didn't answer or reply - very unusual, so I got lunch for myself and went home. I was watching TV when I  heard him come in the house and rustle around in the kitchen, then he came into the family room. He was acting weird, it seemed, but he said everything was fine when I asked him about it.

Then I realized that Bucca hadn't come into the family room with him - very unusual for our little shadow. A short while later, B left the room and returned almost immediately with one of those cardboard pet carriers you see that he sat on the hassock in front of me.

I remember very distinctly saying, "B - what have you done?!"

I opened the box and this beautiful, orange cat stared back at me. I cried, he cried...sweet! We let her out and she made herself to home, nosing around. She and Bucca made friends, and then she settled in on the little mat she had come home with.

We spent Christmas Eve with B's parents and had much discussion about what to name her...Cinnamon, Saffron, Noelle, Holly, Scarlett, Creamsicle...and we finally settled on Ginger.

As you can see, she has made herself quite to home, all over my home! She and Smokey are fast friends, and although she won't let you hold her, she loves to be patted and brushed.

Happy "birthday," sweet girl.

Cookie Day

Hands down, my very favorite tradition every Christmas is "cookie day" with my nieces Kelly & Amy.

Our first cookie day was when Kelly was around two. I was living with my mom in Enfield at the time, and I remember her chuckling as I showed her the little, one-inch cookie cutters I had bought...all the better for two-year-old fingers, I thought. Hours - and what seemed like 300 tiny cookies later - I quickly decided the following year we'd use the very largest cookie cutters I could find!!

Amy joined us when she was old enough, and we have spent literally hours measuring, creaming, rolling, cutting, cooling, and decorating. And eating! And laughing and talking and singing Christmas carols along with the radio, and playing UNO while the cookies baked.

When we started, I had to pull kitchen chairs up to the counter so they could reach. I did the measuring and they did the dumping. Then, while Kelly rolled and cut out, Amy and I sliced the refrigerated sugar rolls.

Now they bake and I sit and visit.

Eventually we moved on to gingerbread houses. Kel's would look like something out of Better Homes and Gardens - laden with icing and candy, all precisely placed, almost always with a snowman or kid playing in the yard. Amy's and mine would look like Hurrican Katrina casualties...or something out of the Wizard of Oz. She and I then joined forces on one house - and did even worse.

We never truly conquered the rock-hard icing that came with kits, and well into April I found myself scraping errant bits of plaster-like icing from any flat surface in the dining room.

Last year, we gave up on gingerbread.

This year, we had a guest for the first time - Kelly's friend Austin is here from Arizona and joined us. To be honest, I worried a little that having someone else with us would somehow change cookie day, and it did - for the better. To share something that means so much to the three of us with someone Kelly cares about made the day even more special.

Christmas would not be Christmas without cookie day. How fortunate and blessed I am to have it, and Kelly & Amy. They are Christmas to me.

Lawson Family Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with the B's family yesterday. His brother and his family were in from South Boston, and his aunt was here from New Jersey. We got to his parents' in time to visit with Gramp - I was especially glad, as my cold had kept me from visiting him for a few weeks.

The day got off to a rough start when we temporarily "misplaced" Sambucca. We had let him out shortly after we arrived and about a half hour later, B asked if someone could let him in. His dad came into the living room a short time later and mouthed to me, "Bucca is missing." I didn't give it much thought, as Sambucca NEVER wanders...we went out and called him. Nothing. With my heart in my throat I walked up to the main street, afraid but not really believing he had ventured that far and had been hit. Nothing. B went out in his car, his sister-in-law took her dog in another direction, and I was walking up and down the street calling for him.

I was starting to think someone must have taken him, because - as anyone who knows him knows - Bucca's herding instinct and attachment to B would prohibit him from just walking off.  Then, just as his dad was heading out in his car and as he passed B coming back in his, I thought again "Poker would NEVER wander away. He HAS to be here." I turned back to the house and spotted the garage...sure enough, there he was, right inside the door! Someone must have gone in and closed the door without realizing Bucca was in there.

