Thanksgiving Dinner Reprise

Every year, we stretch Thanksgiving out to two full days. In addition to the Thursday turkey fest, we all have another fancy dinner together the following night. In years past, my mother made her world-famous, prize-winning lasagna, served Italian bread, and offered us the remains of the pumpkin and apple pies from the night before.

Last year, however, my godsister and her husband started a new tradition: post-Thanksgiving feast at their house. My godsister's husband cooks, along with my other godsister, and the rest of us clean up.

It's a pretty fair arrangement, considering the yumminess that we get.

Here's this year's menu:

• filet mignon, cooked to absolute tender perfection: nice and pink, and we didn't have to use steak knives (talk about slicing like butter!)
• shrimp scampi, broiled with a mixture of butter, garlic, vermouth, and other yummy goodness
• red roasted potatoes, roasted with rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil
• cauliflower roasted with salt, pepper, and olive oil
• rice pilaf with carrots, pecans, and craisins
• asparagus roasted with salt, pepper, and olive oil, with a shallot dressing poured on top of it
• bittersweet flourless chocolate cake
• vanilla panna cotta
• cannoli, which Papa Cat picked up from the South End of Hartford
• coffee
• and lots and lots of wine

The food was delicious, but the company was better! After we had sufficient time to digest, we all played Rockband for an hour. Even our parents. It was truly a site to see.

I got home an hour ago, and am baking a brown sugar pound cake for a brunch I'm going to tomorrow. I just checked it, and it looks as if it's about to flow over the pan. This could be a potential cooking disaster. Keep your fingers crossed!

Wow...three days of food over this Thanksgiving! Yikes! I'm doubling my workouts!

Thanksgiving 2008

Twas a good celebration chez mes parents. There were many traditions that we kept: the wine, the bloody Marys, the abundance of food, the fire pit, and football. However, there was one new tradition: the 30-somethings were falling asleep.

I include myself in that tally. Between my mother's appetizers and the two glasses of wine I consumed, I grabbed my mother's afghan, put up the recliner, and took a long nap. I don't know how long I slept, but I woke up around 4, right when the turkey came out of the oven.

We 30-somethings all went home around 9:15. Two of us have to work tomorrow. Fortunately, I don't! Yay!

Tomorrow, once I get my camera out of my purse, I'll write a post about another one of our family tradition's: my godmother's very scary cranberry mold. I tried some this year, for the very first time, and it wasn't too bad.

More about that tomorrow, though...I'm falling back into food coma!

I Love a Parade

Every year, for as long as I can remember, the annual telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been one of those non-negotiable, must stick with traditions for me. I always got up extra early on Thanksgiving day so I could park myself in front of the TV and stay frozen for the next three hours. I loved everything about it--the floats, the balloons, the Rockettes, even the commercials.

I still watch the parade every year, but now that I am an adult, I can no longer park myself in front of the TV for a three-hour period of time. This morning I had the parade on in the background as I got ready to go to my parents' house. I slept until 8:30, but didn't get up or bother to turn on the TV until 9:15, so I missed the ribbon cutting and the president of Macy's exclaiming, "Let's have a parade!" I also missed the moment when the Rockettes form a kickline in front of New York's finest, then part in the middle to reveal the parade's arrival at Herald Square.

I did, however, see a couple of things that made me realize that yes, I am a jaded adult in a lot of respects. Al Roker, during the 9:00 hour, interviewed a handful of stars of NBC shows, asking them, "So what are you doing this Thanksgiving?"

No, he wasn't getting personable; he was helping them plug their shows! I hate that kind of publicity! But hey, the parade is on NBC...

I've also noticed a lot of commercialism over the past few years, or maybe I didn't notice it as a kid. It seemed as if a lot of businesses were pushing their products, like the Harajuku Girls float, sponsored by Coty. (Man, I wish Gwen Stefani was there!)

