There was a great article a few weeks ago in the New York Times about budgeting during these touch economic times, and I set it aside to comment on. I can related to the story about homeowners who find themselves buy large quantities of food because of a good price. We installed open shelves a few months ago and unearthed a good deal of food supplies...and discovered we have all sorts of dry goods that we'll never eat!
Tom and I both feel very, very lucky to have what we hope are stable jobs. We were even luckier to have found tenants earlier this year for our house. But now is the time for everyone, lucky or not, to take a step back and look a their home finances.
Recently we canceled our gym membership. I think this is the first time since my college days that I don't have a membership somewhere, but we found ourselves wasting it for months on end. I've been rationalizing that by not paying $110 or so a month, within three months we'll have saved enough for a Wii! On a more serious note, we're hoping to walk the dog more and get back into running, maybe buy some weights off of craigslist.
As for food shopping, we've seen the prices go up and quality go down at our local Shaws. We've been buying more items in bulk, where appropriate, at BJs. I got a big kick out of picking up a three-pack of Chai tea mix. It's the same stuff Starbucks is using to make my $3.78 Chai lattes, and I got at least 20 or so-worth for just $7. Now if only I could find bagels that Tom likes nearly as much as those at Dunkin Donuts!
Tom rediscovered the local butchershop, McKinnon's in Davis Square, where the prices and quality are outstanding. We're still participating in the meat CSA, but find for cold cuts and one-off items that we don't plan to freeze, McKinnon's is the way to go. We ended up dropping the vegetable CSA, feeling that we wasted more than we ate. We recently dropped by Wilson Farms in Lexington, and while the prices aren't complete bargains, the quality and selection is so much better than the supermarket, it's worth shopping selectively.
We sold my car last year and have survived 13 months on one car. This cut back on insurance, taxes and fuel costs significantly, and we were pleasantly surprised at how we dealt with the change. We plan our weekend errands much more carefully now, so I imagine we've cut back in a small way on one-off trips that waste time and gas.
What have you cut back on? What habits have you changed to save money/energy?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Finally, a Christmas tree...
When Tom and I first moved in together, he spent an outrageous sum of money on a very beautiful Christmas tree, having grown up with fake ones for most of his life. After that first year, the novelty wore off, and he realized that having a real tree is a bit more work than he had anticipated.
The past two years, we haven't had xmas decorations, much less a tree. Two years ago I was traveling like crazy, and last year we were in between houses. I think maybe I had a wreath. So when I announced to Tom earlier this month that I fully intended to get a tree, let's say he was less than thrilled...
They're such a mess...
Where are we going to put it - we don't have room for our regular stuff...
It's two weeks 'til Christmas - why bother...
They're too expensive...
And so forth... But I dug in my heels. We compromised: I could get a tree, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Ha -- a familiar refrain to many wives (kind of like the dog he wanted, but I make sure she has food and gets baths on a regular basis...but I digress!) So off I went to Home Depot tonight, where decent trees can still be had for $29.
The chase was on, however, for the stand. I went down to our house in Plymouth after Thanksgiving and collected all of our holiday decorations. No stand to be found. I don't know what it is with these things -- I'm fairly certain that in the nearly 15 years that I've been living on my own, I've bought at least five or six of them. They mysteriously disappear every few years...no doubt still attached to a tree and thrown out in a fit of rage when they fail to unscrew.
Target: sold out. Kmart: cleared out. Home Depot: nada. Yikes -- I have a freshly cut tree and no stand! I'm about to run out to the 24-hour CVS in Porter Square when my mother-in-law calls me from the front door: wait! My sister-in-law may have an extra! Many, many thanks to Judy who dug through her basement and found a spare stand!
A little help from my father-in-law getting the tree upstairs and upright in the stand, and presto: Heather has her tree.
Take that, Tommy! ;)
The past two years, we haven't had xmas decorations, much less a tree. Two years ago I was traveling like crazy, and last year we were in between houses. I think maybe I had a wreath. So when I announced to Tom earlier this month that I fully intended to get a tree, let's say he was less than thrilled...
They're such a mess...
Where are we going to put it - we don't have room for our regular stuff...
It's two weeks 'til Christmas - why bother...
They're too expensive...