You have never seen happier people than we were. Buc was nervous and thought he was in trouble, since we all had been shouting his name (with increasing panic and urgency) for about 5 minutes - the longest 5 minutes. The poor pup!!  That would have taken Christmas in a whole new direction...

I starting drinking wine right after that!

Thankfully, my appetite wasn't terribly affected by the dog-hunting drama. B & I were in charge of appetizers and decided to make two new ones. I made this crab dip from Allrecipes.com, one of my favorite places to search for recipes. I love that most of the recipes are posted by home cooks like me, with normal ingredients, and I love to read the reviews. People are really specific about what changes they made, how it worked out, etc. So, never one to make a recipe exactly as written, I pieced together some info from the reviews and used a little more mayo, added sour cream, sauteed the onion w/ some garlic, and added some Cholula hot sauce and finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and served with toasted baguette slices. Everyone else loved it, but I wasn't crazy about the texture...I will definitely continue to saute the onion and garlic, but next time I think I'll use less cream cheese and mayo, more Cholula, and will skip the sour cream and cheese. Might add a little cheese and some Panko to the top.

B picked a Swedish meatball recipe from Penzeys Spice. His dad proclaimed they were the best meatballs he's ever had! They were delicious - definitely a keeper!

Christmas Eve Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
1 C minced onion (1 large)
1 1/2 C bread crumbs
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 - 3 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 t Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
2/3 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil

Gravy:
1/2 C all purpose flour
2 t smoked Spanish paprika
1 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
4 C boiling water
1 1/2 C sour cream
2 whole bay leaves

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients except the vegetable oil and mix thoroughly.
2. Shape into walnut-sized balls.
3. Heat the oil to medium-high in a wide, deep pan.
4. Brown the meatballs in batches so they aren't overcrowded.  Use tongs to flip them. Figure about 6 minutes per batch, flipping them after 3 minutes.
5. Remove each batch from the oil after browning and set aside. (B drained them on paper towel.)
6. When all the meatballs are browned and removed from the pan, make the gravy.
7. Add the flour, paprika, salt and pepper to the drippings in the skillet. Stir and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Whisk in the boiling water. Whisk well, reduce heat to low, then whisk in sour cream. Add bay leaves.
9. Return the meatballs to the grave and simmer for at least 20 minutes.
10. To keep warm for serving, place the meatballs and the gravy in a slow cooker on low setting.

B followed the recipe almost to the letter with a few exceptions: He used regular paprika (since we didn't have smoke Spanish) and left out the bay leaves (again, none in the house) - would try to use both next time just to see what difference it makes.  Also, since we were in  a rush to get to his parents', we never simmered the meatballs and gravy on the stove top - we transferred both finished products directly to the crock pot and let them warm for about two hours before we served them.  They got better and better as they warmed!!

Hope your holiday season is going well. Next weekend we celebrate with the Martins...always fodder for a good story!

First Time

I was racing around the marbled walls of Mother Mutual the other day and zipped past a tacked-up sign printed on copy paper that caught my eye, and it's been with me ever since...

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

It was only 2 days ago, and I can't tell you where I was in the building or whose cube it was hanging in, although I have this feeling, for some reason, that it was a man's cubicle.

I was rushing to a meeting (to talk about another meeting....what?!) and it never occurred to me to stop and say, "Hey, that's a great sign." That would have been a first.

I looked it up tonight and found references to it having been an airline commercial, attributed to a "leading international corporate branding" expert, and noted on an adult web site (could I make this up?!).  Clearly, this isn't a novel idea.

But it was novel to me. It really made me think, another first - and I'm only sort of kidding.

Things are so busy. I am not saying that to excuse behavior that can be deemed lazy, complacent, or ambivalent. It's just. So. Busy. Firsts are not something I devote a lot of time to.

What have I done recently for the first time?  In the last few months, I learned how to make an Indian meal that tastes remarkably like Chicken Tikka Masala. I learned how to shoot and edit - pretty well - video on a Flip camera. I (re)learned how to ride a bike...it had been so long, it practically qualified as a "first." 