I was very happy to see that Sesame Street still had a float, and was amazed to see that many of the same actors who were on the show during my childhood are still on the show, mainly, Bob, Gordon, Susan, Luis, and Maria. How old could they possibly be now? (I must say that I am rather disappointed that the show has shifted more towards its Muppets to get the storyline across and has relied less and less on its humans. Le sigh).

There was one float, however, that really bothered me. I looked up at the TV screen and saw this pink castle coming down 34th street. At first, I thought it was another Barbie princess float, but no! It was a princess float, but not just any princess float! It was a float from the good people at "My Princess Academy." Here's a description of My Princess Academy, courtesy of Wikipedia:

"My Princess Academy is based around a virtual princess world that empowers girls to be a “new kind of Princess” by teaching the “4 Pillars” of being a real princess -- generosity, intelligence, beauty and confidence. Created for girls ages three to seven, My Princess Academy lets girls create their own princess avatar, princess room, and play games and activities. The brand also teaches girls how to become their own kind of princesses - their best selves, defined not only by physical beauty but by inner beauty."

Dear God. Who is responsible for creating a minature Second Life for three-year-old girls? I am embarrassed by this! Yes, it is good that it aims to teach girls about their inner beauty and self-confidence, but we don't need a web site to teach this! Aaaaaannnddd...we're encouraging these little girls to use the Internet at too early of an age!

But I digress. The float was embarrassing. And I won't even get into the new teenybopper group that appeared on the float, The Clique Girlz...here's the link from Wikipedia to find out more, if you're so inclined.

Finally...here's what I feel was the most interesting, bizarre moment of the parade. I was up in the loft when I heard the strains of "Never Gonna Give You Up," Rick Astley's biggest hit. You remember Rick Astley, don't you, Kittens? The man who was just proclaimed the Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Awards? I thought, "Why is this song on right now?"

I looked down from the loft at my TV screen.

And there was Rick Astley himself, all bundled up, lip-synching to his first hit.

Why was he there?

I still can't believe that he was there.

I had to leave for my parents' house after that. I missed the rest of the parade. In spite of its shortcomings, however, I still enjoy watching it. It's a nice tradition to have.

Up next: the Tournament of Roses Parade, January 1st!

Thanksgiving According to Bob Edwards

Ah, Bob Edwards, how I miss you so. Morning Edition from NPR News is just not the same without you. Yes, I know it's been several years since your unfortunate departure, but I miss listening to your soothing baritone during my morning drive.

I especially miss your Fantasy Thanksgiving segments each year. Do you still do these on your satellite radio show? I am not one of the fortunate ones to receive XM-Sirius or whatever it is called. I loved how you invited all of those wonderful chefs to your door: Paul Prudhomme and his turducken, Julia Child (rest her soul) and her mashed potatoes, Wolfgang Puck and his smoked salmon appetizers, among others.

And how I especially miss Susan Stamberg crashing the whole affair with some of her mother in law's cranberry relish. (The recipe of which you can find here).

I enjoy listening to Steve Inskeep and Renee Montaigne, but they don't have your cheeky humor, your snarkiness, your dulcet baritone announcing, "This is Morning Edition from NPR News."

NPR was a fool to fire you, Bob.

In the meantime, I shall comfort myself by listening to the Morning Edition archives. I just listened to your Fantasy Thanksgiving from 2001, and now will proceed to 2002.

Maybe this time I'll finally have the guts to try some of that cranberry relish.

Thanksgiving

This is going to be a great week.

First of all, I only have to work 2 1/2 days. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but any break from work is always welcome! (That's why they call it work, Kittens!)

And this Thursday, I celebrate my all-time favorite holiday.

Thanksgiving.

I'm very grateful that I get to look forward to Thanksgiving. I'm aware that there are many people who look upon the celebration with dread. I have a few friends who absolutely dread Thanksgiving because they have to spend time with their families.

But I am different.

You see, I really like spending time with my family.

We celebrate Thanksgiving with my godparents and their kids, husbands, and significant others. There are usually 10-12 of us around the table any given year. We all get along fabulously, which makes the holiday that much more fun.