And so forth... But I dug in my heels. We compromised: I could get a tree, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Ha -- a familiar refrain to many wives (kind of like the dog he wanted, but I make sure she has food and gets baths on a regular basis...but I digress!) So off I went to Home Depot tonight, where decent trees can still be had for $29.
The chase was on, however, for the stand. I went down to our house in Plymouth after Thanksgiving and collected all of our holiday decorations. No stand to be found. I don't know what it is with these things -- I'm fairly certain that in the nearly 15 years that I've been living on my own, I've bought at least five or six of them. They mysteriously disappear every few years...no doubt still attached to a tree and thrown out in a fit of rage when they fail to unscrew.
Target: sold out. Kmart: cleared out. Home Depot: nada. Yikes -- I have a freshly cut tree and no stand! I'm about to run out to the 24-hour CVS in Porter Square when my mother-in-law calls me from the front door: wait! My sister-in-law may have an extra! Many, many thanks to Judy who dug through her basement and found a spare stand!
A little help from my father-in-law getting the tree upstairs and upright in the stand, and presto: Heather has her tree.
Take that, Tommy! ;)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A very Aimee Christmas...
Tom and I have been ridiculously sick for the past week or so -- as in "missed my work's holiday party Saturday night" level of sick. And I can't remember the last time we were sick at the same time, so it's an added bonus to have two miserable people in the house. Needless to say, the dog has been camping out with Tom's parents for hours on end, only coming up to make sure we're alive when she wants to be fed.
A few months ago, I bought us tickets to an Aimee Mann concert at the Somerville Theater tonight for Tom's birthday -- he is a huge fan! We didn't read the fine print and were disappointed to learn a week or so ago that it's a Christmas concert, not a regular show. And by this week, feeling as lousy as we did, I can't say that either of us was mustering up a lot of enthusiasm. If the concert had been anywhere other than just over a mile away, we probably would have bagged it.
And we would have missed an awesome, very eclectic show!
For starters, the Somerville Theater in Davis Square is a wonderful place to see a show. Plenty of parking, cheap refreshments (as neither of us was up for a beer, we paid just $4 for a soda and tea!), and the theater portion of the building makes for a very intimate setting. To our delight, Aimee Mann is very down to earth, with a wonderful sense of humor and biting sarcasm (and occasional potty mouth!). The evening was emceed by a rising comedian, Todd Barry, from New York who has that really dry, laid-back personality that quickly had us in stitches. Mann was joined on stage by artists Juliana Hatfield (I can't believe she's 40 -- she looks about 20!) and Nellie McKay (wonderful, very different type of singer whom we had never heard of, but thoroughly enjoyed). Lots of funny, off-beat holiday songs, including a number by the preggo Hanukah Fairy, and a hillarious three-part film that spoofed The Christmas Carol and starred notable actors like John C Reilly and Michael Cera. I almost died laughing!
To Tom's neverending joy, about halfway through the show, Mann says, to hell with this -- not everyone likes Christmas songs, and proceeds with six or so of her own songs, including one or two from her latest album. What an incredible voice -- and as Tom pointed out, with so little perceptible effort!
The show ended up being a real treat! Happy birthday, honey!
A few months ago, I bought us tickets to an Aimee Mann concert at the Somerville Theater tonight for Tom's birthday -- he is a huge fan! We didn't read the fine print and were disappointed to learn a week or so ago that it's a Christmas concert, not a regular show. And by this week, feeling as lousy as we did, I can't say that either of us was mustering up a lot of enthusiasm. If the concert had been anywhere other than just over a mile away, we probably would have bagged it.
And we would have missed an awesome, very eclectic show!
For starters, the Somerville Theater in Davis Square is a wonderful place to see a show. Plenty of parking, cheap refreshments (as neither of us was up for a beer, we paid just $4 for a soda and tea!), and the theater portion of the building makes for a very intimate setting. To our delight, Aimee Mann is very down to earth, with a wonderful sense of humor and biting sarcasm (and occasional potty mouth!). The evening was emceed by a rising comedian, Todd Barry, from New York who has that really dry, laid-back personality that quickly had us in stitches. Mann was joined on stage by artists Juliana Hatfield (I can't believe she's 40 -- she looks about 20!) and Nellie McKay (wonderful, very different type of singer whom we had never heard of, but thoroughly enjoyed). Lots of funny, off-beat holiday songs, including a number by the preggo Hanukah Fairy, and a hillarious three-part film that spoofed The Christmas Carol and starred notable actors like John C Reilly and Michael Cera. I almost died laughing!
