>Loveliest of trees… or at least one of them. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood when the trees look like this.
It’s not so lovely when the road signs look like this. And this sign was quite readable, compared to the other road signs that we needed to read to reach our destination on Monday morning.
>Mush!
>It’s not what you think. It’s really the story of a kitchen near-disaster that spawned not a doorstop, but a colorful end product.
I bought fresh peppers from the farmers’ market in september and planned to dice and freeze them for fresh pepper flavor and color in the middle of winter. I thought, “Oh, I’ll use my new food processor! It’ll go so quickly.”
Famous last words.
I chose a blade that was much too fine, and the yellow pepper quickly became pureed instead of diced. Oops. I switched to a blade that allowed a larger cut for the red pepper, and my lovely kitchen gadget still blended it to a smooth consistency. I was left with colorful but slushy red and yellow pepper mush.
I froze them both anyway. I knew the flavor would still be good, and I was certain there would be a way to use this accidental concoction.
Last week I spread the yellow pepper mush on tilapia under the broiler along with the usual butter and lemon. It was delicious and looked lovely.
The red pepper mush ended up in several places. Tacos, superburgers, meatloaf, and eventually quesadillas.
I won’t make the same mistake a second, er, third time. But if this happens by accident, well, I know there are lots of ways to use pepper mush!
>Shoulds are bogus, even in a snowstorm
>Ah, contradictions. This is a case for “Shoulds are Bogus.”
The school for the blind should be more flexible in receiving kids who do not take their buses.
Reality: Their dorm staff doesn’t arrive until a certain time, and that’s that.
End result: I had to plan to drop him off late in the evening, and then either find a hotel or make my way home over back roads late at night. In the snow. During deer season.
I should have left earlier in the day.
Reality: Amigo couldn’t get into his dorm at the school for the blind until 7:30 PM at the earliest, so leaving earlier was pointless.
End result: We watched the Packer game at home and then left.
We should have changed plans completely, leaving early Monday morning.
Reality: We didn’t know the weather would be as bad as it was or the traffic as slow as it was.
End result: We changed plans as we got closer to our first destination.
I should have prepared Amigo for the possibility of change.
Reality: Having too many options can cause him to melt down just as much as a sudden change can. There was really no way to prepare him.
End result: He had a meltdown in the van.
I should be grateful we found a hotel room down the road from La Petite’s apartment.
Reality: I’m very grateful. In fact, the other hotel in the town near Amigo’s school cancelled my reservation with no charge. I’m grateful for that, too.
End result: We’re nearly the only customers here, in this hotel in a small college town. It’s very quiet.
And shoulds or not, I’m glad we have a safe and warm place to lay our heads and rest. No matter what the morning brings, we’ll be all right.
And the hotel room has a coffeemaker, so at least one of us will be happy in the morning.
>Random thoughts on Black Friday
>We ventured out late in the day, after supper, figuring that the wild and crazy folks who stayed up on night for the doorbusters would be home and in bed. We were right; traffic wasn’t bad at all, and the stores were quite uncrowded. Store staff looked worn out, though.
We stopped at Goodwill first. Daughter wanted an “ugly sweater” to wear to a theme party later this month. We laughed at each other because I actually wear seasonal sweaters to work! Elementary teachers can get away with that. While she dragged several options off the racks and tried on her favorites, I actually found something like new for Amigo and a seasonal sweater (Croft and Barrow, it’s okay!) for me. We bought two reusable cloth shopping bags so we could say “We don’t need a bag” at the checkout, and headed to the next store. Pictures will have to come later.
Steve and Barry’s was next on our list. We’re so sad that this company is going out of business. Good casual clothes, Sarah Jessica Parker’s Bitten line, and really, really reasonable prices were not enough to keep S & B’s afloat. La Petite and I both mourn its liquidation, so we grieved by shopping there one last time. Bitten runs small (perfect for La Petite, not so for me), and it seemed that my doppelganger in philosophy and size must have been there earlier in the day. My favorite shirt and jacket didn’t come in XL, and the L was too tight across the, er, chest. I may try again; the manager said there was more stock in the back. Daughter’s measurement nearly mimic SJP’s, so she went to town picking out classic pieces.