We start arriving at the family homestead (that is, my parents' house) around noon. Dad greets each of us with a bloody Mary. (I have mine sans vodka. I never liked vodka. Long story, will tell you about it another time). I'm usually the first to arrive, and the others start to trickle in as I'm gnawing on my celery stick.

Once everyone has arrived, bloody Marys consumed, Mama Cat starts with the appetizers, and Papa Cat cracks open the first bottle of wine. We drink beaucoup wine and eat beaucoup, too. Mama Cat makes pigs in a blanket, with a little Gulden's at the side for dipping, pizza rolls, with a little tomato sauce at the side for dipping, crab cakes, crudites, cheese and crackers, brie en croute, and giardinera. Mama Cat makes the crab cakes, the pizza rolls, and the pigs in a blanket. If she could make the rest by hand, she would.

Once we've gorged ourselves on appetizers, we kick back and watch TV. We watch anything that is on TV--football, the dog show on NBC, or our recent fave, the Food Network. More wine is consumed during this period as we catch up on the year.

(Now Kittens, I know what you're thinking, and I'm going to say this now: we do NOT get drunk on Thanksgiving day.)

While we sit in front of the boob tube, Mama Cat is in the kitchen, basting the turkey and making all of the side dishes. She absolutely lives for Thanksgiving, and loves to prepare everything from scratch. She refuses any outside help; she declines all offers to make side dishes, except for my friend's green bean casserole. This green bean casserole is made from scratch: organic green beans, fresh portabella mushroom slices, hand-chopped and fried onions, and fresh heavy cream. Mama Cat would banish us forever from the Thanksgiving table if we dared to bring anything that came out of a can or a box.

After several hours of laziness and wine drinking, we drag ourselves to the table. Papa Cat, by this time, has carved the turkey and has said grace. We load up with all of the trimmings: mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, my godmother's very scary cranberry mold (long story about that one, too), salad, dinner rolls, and mixed veggies (the one item that comes out of a bag). Oh yeah, and we drink more wine here, too.

So then we finish the meal, and the children clear the table and wash the dishes. This is an annual Thanksgiving tradition. I usually wash; I hate drying dishes, but if I have to do it, I do. While the children wash, the mothers take out their knitting and compare their latest projects, while the fathers go down to the garage and smoke cigars.

Once we've digested the main meal, after about an hour or so, we return to the dining room for coffee and our choice of one of Mama Cat's two homemade pies: apple or pumpkin. Her apple pie is so popular that she now has to make two of them; she only makes one pumpkin. She sends each slice around the table with a dollop of Cool Whip (though I may have to change tradition this year: do you even know what's in Cool Whip?!!? I think I'll buy two cans of Reddi Whip, and that will be my contribution to dinner).

After the dessert dishes have been washed, we retire to Papa Cat's chiminea outside, where we build a huge fire. We sit around and hang out by the flames, keeping warm and talking some more. This may just be my favorite part of the day.

Before we all leave, Mama Cat sends each of the children home with a grocery bag full of leftovers, as well as two loaves of her world-famous, prize-winning pumpkin bread.

OK, the pumpkin bread is neither world-famous nor prize-winning, but it's still pretty damn tasty!

And then we all go home, but that's not the end of the proceedings...you see, Kittens, in my family, the day after Thanksgiving, we all go over to my godparents' daughter's house for Thanksgiving dinner, part deux. We don't have any leftovers, but we do have a completely different, yet totally wonderful, decadent menu. Last year we had flourless chocolate cake for dessert that day. Flourless chocolate cake!

Thanksgiving...the holiday that's so nice, I celebrate it twice!

The Picture of Dull, Boring Grey

Almost overnight, here in the Nutmeg State, we have gone from beautiful, sunny, colorful autumn to grey, wet, crappy, bare autumn.

I woke up one morning and all of the leaves on the trees were gone. No exaggeration. Gone.

My morning commute has gone from being a thing of beauty to bare, naked ugliness.

