Two-Ingredient Dog Treats

We spent a lot of time with "the boys" this weekend - for those of you I've yet to meet, that's our two Shelties, Blue and Sambucca. That's not particularly unusual, except that we were a lot more clingy than they are used to. And with good reason...

Brian's parents lost one of their own Shelties, Holly, Saturday afternoon. A complete accident, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it made us appreciate our guys that much more.

So they got attention, pats and rubs. Lots of rubs. And treats. Lots of treats. Cantaloupe, Greenies, and these super easy, two-ingredient treats I whipped up after a quick trip to the grocery story.

They had kind a weird texture (full disclosure: I tried one) - a little spongy in the middle, but that didn't deter the boys at all. I made them in two batches - 1 jar of baby food and 1 cup of flour for each - so I could try different flavors. The boys seemed to equally like sweet potato and pears; I'll be curious to try others. Hopefully they'll be this excited next time!

Ingredients:

• 2 4-oz. jars of baby food
• 2 C whole wheat flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix baby food and flour together to form a stiff dough. If necessary, add extra flour or water as needed.
3. Pull off evenly sized pieces of dough and form in your hands into a ball.
4. Place on cookie sheet then flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or your fingers. (These cooked up better than the ones I left in balls.)
5. Place treats about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before storing in a paper bag (storing in an air-tight container will make them soft, but they're still edible).



Holly, our sweet little girl.  Sue adopted Holly this past November for Kevin's birthday. She fit right in, right from the start, and loved her family and big "sister" Roxy. Here she is in one of her favorite places: the kitchen at the house on Plum Island!  She was barking up the wrong tree if she thought I was going to give her any human food, but she was almost cute enough the wear me down!

Source: Curbly

Vacation, how I've missed you.

 I've been back at work for five days and I swear it feels like my last vacation was at least two months ago. It was heaven while it lasted, though, and I wanted to share some photos from the week with you.

See you soon, PI!



Brian and Blue went out the day before Blue and I left. When Bucca and I finally met up with Bri Friday afternoon, I put Buc in the truck....and it was clear he wasn't going anywhere.

He was MUCH happier when we finally got to the deck. Can you blame him?!

Blue snoozed. A lot.
He definitely has this vacation thing down.

It rained quite a bit early in the week. Like, torrential downpours.
But once it cleared up, this is what awaited.

It's so beautiful and peaceful sitting on the deck, you forget what waits for you on the other side of the gate.

Fourth of July night, we were treated to the most beautiful sky.

It was nearly as breath-taking as the fireworks that followed.
Like a nighttime rainbow.

Happy hour!
The week started with this delicious grown-up ginger lemonade.

Wine on the upstairs deck. <Great for checking out the neighbors! ;-) >

Two favorites from the Plum Island Grille:
Watermelon Smash (think watermelon Jolly Rancher)

and the infamous Plumtini.

Cheers!!

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

We eat well at the beach. Anywhere, really, but at the beach especially.

It helps that your internal clock switches to "vacation time" as soon as you come over the bridge into Newburyport. Whether you're there for the night, a weekend, or your summer vacation week, there's something that's just different about time spent on the water.

And, how can food not play a huge role in that, when each day starts with a "committee meeting" to decide on the day's culinary adventure? Most often it's breakfast in (unless someone suggests Mad Martha's...and the wait's not too long), lunch out (but a grilled ham and cheese at home works, too), and dinner in (well...what does the Plum Island Grille have for specials?!). Grocery lists are drafted, reservations made, plans set.

It's a lazy, comfortable, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of time - is it any wonder it's one of my favorite places to be?!

We'll next be there for Easter weekend, and we have a fabulous menu planned.  Can't wait to share it with you!

This apple crisp is by far the best I've ever had. Most crisps tastes pretty much the same to me - not much distinguishes one from the next. Until now. The orange and lemon put it truly over the top. And they aren't just background flavors; they compliment the apples perfectly while standing on their own, as well.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 T freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon  juice
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 3/4 C light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 C oatmeal
• 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
2. Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges.
3. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the baking dish.
4. To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.
5. Place the crisp on a sheet pan to catch any juices and bake for 1 hour or until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.
 

Bourbon and Southern Comfort Balls {aka Schweddy Balls}

I love when two seemingly unrelated experiences collide - you're left with something both comfortable and traditional while at the same time totally unexpected.