To Tom's neverending joy, about halfway through the show, Mann says, to hell with this -- not everyone likes Christmas songs, and proceeds with six or so of her own songs, including one or two from her latest album. What an incredible voice -- and as Tom pointed out, with so little perceptible effort!
The show ended up being a real treat! Happy birthday, honey!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Happy Larry Bird to Tom!
He's sick as a dog and has a final tonight, but be sure to wish Tom a happy 33rd birthday!
Friday, December 5, 2008
A well-tended bookshelf
I recent read a great and timely article in the NYT about managing a ever-expanding collection of books -- it made me laugh about my own problem! Anyone who has visited my home will tell you that I have books everywhere -- I convinced Tom to install floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in a particular useless corner of our living room; I have a basket of "to read" books in our bedroom; our home in Plymouth has at least 3 different sets of bookshelves throughout. To say nothing of the collection I left behind at my parents' house and have yet to ransom out.
Although not quite as bad as I am, Tom is an avid reader himself. We have pretty much every Stephen King and Henry Rollins, and he's building an impressive collection of both cookbooks and books about cooking.
Through our many moves, I've been whittling down the collection. Those that I read and didn't care for usually go to the local library or the MIT Furniture Exchange. A pretty significant stash is still down in Plymouth -- old textbooks from grad school classes, a random assortment on the top shelves that I didn't get to sorting.
I love looking at my collection, although I only just started re-reading some recently -- "From Beruit to Jerusalem" seems particularly relevant these days. I have an adversion to lending out anything other than those I disliked -- have you ever noticed how the favorite book you lent to a good friend never seems to get returned?
And yet I buy more! When I traveled out to the West Coast a lot, I had at least a half dozen independent bookstores I liked to visit and especially peruse the discount sections. There's nothing I like more than finding a book I wanted to read marked down to mere dollars! Tom keeps telling me I need to get a library card -- the Somerville Library is a reasonable walk from the house and probably a lot less expensive. But then I recently rediscovered one of my favorite places as a child: the New England Mobile Bookfair in Newton. Oh my lord - book heaven!
How do you manage your collection?
Although not quite as bad as I am, Tom is an avid reader himself. We have pretty much every Stephen King and Henry Rollins, and he's building an impressive collection of both cookbooks and books about cooking.
Through our many moves, I've been whittling down the collection. Those that I read and didn't care for usually go to the local library or the MIT Furniture Exchange. A pretty significant stash is still down in Plymouth -- old textbooks from grad school classes, a random assortment on the top shelves that I didn't get to sorting.
I love looking at my collection, although I only just started re-reading some recently -- "From Beruit to Jerusalem" seems particularly relevant these days. I have an adversion to lending out anything other than those I disliked -- have you ever noticed how the favorite book you lent to a good friend never seems to get returned?
And yet I buy more! When I traveled out to the West Coast a lot, I had at least a half dozen independent bookstores I liked to visit and especially peruse the discount sections. There's nothing I like more than finding a book I wanted to read marked down to mere dollars! Tom keeps telling me I need to get a library card -- the Somerville Library is a reasonable walk from the house and probably a lot less expensive. But then I recently rediscovered one of my favorite places as a child: the New England Mobile Bookfair in Newton. Oh my lord - book heaven!
How do you manage your collection?
Friday, November 28, 2008
The evolution of Christmas shopping
I was up and out the door at 6:30am, driving down to Plymouth to meet friends for breakfast and drop by our house to check on things. On my way back up, I stopped at a few malls in Plymouth and Kingston and was pleasantly surprised to waltz in and easily find a parking spot. A disturbing sign of the economic times... I also, once again, wasn't impressed by the bargains. I got a few good deals, but for the most part, just window shopped.
Tonight's shopping, however, was more productive and worth posting. We were tired of leftovers and opted for a low-budget dinner and drinks at the nearby 99 where our friend's wife works. We were hanging out at the bar, and I began sorting through the wads of paper in my bag. Coupons, circulars, lists, more coupons, expired coupons. The next thing we knew, we were online on my Blackberry, sitting at the bar, ordering one niece's Christmas gifts online at Amazon. My how the times have changed -- and talk about multi-tasking!