It beautifies, however, when there's snow on the branches. Then my commute looks like I'm driving through a Currier and Ives scene.

Then the plows come along. And it gets dirty. And we're back to the ugliness again.

Please forgive me for my cynicism tonight, Kittens. I miss the autumn leaves. Hell, I miss the leaves, period. And the brown leaves that are still on the oak trees don't count as leaves.

I miss the color.

Don't get me wrong, I like sweaters, jeans, and cozy clothing. And sitting by fireplaces, drinking hot cocoa with mini marshmallows.

But not for extended periods of time.

And if you think I'm bad now...wait till January, right after the holidays. Wooo, I'll be reaaaaaaalllll cheery then! :P

My Favorite Time of Year

I get really psyched when the calendar hits October 31st, because that begins the period for my favorite time of year.

Yep, Kittens, I am a sucker for the holiday season.

I'm not so much into the shop, shop, shopping or the overcommercialism of the whole shindig. I cringe whenever I see Christmas decorations up in Target at the beginning of October. But I really, really love this time of year because I get to spend time with the people I care about most: my friends and family. I know that sounds tres corny, but that is why I love it so.

I especially love December. I love Christmas carols, decorations, hot cider, fluffy snowflakes, and all of the joy and spirit that goes along with the holiday season. There's just such a tangible love in the air, and it really makes me feel alive.

I can say this now, because last year, I didn't feel alive at all. In fact, I felt like I only existed.

Last year, at this time, my life hit rock bottom. I won't divulge too many details publicly, but I will say that I entered the deepest depression I ever had. It was a challenge for me to even get out of bed sometimes. I really hated myself, and just felt awful, awful, awful.

You see, Kittens, I was addicted to the two most available substances we have: food and money. I spent too much, I ate too much, and at this time last year, it all came to a head, and I had to seek help. I started by contacting my minister, who then got me in touch with two twelve-step programs: Debtors Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous, and I started to attend meetings. Two months later, I found, through a friend, a wonderful therapist whom I see to this day. I started to get help, and work on my problems from the inside out.

I have battled anxiety and depression for almost my entire life. Previously I was on antidepressants, and those really helped for a while, but they didn't address the core problems that were making me depressed and anxious. I also didn't like the physical side effects they had on my body. I slowly, slowly weaned myself off them, and physically, I feel a lot better. These drugs were partically to blame for my weight gain, and I lost 20 pounds just by going off of them.

NOW, I recognize that there are those who need to use antidepressants for the long-term, and I respect that as a part of their treatment. Antidepressants, however, did not really benefit my OWN case in the long run. Please do not take my situation as a substitute for medical advice, PLEASE! I am not a doctor!

Addressing my problems head on has helped me a lot. Slowly, I started coming out of my fog. It didn't happen overnight, not at all. I had many, many setbacks. I shed a lot of tears, and used a lot of Kleenex. It's not easy for me to write this right now, even though I'm writing under a pseudonym and most of you don't know my real identity (except for the handful of friends who know of this blog's existance). I've seen many of you blog articulately, thoughtfully, and openly, and I admire you all for that. It's really hard for me to be unguarded, except with my family and my closest friends. (My best friend, who gets frequent press time here, is especially good at getting me to let my guard down).

The tagline on this blog, as you have seen, is "Reflections on life's journey and the peaks, valleys, and amusements along the way." I have learned to seek the joy out of life's simplest things, whether it be a walk along the Brooklyn Bridge or picking apples on a crisp autumn day. I've blogged a lot about the diversions and peaks, but not too much on the valleys. I really don't want to dwell on the valleys, but rather, would acknowledge their existance, for they are a part of life.

But I don't want to concentrate on the valleys now. Right now is a peak time--and hopefully, if Barack Obama gets elected, will stay that way. I want to focus on the holidays, and rather, the joys, scents, sounds, and togetherness of the season. I especially want to focus on my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, where you don't have to worry about buying anyone anything and you can eat to your heart's content and not feel guilty. Oh yeah, and spend a lot of time with the ones you love.