I picked up baby gifts there for the second time in a few months. I resisted the adorable baby blankets and bibs with bunny appliques and picked up the cute, cute little onesies instead.
I had an odd feeling standing in the men’s department looking at the pullover hoodies sporting car company logos. Ford. Chevy. GMC. Are these sweatshirts not selling because people are afraid they’ll be wearing anachronisms on their chests? Shouldn’t people buy these because they’re timeless classics, no matter how the car companies restructure? Will a bailout help the Detroit Lions become more competitive, too? And why was I having such philosophical thoughts in the middle of a going-out-of-business sale?
The S&B store was selling their hangers, too: nice wood ones. Again, I may go back and buy a few. If they sell their shopping bags as well, the nylon mesh ones, I’ll buy a couple. They’d be good travel bags, especially for swimsuits. They might also make good shopping bags for large purchases — like the ones we might make in the next few weeks.
Our last stop was Walgreens for a few basic meds in my cabinet. My favorite cough drops (Ricola green tea/echinacea), fake pseudophedrine (the kind no meth dealer would desire), and a couple of toiletries for La Petite and Amigo. Once again we used our own bag, the Chico Bag in my purse.
To summarize:
3 stores
Successful purchases at all three
Gift purchases at two (no, I’m not telling, my family reads this blog!)
Good deals at first two, reasonable prices as always at third
Only two plastic shopping bags, used our own at the other places.
Funny philosophical thoughts at first store (pictures of the Ugly Seasonal Sweaters will have to come later)
Strange philosophical thoughts at second store
No philosophical thoughts at all at third store
All in all, a good evening shopping. I didn’t have to camp out overnight or wake up in the wee hours, either.
>A relaxing Saturday night
>Random thoughts on a long Thanksgiving weekend
>The makers of stuffing mix recommended twice as much stuffing as needed. Twice as much! Next year I’ll know better. But I like stuffing, so it’s not really a problem to have leftovers.
I wish I could have composted the coffee filters and coffee grounds yesterday. I made three pots total. Oh, the guilty feeling of throwing these in the garbage!
The turkey carcass made a great soup stock. There was just enough leftover turkey for two containers: One for sandwiches, one scraps for soup.
Cloth napkins are definitely the way to go. Gather them up after the meal, throw them in the laundry basket, and wash them with the dish towels. If we’d used paper, each person would have used at least two, and the pile would have filled half a garbage bag. The decision to use cloth might help ease my guilt about the coffee grounds and filters (see above).
We have a tiny kitchen in our Victorian home. I call it a “one person kitchen,” but Husband and I managed to work in it together. I stuffed the turkey and settled it in the oven, then Iron Chef Husband took over and made the sides. We worked side by side as I made the gravy while he carved the turkey. After all was said and done, the meal was delicious. We were both tired enough that if we hadn’t had guests, I think both of us would have napped after the leftovers landed in the fridge.
A crockpot is great for stuffing. I put as much in the turkey as I could and then cooked the rest in the crockpot. My poor worn out crockpot, that is, with the falling-off handle and the rust stains on the sides from steam and condensation. The crock, the actual cooking pot, is in great shape. the outer piece is not.
My family loves my crockpot soups and other creations enough that they arranged a new crockpot for my birthday! Daughter stopped at an outlet mall on the way home from her college campus and bought me a brand new crockpot AND Little Dipper! I’ve never had a Little Dipper, so I predict all kinds of fun ahead.
La Petite has been 21 for almost a full year now. I’m still adjusting to the fact that she can drink wine or beer at dinner and not need our permission to do so. So far she’s shown a knack for drinking only in moderation, thank goodness.
Amigo thinks he wants to go shopping on Black Friday. He says he doesn’t want to shop, but wants to “see the chaos.” Not a chance, kiddo. Not if it’s up to me. Now if La Petite wants to take him…that’s another story.
>Magic Blankie
>It’s just a blanket throw, offwhite in color, nothing special to look at. But it’s down filled, and cozy as can be.
Magic Blanket comes with us in the car or minivan on long road trips. It lives on the couch most of the time — except when one kid or the other takes it for their own. Amigo will wrap up in it on the den floor while he watches college football. La Petite will nab it for her futon when she comes home to visit.