Not an auspicious list.  I'll add it to my list of new year's resolutions...another first...

39 and Counting

We spent the weekend on Plum Island celebrating B's birthday...the countdown to the 40th has officially begun!

The fun started Friday night on our way in. We stopped in town at The Grog, one of our favorites local bars. They have, without fail, the best seafood chowder I've ever had. Add a little of their hot sauce and it can't be beat. Some of their sandwiches are ok, and they make great flatbread. It's always been a place where we had a drink and a cup of soup...until, a few weeks ago, we ordered burgers. To die for.

Most everyone there at 10 on a Friday night are locals, and we know - and meet - more of them each time we go. Best spot in town and the perfect place to celebrate a birthday!

Saturday morning we were up and out early and spent the day in Portsmouth. We found the more commercial side of town and spent some time checking out the Nook at Barnes & Noble. (More on that later.) But the best part of Portsmouth is downtown, on the water. I did a little Christmas shopping and B asked the gal in the kitchen store for a lunch recommendation. I had my heart set on The Press Room, a place we stumbled on when last we were there, but she insisted the Coat of Arms was a better pub.

Not so. It seemed to have good potential as an after-work kind of place - pool table, darts, fireplace - but the waiter was crabby and the food was just OK. It's always good to try something new, but we should have held out for live jazz and falafel at the Press Room....

Lest we go hungry, S&K treated us to dinner at Joseph's Winter Street Cafe Saturday night. (Anyone who's been to the Plum knows that the day starts with a committee meeting, where we decide what, where, and when we are going to eat and drink...it's pretty bad when you're planning tomorrow's dinner before today's coffee...)

When last we were there, B and the chef almost came to blows - literally - over their interpretations of steak au poivre. (Let's just say the chef had a very loose interpretation.) It's a beautiful restaurant and the owner is someone B and his family remember from a restaurant they used to go to in Hampton, so he decided to give it another try for his birthday. The owner was as lovely as ever, and our food was delicious.

B started with raw oysters, which he said were excellent (I'll take his word for it), and we got mushroom sardi - sauteed mushrooms on toast with sour cream. I think I liked them more than the others did and would like to try making them - how hard can it be? I tried the bolognese (good, but mine's better!), B and S had different fish dishes, and K had osso bucu. Their presentation is really pretty and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner (they must have been good - there wasn't a lot of sharing or left overs!). We tried creme brulee and tiramisu for dessert - they were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I think I'd opt for more mushrooms next time, instead! ;-)

This coming weekend we are celebrating Christmas with B's family - there'll be lots of recipes to share!

Thanks to JW for kindly reminding me that there's no sense in starting a blog if you aren't actually going to blog...point well-taken!

Starve a fever, feed a cold

I don't know if there's any truth to that old saying, and I'm not even sure I got it right. I do know that I have been sick for over a week and B made shrimp scampi for dinner Sunday to cheer me up. My cold was well-fed and I felt a little bit better - success!

We adapted this recipe from Ina Garten's Linguine with Shrimp Scampi, but our version is different enough that I thought I'd write it out here.  We love strong flavors so this has a lot of garlic, lemon, parsley, and red pepper, but you can adjust the amounts to your liking. Shrimp cooks really quickly, so I make sure to have all the other ingredients prepared before I start to cook the shrimp.


Ingredients:
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1 pound whole wheat linguine
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Ground black pepper
1/2 C chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Zest and juice of 3 lemons or to equal about 1/2 cup of juice
1 t hot red pepper flakes

Method:

1. Cook pasta according to instructions, adding salt and oil to water. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, season shrimp with salt and black pepper.
3. Warm a tablespoon or so of olive oil and the red pepper flakes in large saute pan over medium heat.
4. Add the garlic to the saute pan and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add shrimp to saute pan and cook until just pink, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove saute pan from the heat and add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice.
7. Toss the shrimp with the drained pasta. Because of the reduced amount of oil and lack of butter when cooking the shrimp, you may need to use some of the reserved pasta water to loosen up the pasta and shrimp.

Enjoy!

