Aspic, lobsters, and a whole lot of butter

It was a great book. I don't know what to take away from it most, however - the thrill of a quirky project such as making all 524 recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking or simply following a path with passion until you find your way to the end (or a new beginning!). It was inspiring.

Well, aside from the ghastly event where the author and her husband leave butter at the Julia Child exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (*museum professionals gasp*).

All in all, a perfect book to finish on this eve of 2008 as we head into a new year full of possibilities...

Detox

After a week of overdoing it with fattening foods and salty snacks and lots of alcohol (ahem, mom and dad I'm pointing a finger at you!), I am ready to detox.

I need salads and yummy fresh veggies to chop on my new bamboo cutting board; warm, sunny evenings to start back up my run-walking with my new pedometer and IPod arm strap that Santa brought me; and longer days to be working in my garden. My father e-mailed me today to ask about my CSA farmer's market subscription from these past two summers and it made me all sad.

Is it too early to wish for Spring?

Hungry

In an effort to actually use up things in my fridge before they went bad, I invented a new favorite food: pumpkin, arugula, and parmesan pizza. Okay, invented might be a stretch as I've since found others who had the same sort of idea. Regardless, the result was divine and I am looking forward to using up the new leftover pumpkin puree from my pumpple pies in the same manner.

Pumpkin, arugula, and parmesan pizza

1 whole wheat pizza crust (I used Trader Joe's). I always pre-crisp my TJ's crust and sprinkle it with pepper and/or garlic salt during the crisping stage. Then, build it as you would a normal pizza:

Sauce - approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree (use as much "sauce" as you desire) mixed with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and dried sage to taste. I just eyeballed these but would approximate I used about 1 or 1 1/2 tsp of each with a bit more salt & pepper. I also added a little powdered parmesan in the sauce as I had it left over from my Chex Mix making adventure.

Toppings - fresh organic arugula torn into small pieces and piled on top; topped with shaved parmesan; a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and more pepper.

Cook according to crust directions until heated and cheese is melted.

Notes for next time - I put the arugula on before cooking which resulted in crispy greens, but may try next time to add it a little later on so some 'freshness' is retained. I also might try to make the sauce from scratch a bit more - with fresh onions and garlic instead of relying on the powdered versions (but hey, on the fly it worked pretty well!).

Prepared

Well, I have my grocery list ready to go for this evening's trip to Ukrop's. I need to get the makings for another pumpple pie (or two) and the ingredients for the cheese fondue recipe my family will be having on Christmas eve (sans the pickles and sausages the actual recipe calls for substituted with fresh veggies and crusty bread cubes). I've also made the necessary run to Total Wine to get a case of my parents' favorite wine and pick up a few fun reds for me since this is now 'red wine season' (and I guess my brother may have some too). Yes, I do feel a little guilty for going to the big box retailer rather than my little local wine shop. I will try to be better (head hanging low).

I was bad and opened up one of the reds last night (Maipe 2007 cab sav) and must say was pleased - not exceptional, but pretty darn good. I try to stick to $9.99 or below on these 'fun' bottles and can always find some good ones at that price point. Plus, I'm a sucker for the little description cards that Total Wine has next to some of their wines - especially if it mentions being good with veggies (this one didn't but pizza was listed).

Tonight, besides grocery shopping and baking a pie, I need to pack for the short (2 1/2 hour) road trip up to the wilds of Maryland to my parents' house. Ugh, I hate packing. To help me get in the spirit, I think tonight I'll paint my nails with Essie's bordeaux shade. Just the right deep, dark red (no worries - I have very short nails so it doesn't look trampy!).

Lucky

Don't you just love it when things work out? My last (and very last-minute) gift to mail and wouldn't you know the gods were smiling and it fit in a shipping box I had up in the attic like a glove. Don't know what I would have done if it hadn't fit...

My holiday wrapping this year: white butcher paper and red plaid ribbons I had wasting away in a box of "old" ribbon I had. Supplemented with some red curling ribbon I also had and some cute red ornaments for a bit of sparkle. I'm pretty proud of myself that I didn't buy any wrapping things this year. Of course I'm a bit (ahem) of a pack rat so it's not that great of an accomplishment I guess.

Now, off to the post office and then on to holiday happy hour with some friends. We had our work holiday party today so I'm definitely in the spirit! I feel kind of like when I was in school and we were just counting the minutes until winter break... But sadly, I must report to work on Monday so that feeling is sure to subside very soon.

Astray

One of Santa's reindeer has gone astray on the Northern Neck of Virginia...

On my drive to work this morning I saw an SUV outfitted with antlers and it made me laugh. A good laugh on such a rainy, dreary day!

Image courtesy harrietcarter.com

Countdown

Well, the tree is up (fake, with lights built in that I purchased at Target or Kmart last year) along with my favorite ornaments - birds, ears of corn, a pickle, and this little acorn among others. My shopping is not quite done but I'm feeling pretty good about Christmas being right around the corner. My cards are going out today come hell or high water and the donations to the ASPCA that I'm sending to my aunts and uncles and their families are going to be ordered online and sent right along with the cards.

I'm excited about doing the ASPCA honor gifts. I figured instead of trying to find an inexpensive gift this year (paperwhite bulbs, foodstuffs, etc.) I would put my little bit of money to good use and make a little bit of difference in a cause I believe in and that my family supports too - they're all animal lovers. This may expand next year - I just hate buying stuff for people who already have more stuff then they need or use. Enough of my soapbox, though.