First and foremost, I remember making whiskey balls with my mom when I was little. It's such an easy recipe that I could pretty much make them myself, and I was always allowed to have one ball before we put them away to "cure."  They tasted a lot like the whiskey-soaked cherries from my parents' Manhattan's, and I loved them - if not the taste, then the feeling that I was being let in on some grown up secret.

On the other hand, there's SNL's Schweddy Balls skit. We knew we were true regulars at Family Pizza in Springfield when we mentioned schweddy balls to Dawn, our favorite waitress, and she rolled with it. It's become a long-standing joke amongst us and the cause of many laughs since then.

So, we had the thought this year to make some schweddy balls of our own. I found a recipe that tastes just like I remember - though we made ours with bourbon and, in an ode to Gramp, Southern Comfort. We gave two bags (ball sacks, of course) to Dawn just before Christmas. It was awesome to see her reactions: surprise, hilarity, and real friendship.

Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 3 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1/2 C bourbon OR Southern Comfort (or rum)
• 2 1/2 C crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/3 C confectioners sugar AND/OR unsweetened cocoa

Method:

1. Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe medium bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then continue to heat at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Blend in alcohol of choice. Add crushed vanilla wafers. Mix until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
2. Roll the chilled chocolate mixture into bite-size balls. Roll balls in confectioners sugar, unsweetened cocoa, or a mixture of both. Store in a covered container for a week before serving to blend the flavors.

Source: All Recipes

Rites of Passage....Passages of Time

I didn't have the traditional college experience that most of my friends had.

I didn't live in a dorm, I didn't live close to campus (in fact, for much of the time, I commuted every Tuesday and Thursday evening from about 1.5 hours away), and the friendships I cultivated during those years weren't "typical."

I had a graduation party from Eastern Connecticut State University in 1996. I had just a couple of close friends in that graduating class, but my brother Kyle and my sister Laura were there to see my walk across the stage, and that made it sooo special.

I had a great party afterwards, at which I received - among many thoughtful and beautiful gifts, including a garnet bracelet from my family that I treasure among my most favorite possessions - a subtle yet glittery sand dollar bracelet from my very dear friends, Debi and Robin.

The story (stories) of my friendship with these girls is a blog entry unto itself. Suffice it to say, they are two of my very favorite people and true friends who have seen me through the highest highs and the lowest of lows. And, I hope, I them.

I decided - on the spot- that I would wear this bracelet every year, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I look forward to putting it on and, through every sun-kissed, happy moment of the summer, when it catches me unaware, I subconsciously dread the end of the season.

So, today is Monday, Sept. 5.  Brian has just dropped me off from our Labor Day weekend on the Plum, and I once again have removed this bracelet, tucking it safely and lovingly away in its original box.

It's like a rite of passage...

The New England days warm, and suddenly it's hot and humid and we're on the water enjoying long, humid days and cool (yet damp) evenings with clear, star filled skies - sparkly starfish bracelet and Lands End flip flops in tow.

Then, without warning, those evenings require long pants and sweatshirts, while the days are warm and breezy.  Before you know it, kids are back in school, reservation lists are down to a 30-minute wait, and the highways and bi ways are more than a little easier to maneuver.

Thus, the passage of time.

Time passes so quickly, regardless of the rites you're committed to. Sometimes in spite of those rites.

I cannot believe it's Labor Day weekend. Yet, I had a wonderful summer and hope that you can say the same. I spent pieces of my summer with a few of you - and had a fantastic time! But there are others of you I didn't even share a drink with this whole summer. For that I am sad, and unfortunate.

And, in the end, I am grateful that there are many more rites to be born and passages to be walked.

Here's to heart-warming rites of passage, and a content passage of time.

I hope we find the best of both.

B&B

Could stand for B&B, my new favorite after-dinner drink.

Or, brothers & best friends.

Or, maybe Bucca & Blue.

Ya, that's it!

TGIT

Thank God it's Tuesday!

I got to the car dealership yesterday morning for an 8 o'clock oil change appointment. Only to learn that my appointment is for NEXT Monday...

Traveled then to the Springfield campus - arrived around 8:25 a.m.  Booted up my laptop, checked my e-mail and immediately got a reminder that I was due in Chicopee. At 8:30.