I'm aware that there are those who can't spend the holidays with their loved ones.

But I am lucky that I can.

Halloween 2008

Well, Kittens, another Halloween has come and gone, and let me say, this was probably my favorite Halloween in my adult life. I had been invited to three different parties, all where I could go in costume. Not only that, but there has been little turmoil in my personal life that would overshadow my enjoyment of the holiday.

I also had a kickin' costume--not too original, but I felt inspired, nonetheless. I went as the Statue of Liberty to all three parties, only I added an Obama t-shirt to the ensemble for the first party, and replaced it with an Obama/Biden button for the other two. I carried the tablet that Lady Liberty holds, but I changed the date to say "January XX, MMIX", as opposed to the July 4th date that's actually on the sculpture. I took a green flat bedsheet, wrapped it around my body, and held it in place with a few safety pins. And of course, no Statue of Liberty costume would be complete without the requisite foam crown from Ellis Island.

The first party was actually last week, at a nearby friend's house. There was lots of socializing, wine, and costuming going on. I left at 10:30, because I couldn't stay awake any longer. At the second party, last night, I was at a friend's house in Bridgeport. There was still lots of socializing, wine, and costuming, but there was also a lot of DANCING! I love, love, love to dance, but hate, hate, hate clubbing (too much noise for my taste), so any opportunity I get to dance up a storm in a friend's living room is welcomed greatly. I also saw quite a few friends whom I rarely get to spend time with, so this event was my favorite out of the three.

The second party also featured something called the "Jukebox from Hell." The party's host does some DJ duties on the side, so he took some requests from all of us guests. In addition to the requisite Halloween songs (think "Thriller" and "Monster Mash"), there was also a lot of really, really BAD music. Think Vanilla Ice, Don Johnson's "Heartbeat," Eddie Murphy's "Party All the Time," and you get the idea. The Jukebox from Hell made it's debut at last year's festivities, and it appears to be becoming an annual tradition.

I left the shindig at 12:30 AM, and finally arrived home at 1:45, terrified that I'd fall asleep behind the wheel. I fell on the couch at 2 AM, and didn't wake up till 10. It took me the whole day to recover from this one. I didn't drink much--I only had two beers--but it was the crap I ate during the party, like your standard taco dip, chips, and all sorts of salty processed foods, that made the difference.

Tonight was the third party, a costume dance at my church. The dancing part was my favorite! I, however, got very uncomfortable on the dance floor in my Lady Liberty toga, so I unpinned the sheet early on and danced in my t-shirt and sweatpants. The crown, however, stayed on for most of the night.

And now, it is almost 12:45 AM. I need desperately to go to bed! I am exhausted. Thank God the clocks fall back an hour tonight. An hour extra of zzzzzzzzzzzzzz's is all right by me!

But before I go, Kittens, let me ask you this: Is it me, or is Halloween much more fun now than when we were kids? I mean, I always had a blast trick or treating as a child, dressing up and going around the neighborhood, but wearing a costume is more fun now than when I was in elementary school. Is it because Halloween is that one precious day all year when we actually have a good reason to act like kids again?

There's your topic...now discuss! I'm going to bed!

I've Gots to Have My Honeycrisps!

It's a beautiful, beautiful autumn day here in Connecticut. A perfect day for picking apples and pumpkins. I got this great idea yesterday as I made chicken soup.

It turns out, everyone else in Connecticut had the same idea.

Lyman's was incredibly crowded today. So crowded they needed at least three or four cops to direct traffic around the Apple Barrel and the Corn Maze. (Photos coming soon of last week's trip to the Corn Maze, I promise!)

I knew that it was late in the season for apple picking, but I didn't count on many of the trees being picked clean. Well, there were plenty of apples near the tops of the trees, but I am only five feet tall, and that's not a good thing.

I managed to pick decent amounts of mitsu crispin and golden delicious apples for applesauce, but one particular variety eluded me, and I had to go to the Apple Barrel to purchase it.

The honeycrisp.