I have been a Chex Mix-making fiend (not as much of a fiend as my friend Theresa with her cookie-making marathon) and have packed and delivered little goody bags of both Ranch and BBQ flavors to the group of interpreters (tour guides) at my museum. To thank them but also to butter them up for another year of laying down new rules and being obsessive about things. That's only fair, right?

A few more boxes of the cereal are left and I'll make another batch before I head out for the holidays so I can take some to my father and grandmother too. I might keep some for myself, but after hours of making the snack mix I must admit I kind of have lost my taste for it. Must be similar to if you baked cookies for days straight (Theresa?).

Last night I attended my first work holiday party - a potluck with the interpreters. I made my friend Christine's couscous salad (simmered in lemon juice, tomatoes, cumin, broth - super easy and very yummy hot or cold). I experimented with Trader Joe's whole wheat couscous and must admit it was a little disappointing - too gummy for this dish. But everyone seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.

Today is a work from home day and I can't get my computer to log into the network. This may be a mixed blessing - I can still get e-mail remotely but it won't be updated constantly and so I might actually have some uninterrupted research time today. Very exciting.

I'm glad to be inside today - cold and rainy and the kind of weather that chills you to the bone. I'm happy to be in my little house with my comfy socks and the Christmas tree glowing.

Overnight

Almost overnight a bloom has burst open on the Christmas cactus with another bud not far behind. It amazes me how delicate the folds of the flower are - whisper-thin with a hint of pink. Definitely a bright spot in the midst of rainy and cold weather that has me feeling less than cheery.

Blustery Day

Well, yesterday afternoon was beautiful and the perfect way for real winter weather to be ushered in. I took a bit of a walk yesterday after lunchtime - just in time for a softly falling snow (well, a dusting really, but for Fredericksburg, anything is quite exciting). Stop one - library to return books and cds and pick up a movie which I had on hold. Then on to various shops to pick up things that my mother had ordered when last in town, a little window shopping for myself, and a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law. Downtown Fredericksburg was bustling, not with shoppers though (much to the storekeepers' disappointment) but with people staking out seats for the big Christmas parade.

I then stopped by the James Monroe Museum for their annual Christmas open house event and saw the new museum displays and people swarming the cookies & hot cider (people love free food!). Then on to Hyperion for a little warming peppermint mocha for my walk home. I didn't stay for the parade (I needed to thaw) but that is definitely on my list for next year. I'm thinking hanging out at the local wine bar and then watching the parade would be fun...

So even though I didn't stay for the parade, it was a lovely afternoon and I loved not having to get in my car to go shopping. Plus, people actually wished me happy holidays when passing them on the sidewalks. It was like I lived in It's a Wonderful Life.

I've been working on decking my halls this weekend and have the tree up but not yet fully decorated. I like to give my cats some time to knock it down a few times and get that out of their systems before I add the breakable ornaments. This afternoon may be the time.

Bundle up and stay warm everyone!

Winter Blooms

Well, my garden is a little dreary now that winter is in full force. My hellebores that I bought at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden's sale last spring still add some green to my front garden and promise to bloom come January or February. In my backyard, my rosemary plant is still standing strong and my pear tree is turning the most beautiful shade of dusty gold.

Inside, I've had to say goodbye to my dear little China doll tree that has unfortunately bit the dust after over ten years. I think my new house has too little light inside to give her what she needed. Very sad. On a brighter note, my little Christmas cactus that I've had for just a few years is getting ready to show her stuff and bring some life to these winter days. I have had her in the bathroom since I moved in and I think she likes the humidity. She doesn't get a whole lot of light, but something seems to be working - there are at least six or seven buds ready to pop!

Lunch bag

I'm working from home today (getting some quiet time to do research that always seems to evade me when I'm at the office with phone ringing, coworkers talking, copy machine whirring, and nary a door in sight to close - how can I be the only one at my place of employment with a cubicle?...but I digress).

Anyway, am already thinking about what I'm going to fix for lunch. It's such a treat to actually have my whole kitchen at my disposal for lunchtime. Normally I pack my lunch in a cute little lunch bag and the contents are often not too creative (yesterday it was an apple and WASA crackers with Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges). Today, however, I have the world at my disposal (well, whatever portion of the world resides in my kitchen) and I'm thinking cheese sandwich. Cheddar, havarti, swiss (one slice of each from my Trader Joe's lite cheese packs); lettuce; light mayo (sorry T). I wish I had carrots - shredded carrots would be good too. Oh well.

Pumpple Pie in Pictures

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and I had a nice time hanging out with the family - did a little baking of cookies, a little drinking of wine, and a little shopping (makings of a glorious weekend if you ask me).

My contribution to Thanksgiving dinner turned out pretty darn well, if I do say so myself. I followed the recipe and voila - Pummple Pie that will be making a return visit next year if I have anything to do with it! It's now back to the daily grind of daily life, but here are some pictures from my pummple pie adventure:

It starts out with apples (some local varieties from my CSA bag)...

Then pumpkin pie goodness...

Whisked all together while the apples are simmering...

Then in go the apples into the pie crust...

Topped by the pumpkin...

Top it, and bake it...

Just the right blend of apples and pumpkin goodness.