Raced to Chicopee and skidded into my seat at 8:59.

Haven't had a Monday like that in a long time. Hope your week is off to a better start!

Pick Up Artist

My friends often ask how I got into cooking, many assuming it must have been my mom. I usually answer that my mom taught me how to cook, but not what to cook, since I don't think she'd like many of foods I enjoy cooking and eating.

She did teach me how to cook, though. I remember how she'd let me pull my stool up to the counter and mix together anything I could find in the cabinet. I made some pretty gross looking concoctions, but she assured me someday I'd be a great cook! She knew how to change a recipe up depending on what you like, and she was especially good at what she called "pick up" suppers.

I think I'm pretty good at "pick up" meals, too, checking out what's in the fridge and cabinet and coming up with something that is quick and easy to prepare. Most times, they're also pretty tasty even if not gourmet. That's how this Spinach & Sausage Pasta came about - I had all the fixings for pizza but was too impatient to wait for it to bake. The solution? Make enough for one and toss it all with pasta!

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
sausage - hot or sweet, loose or removed from casing, about 6 oz.
2 - 3 T chicken stock
1 C fresh spinach
2 T reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 C dry pasta, cooked and drained - doesn't seem like a lot, but I use whole wheat and it is pretty hearty

1. Warm oil in saute pan over medium heat.
2. Saute onions and garlic until soft.
3. Add sausage (I use hot turkey sausage) and cook until brown.
4. Add chicken stock and cook 2 - 3 minutes or until hot.
5. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt.
6. Dollop cheese over sausage and veggie mixture.
7. Sprinkle on hot, drained pasta.
8. Stir to combine and serve hot.

I acknowledge this isn't the most appetizing-looking dish, but I implore you to reserve judgement until you've tried it! Enjoy

It Must Have Been the Company...

I am fortunate to have been visiting Plum Island with Brian for a couple of years: I cannot believe I'd never heard of it or Newburyport, and feel so thankful that it's now one of my favorite places.

We like to get into town early for lunch or happy hour before heading to the beach, and found that we were frequenting the same places every weekend. Not a bad thing, but we agreed a couple of months ago to try a new place on each trip.

When last we were there, over B's spring break, we had lunch at The Grog (our fave!) then went to a new place, Loretta, for a glass of wine. We had the best time - it was very quiet (it was a little past lunch time and too early for dinner), the restaurant is very small and cute - almost like a bistro, and the bartender was great. I cannot wait to go back and have dinner!

At the bartender's recommendation, we - and the other customers - opted for their "house" Pinot Noir.

I love it.  Brian loves it. Everyone - with the exception of the weird Italian guy behind us who claimed to be a wine  "connoisseur" and was trying to impress the girl he was with - loves it. Delish.

Soooooo........I go on the HUNT once home. All the standard package stores: no one has it or has heard of it. Better (aka "more expensive") shops: no one has it or has heard of it. I sing its praises to all, insisting it will fly off the shelves.

In a last ditch effort, I stop at Table & Vine in West Springfield. I find the French wine. I find the French Pinot. Nothing. I walk up and down the aisle. Twice. Nothing.

On my way out, I stop one of the men who work there, and tell him I'm looking for a French Pinot Noir and that I've searched that section but would feel foolish leaving without asking if I've missed it...

"What are you looking for," he askes?

"2008 Patch Block Pinot Noir from Lanquedoc, France," says I, reading from the note I took in BlackBerry. (That's how serious I was.)

"Oh!" he exclaims. "It's over here in our bargain wines."  (Bargain?  It wasn't a bargain in Newburyport...)  "Do you remember Georges Duboeuf wine - it had a white label with bright red and blue flowers?  Well, this is their new label - same wine, new branding."

And he hands me a 1.5 liter bottle (aka 2 regular size 750 ml bottles).

With a price tag of $10.99.

I buy 2. And wonder the whole way out if I should buy 2 more...

Moral of the story:  Only when you're in an outstanding setting, having a great afternoon with someone you truly love, will you pay $8 for a glass of wine from a bottle that only cost $10.99 - retail ;-) ...and be delighted to do so.

Sláinte!

And the Oscar goes to... (really!)

Sorry for the "premature publication" on my Oscar picks earlier in the week...