What is a honeycrisp apple, you ask? It's only the most delicious variety of apple ever created, EVER!!! According to the Lyman's website, honeycrisps are "honey-sweet and amazingly crisp! Developed in 1991." They are also "an excellent eating apple; good for sauce, baking, and pies. Excellent eating fresh out of hand; super-crisp."

Lyman's honeycrisp trees are still fairly new; in fact, they're still growing against stakes.

I knew that the pick your own honeycrisp wouldn't be available, but I saw a ten-pound bag when I was at the Apple Barrel last week, so I took my chances, weaved my way through the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of vehicles parked around the Apple Barrel, and went inside.

They were sold out of honeycrisps.

I wanted to cry.

One woman in line at the pick your own, however, said she saw honeycrisps at Stop and Shop for $2.49 a pound. Pricey, yes, but since honeycrisps are still a newish variety, there aren't that many trees in this part of the country just yet.

So once again, I took my chances and drove to Stop and Shop in Middletown to find this apple. I beelined towards the produce section. No honeycrisps in the totes! So I went to the bag your own area, and saw:

HONEY CRISP APPLES: $2.49/POUND

I dove right in and bought almost seven pounds. I didn't care how expensive it was!!! I was feeling like that little gremlin in the old commercials for Honey Comb cereal, only instead of saying, "I've gots to have my Honey Comb!" I was shrieking, "I've gots to have my honeycrisps!"

Words cannot describe the succulent, sweet, amazing flavor of a honeycrisp. It's very sweet, sugary, and the texture is ever so crisp and firm.

If you can find them in your area, get them before they're gone! They have a short growing season. You won't regret it!

Cooking with Kitten: Applesauce

Tomorrow I am bound and determined to make it over to Lyman Orchards to picks me some apples! And what do I do with such an abundant supply of apples, kittens? Why, I make applesauce!

Here's how I do it. The photos are from an earlier applesauce-making adventure this summer:

The first things you'll need, of course, are some apples. For my previous batch, I used ginger golds, which are pictured above.

Then you'll need this little tool:

I honestly don't know what the official name for this gadget is. I call it "the apple corer slicer thing." Here's how it works:

You place it over the center of the apple...

...and press down. You're left with the core standing straight up, and the slices spiraling around the side, kinda like the bloomin' onion appetizer you can get at some chain restaurants.

Put the core in your compost heap, if you've got one, or throw it away. Save the slices. Note that I didn't peel the apple first. It's not necessary in my version.

Now as you core your apples, put them in your largest pot. Once you've cored and sliced all of your apples, add water to the pot--but only enough to cover the bottom of the pot. You won't need much water, since the juices in the apples will provide you enough liquid during the cooking process.

Turn your stove to low. You want to cook your apples very slowly so they don't burn. You'll hear the water at the bottom of the pot bubble up soon enough.

Here's what the apples look like once they start to cook down:

The apples will start to look as if they're starting to sink. Note how the color of the skins is a lighter green.

Now while the apples are cooking, you're gonna need two other tools: a foley food mill, and the largest bowl you own. Set the two up like this:

I set mine up next to the stove, which makes it easier. That way you can spoon the apples directly from the pot and into your foley food mill.

Where can you find a foley food mill, you ask? My mother gave me mine for Christmas one year, and I have no idea where she found it. Here are some I just found on Amazon. You really don't need to spend a ton of money on this gadget; my mother paid next to nothing for hers and it's lasted over 35 years.

Meanwhile, check on your apples...

...when they get good and soft, but not soft enough that they collapse under the weight of a metal spoon, it's time to add your spices. I use cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves in my applesauce. Be generous with the cinnamon, but use no more than a tablespoon or two each of the cloves and allspice. As for the nutmeg, make sure it's freshly grated. It just tastes better, and there's no better scent making applesauce than that of freshly grated nutmeg. Be generous with the nutmeg, too, but not as generous as the cinnamon, and a little more so than the cloves and allspice.