I always ‘steal’ it back.
I call it Magic Blankie because it is my favorite for naps. Amigo doesn’t get the whole nap concept. “Mom, why do you nap? Why don’t you just sleep in?” “Well, honey, I’m not a teenager.” “Huh?”
Amigo calls it Magic Blankie because it makes him feel better when he’s sick.
Whatever the reason, this ordinary-looking blanket is a keeper. Who says toddlers are the only ones with blankets? Not me. In fact, as soon as I put the turkey in the oven, I’m going to curl up with the newspaper, a cup of coffee, and Magic Blankie.
Happy Love Thursday, everyone, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. May the magic be not just in your blankies, but also in your hearts.
>Tools of the Trade
>
>Turkey Noodle Soup Daisy’s Way
>There are so many different turkey soup recipes out in the blogosphere that it didn’t occur to me to post another one. However, a plurk friend (also butcher and chef) suggested that would be a good post for Thanksgiving week, so I decided to try it.
The hardest thing about posting a soup recipe is that I rarely make a soup the same way twice. Soups usually start with a good stock or broth, add veggies, add meat (maybe), simmer all day, and later add noodles or rice or dumplings. But here goes: the Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Noodle Soup at Daisy’s house.
4-6 cups turkey stock (you did make some with the turkey carcass, didn’t you?!)
1/4 cup peas
1/4 corn
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green or red pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, and basil if available
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/4 cup spinach (optional: I have some in my freezer from the summer garden)
–any other available leftover vegetables
Oh, and turkey! I almost forgot. 2 cups diced turkey, or more if you like a really meaty soup.
Let all ingredients simmer in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. About an hour before serving, add a generous handful of egg noodles (or other type, but wide egg noodles are my family’s favorite). Turn crockpot to high.
Serve warm with fresh bread and cranberry jello on the side to recreate a bit of the peaceful feeling of Thanksgiving Day.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone.
>Just another really, really manic Monday
>Monday, Monday. We were still in the throes of the month-long disruption we call No Child Left Untested. My grade level couldn’t have science because of the domino effect that a testing schedule creates. Eager to start teaching science again, I pulled a few videos off the library shelves to help the kids build a little background knowledge before starting the Human Body unit. One, National Geographic’s The Incredible Human Machine, was a little on the long side, but looked promising. National Geographic’s educational videos are good quality, filled with great photography and valuable content. This one was on the elementary library shelves, so I presumed it was age appropriate.
Oops.
The video started with a full screen shot of daVinci’s The Vitruvian Man in all his proportional glory. Any narration was lost in the hysterical giggles and noisy hoots of fourth graders reacting to this, um, detailed drawing. I stepped in front of the TV and reassured them that I understood they were naturally uncomfortable, this was a very famous drawing by a famous artist and they could take a deep breath and settle down as the movie went on.
Did I say settle down? The next piece in the opening discussed the body as art and showed a painter working on a nude portrait of a woman. The woman was tastefully posed, and nothing unseemly was shown, but it was enough to re-establish the hysterics.
I should have given up then. But shoulds, as my regular readers know, are bogus. The reality? I pressed on, kept attempting to settle the kids and redirecting them toward the paper on which they were to note new facts they hadn’t known before seeing this movie. The end result: They couldn’t keep it together. The class was officially off the walls with giggle fits and roars of inappropriate laughter. There was no possible way for these kiddos to learn anything from the video, no matter how fascinating the cinematography.
Later in the day I vented a little to my coworker in the 4/5 combination classroom. “It was a National Geographic film! Those are usually excellent!” She answered with a quirky grin, “Did it start with a naked woman being painted?” “OMG, yes!” She burst out laughing. “I had the same problem with the same video some ten years ago. I remember telling (principal at the time) that it was on our library shelves so I thought it would be okay!!”
Fast forward by a day and an email and the conclusion is this: it’s an old, old video. We’re clearing our shelves of all things VHS in the spring. This one will simply bite the dust a few months early. The principal knows about it and will field any phone calls. Hopefully, all will be well.
Until I actually start teaching about the incredible body machine….