For the first time in many years, I've seen all of the movies up for best picture at tonight's Oscars. Not a small feat, since there are 10 of them this year! Given how expensive movies are now, I feel sort of vested in the awards, as I've done my fair share of supporting those involved.

We're sitting here watching the "Live From the Red Carpet" coverage on E and I figure I better get this posted before the awards begin.  Here are my picks...

**Updated Apr. 3 - we tied on 5, neither of us picked the winner in 5 catagories, I picked 3 winners, and Brian picked 5...another bet lost!

Best Picture - The King's Speech (tied)
Best Actor - Colin Firth in The King's Speech (tied)
Best Actress - Natalie Portman in Black Swan (I made this pick before I saw Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole - it's the only pick I'm not 100% sure of.) (tied - thank God I didn't change my vote!)
Best Supporting Actor - Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech (Brian)
Best Supporting Actress - Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit (Brian)
Animated Feature Film - Toy Story 3 (tied)
Costume Design - Alice in Wonderland (Jen)
Directing - Black Swan (Brian)
Foreign Language Film - Biutiful (neither)
Music (Original Score) - 127 Hours (neither)
Music (Original Song) - We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Jen)
Visual Effects - Alice in Wonderland (Brian)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Winter's Bone (neither)
Writing (Original Screenplay) - The King's Speech (tied)

I don't really know what these categories mean or how they are judged, but I made some picks anyway...

Cinematography - Inception (Jen)
Film Editing - Black Swan (neither)
Sound Editing - True Grit (Brian)
Sound Mixing - The King's Speech (neither)

I'd love to say I'll be up to see the awards as they are presented live, but after a fun-filled weekend on the Plum, I'm just hoping to stay awake 'til 8 p.m. tonight! Can't wait to read all about the winners in the morning. Hope it works out in my favor...dinner's riding on it.

Coming of Age

I am fortunate for many things in my life, not the least of which is a job I genuinely enjoy and which allows me to live a life I have become sort of passively comfortable with.

Every once in a while, though, that job smacks me in the face and reminds me of the good "we" are doing beyond our hallowed, 160-year-old, New England conservative walls...

One of those times is now.

I had the honor this week of viewing a sneak peek of a production that my company co-sponsored with public television. And I'm here to tell you: You must see it.

Tonight at 9 p.m., our local PBS station - WBGY in Springfield - will be airing a documentary entitled "Autism: Coming of Age." You'll learn about three men who, solely by virtue of their chronolgoical age, are aging out of the system America has put in place to help them.

We hear a lot about Gen X- and Y-ers and Baby Boomers and the impact they have on society, the marketplace, the workforce, etc.  But, did you know that in 10 to 15 years, 800,000 disabled children will "age out of" the system?  That means that they and their families will be ineligable for the supports and services that have allowed them to function in typical school and residential settings.

I remember being so confused when I was 18, heading out into the "real world." I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to be when I "grew up," but I knew I wanted to have an independent life of mine own, doing things I enjoyed, with people I connected with. And I know my mother wanted the same thing for me.

I can't help but imagine how Dan and Dougie and Tomas and their families must feel.

Please take an hour to watch - I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Happy Heart Day!

We were out with my brother, sister-in-law, and nieces a few weeks ago for dinner, and somehow the topic of Valentine's Day came up. I didn't catch the start of the conversation but my ears perked up when I heard Kelly deem it a "stupid" holiday. 

My not-so-feminist self was beyond pleased that my teenaged nieces haven't fallen for the commercially-driven hearts and cupids thing that is a big part of Valentine's Day. Or, worse still, the notion that Valentine's Day is a holiday created solely for women to demand things from the men they love and then be completely b*tchy if the gift isn't big, bright, sparkly, chocolately, or decadent enough...which seems to be the case surprisingly often if the women's magazines and TV ads are to be believed.

Not that all of that annoys me too much... ;-)

On the other hand, I have a confession to make: I love Valentine's Day! I can't wait to send cute cards and sweet treats to people I love - family, friends, kids, grownups, and yes, even my guy. I do it because it makes me feel good and because it's a great excuse to remind people that I care about them.

Here's to being caught up in all that is good about Valentine's Day!

How fortunate I am to have a long list of people to wish a Happy Valentine's Day...xo!

Smooch

This is currently my favorite picture...all that is good about a lazy Sunday morning with someone you love, whether you're in the picture or taking it!

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...