Now wait a few minutes after adding your spices, so the apples start to absorb them. Then give your pot the spoon test:

See how soft the apples are? See how the spoon just sank to the bottom? You're ready for the foley food mill now!

Here's what the apples look like right after you've spooned them directly from the pot and placed them in the foley food mill:

Now you're gonna need a lot of elbow grease! Start turning! The sauce will start to trickle down from the bottom of the food mill.

Here's what the apples look like in the middle of the process. Notice that there's a LOT of sauce in there! Once in a while, you're gonna need to clean the skins out from the bottom of the food mill to prevent clogging. Either throw them away, or use 'em in your compost heap.

And now, here's what the finished product looks like:

Homemade applesauce has been a tradition in my family since I was a kid. My mama passed on this tradition to me. I refused, as a kid, to eat commercial applesauce, 'cause it tasted yucky. I still refuse to eat commercial applesauce for that reason.

You can use your applesauce in many ways. It's wonderful, of course, while it's still warm, and it's especially good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a bit of real whipped cream. (NEVER the artificial Cool Whip processed stuff! Yucky!)

It's excellent when you mix it with a little granola and yogurt to make a parfait. And it's especially good with breakfast! Mix it in with a bit of hot oatmeal. Or, here's my favorite breakfast: Heat up a bowl of Grape Nuts with a little vanilla soymilk. When you take it out of the microwave, stir in some applesauce. It is TO DIE FOR!

Finally, if your four-legged housemates don't like applesauce, know that you can freeze this. It freezes beautifully.

Now tell me, is there any other way to spend a spectacular fall day than to celebrate the bounty of its harvest?

The Quest for Chicken

And not just any chicken, might I add. I'm looking to buy an organic whole chicken. Or, as Jane Redmont just wrote in a recent post, "chicken with whole, sustainably raised, died-while-listening-to-Mozart-and-watching-PBS, in the prime of life, happy, hormone-free, fed with healthy stuff, chickens."

You see, Jane just posted what sounds like a wonderful recipe for chicken soup and stock. I have never made homemade chicken soup before, and since I have Columbus Day off, I figure that the weekend will give me the perfect opportunity to make some wonderful soup.

So yesterday I started calling around to find out where I could buy such a special chicken as the one that Auntie Jane described. I called two local health food stores; they carried "sustainably raised, died-while-listening-to-Mozart-and-watching-PBS, in the prime of life, happy, hormone-free, fed with healthy stuff" chicken breasts. No, no, I explained, I want the whole chicken.

So today I asked a colleague who is also a serious foodie. I told her I really didn't want to drive the half hour to Whole Foods for "sustainably raised, died-while-listening-to-Mozart-and-watching-PBS" chicken. I wanted the whole damn chicken! She suggested I try the Nature's Promise line at Stop and Shop.

So that will be my next stop, although I really would prefer a smaller, local store. That way I can really trust the quality of my goods. Keep your fingers crossed!

And Now...Back to the Old Grind

Tomorrow the kids are returning to school, and with it comes the busyness that comes with every new school year--getting to know the kids, getting them organized for the year, and going through a lot of paperwork. So you may not hear from me for a bit.

Of course, every time I say that--save for when I am actually physically away from home and a computer--I end up blogging ferociously.

Soooo...let me amend this by saying, maybe you'll hear from me soon, and maybe you won't.

Ciao, kittens.

My Next Trip to New York

I'm most likely returning to New York in the fall, once the weather's cooled down a bit, to visit the New York Public Library. I got the inspiration from PeaceBang's latest post. I didn't know there were exhibits at the New York Public Library, like the Gutenburg Bible.

But what really makes me want to visit? It's not the Gutenburg Bible, but the REAL, AUTHENTIC, ONCE PLAYED WITH BY THE ACTUAL CHRISTOPHER ROBIN Winnie the Pooh and friends!!! Go to the link above and you'll see a picture!!!

A day at the New York Public Library, then a trip to the Strand bookstore, and finally, a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge...yep, it sounds like the perfect fall day in the city!