An Early-Bird Special by Any Other Name...

E, K, and I went to dinner the other night to celebrate K's birthday. Fortunately for us, she chose Tavern on the Hill in Easthampton to celebrate.

If you've not been, go. I always remember how much I love their food, but I tend to forget between each visit there how much I love the restaurant and atmosphere. Whether it's a couple of hours on a "Sunday Funday" spent at their bar, drinks and dinner on a summer evening on the deck that offers crazy good views of the Valley, or a cozy table in the dining room (in front of the fireplace, if you're lucky!) - you won't be disappointed.

So, Wednesday night, we met up after dinner after work. I arrived first, hungry and thirsty, and started with a glass of wine and their great, warm rolls. By the time E arrived, I knew what I was having, and I surprised myself by deviating from my traditional Tavern meal (fodder for another post) and selecting a meal from their Sunset Menu.

When I told B about their Sunset Menu he said, "Oh, lots of places do that..it's like the early bird special." Perhaps, but no one does the early bird like the Tavern.

Served from 5 - 6:30 Monday thru Thursday and 4 - 6:30 on Sundays, the menu offers a three-course meal for $20. You get your choice of an appetizer (soup, salad, and traditional apps like stuffed mushrooms, mussles, and garlic bread); entree (many of their standard menu with a few new items thrown in); and dessert (creme brulee, chocolate mousse...the usual suspects).

The problem with such price fixe menus, for someone who likes to eat anyway, is that the courses are typically a mere shadow of a regular course. You get what you pay for, and all of that... Not so at the Tavern on the Hill. I heard another waitperson assuring the table next to ours that the portions were "generous," so figured I'd go for it - and learned she was absolutely right.

K and I both started with the Equinox salad, for which I typically pay a $3 up-charge when I order it instead of the regular house salad with a traditional entree, and E had stuffed mushrooms. The salad is one of my favorites, with pears, candied pecans, and Roquefort cheese and the mushrooms had a nice herbed veggie stuffing and cheese. For dinner, I chose the chicken and mushroom risotto - a steaming, heaping bowl of creamy, rich pasta - and K and E both had the spice rubbed pork with potoato and vegetable. Neither of these is on the traditional menu, but would be welcome additions if they were.

Now, a complaint I have about price fixe menus is that they always offer dessert, which almost never get if left to my own devices - I'd much rather an app or a glass of wine in place of the dessert (which B has successfully negotiated, smart man!). But I went with the flow on Wednesday and am so glad I did! E and I got the creme brulee, which was too much to finish after such rich meals, and the birthday girl enjoyed every last bite of her warm brownie sundae.

I'm not sure how long the Sunset Menu will be available, but if you're looking for a very delicious, very reasonable meal in a lovely setting, you won't be disappointed.

Shady Glen Cheeseburger

Not too long ago, B and I saw a segment on the Food Network about a hamburger joint that serves cheeseburgers with grilled cheese.  Not the crazy phase (let's hope it's just a phase!) of a cheeseburger served between two grilled cheese sandwiches...this is a scruptious burger topped with gooey yet crunchy cheese that has been melted on the grill.

So on a recent beautiful fall Saturday, we took a drive to Shady Glen Dairy Store in Manchester, CT, to try one for ourselves.

There was a line when we arrived, and some confusion about how seating is  handled. Once we found a helpful regular to give us some tips, it was pretty simple. The line forms to the left for booths and to the right for counter seating. As soon as a seat opens up, the next person in line can grab it.

The same gal who helped us navigate the seating recommended the Bernice Original platter - the "grilled cheese" burger served with two sides. I chose crinkle cut fries and cottage cheese, B ordered fries and onion rings. The burgers were served with just the cheese on a standard roll - lettuce and tomato is one of the sides you can order.

I added a little ketchup, mustard, and plenty of chopped onion to mine, folded the cheese over, and ended with the top of the bun.  Amazing!!  The cheese is crunchy and gooey, and a little salty.  The burger was the perfect size and cooked just right. I'm kinda glad Manchester's a good 40 minutes away....