Tonight's shopping, however, was more productive and worth posting. We were tired of leftovers and opted for a low-budget dinner and drinks at the nearby 99 where our friend's wife works. We were hanging out at the bar, and I began sorting through the wads of paper in my bag. Coupons, circulars, lists, more coupons, expired coupons. The next thing we knew, we were online on my Blackberry, sitting at the bar, ordering one niece's Christmas gifts online at Amazon. My how the times have changed -- and talk about multi-tasking!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy turkey!
Happy Thanksgiving all! Tom and I were at the Gobble-Gobble-Gobble, Somerville Road Runner's annual Thanksgiving Day road race, celebrating ten years since my friend Cindy first introduced me to him at the race in '98. Always makes for a fun story when people ask how I met my husband!
This afternoon we deep-fried a turkey for the first time. We've heard horror stories about how folks have almost burned down their houses, so yes, a fire extinguisher was on hand! In the end, no flames and probably one of the best, juiciest turkeys I've ever had. Clean-up, however, is bound to be a pain -- we're hoping the oil coagulates overnight and we can scoop it out, but I'm wondering if it will be cold enough...
This afternoon we deep-fried a turkey for the first time. We've heard horror stories about how folks have almost burned down their houses, so yes, a fire extinguisher was on hand! In the end, no flames and probably one of the best, juiciest turkeys I've ever had. Clean-up, however, is bound to be a pain -- we're hoping the oil coagulates overnight and we can scoop it out, but I'm wondering if it will be cold enough...
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Oh no! My favorite cookie factory...closed!
Tom and I were catching up on things today, one of which was some serious grocery shopping. For years, I've snacked on Archway Cookies, whether the large, soft iced oatmeal variety or the bag of crunchy ginger snaps.
So I'm in the snack aisle, doing loops up and down, wondering where they've moved my favorite cookies to. A stockboy stops me and asks what I'm looking for. When I tell him, he laughs, saying "oh, you must be one of the last people who buy them. Archway went out of business last month."
Oh no -- say it isn't so! Sadly, this cookie did crumble...
So I'm in the snack aisle, doing loops up and down, wondering where they've moved my favorite cookies to. A stockboy stops me and asks what I'm looking for. When I tell him, he laughs, saying "oh, you must be one of the last people who buy them. Archway went out of business last month."
Oh no -- say it isn't so! Sadly, this cookie did crumble...
Monday, November 24, 2008
Miami trip: day 5
Our last morning in sunny Fort Lauderdale. We headed south around 9am to Miami airport, and became somewhat concerned when the GPS led us through several miles of really down-troddened neighborhoods. Trailer houses, check cashing facilities, strip joints, lots of homeless. We stopped briefly for gas, and even though he was only three feet away, Tom had me lock the car doors as soon as he stepped out. Makes you grateful for what you have...
Uneventful, yet long flight home connecting in Dulles again. We laughed at the onslaught of inaugural tourist-traps inside the airport. The capital is gearing up for January's main event!
Tom's already talking about planning a return trip to Florida this spring -- oh for a money tree!
Uneventful, yet long flight home connecting in Dulles again. We laughed at the onslaught of inaugural tourist-traps inside the airport. The capital is gearing up for January's main event!
Tom's already talking about planning a return trip to Florida this spring -- oh for a money tree!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Miami trip: day 4
Today was the second highlight of our trip: New England Patriots at the Miami Dolphins. Two friends from Boston flew down to Tampa yesterday to stay with another friend and his wife (he's formerly of Boston), then drove down to meet the six of us to go to the game. We joined up with the two boat captains (also Patriots fans) with their friends (all Dolphins fans) for a great tailgate. Hubie struggled without his usual stash of every-supply-under-the-sun, and there were lots of jokes about how next time we'll be shipping down a box.
Patriots fans travel well -- perhaps not quite to the same level as Red Sox fans who seem to travel in droves across the country -- but definitely to Miami. When we came down for the game two years ago, it seemed like 75% Patriots fans. This time, we were probably just over 50%, as Miami has improved dramatically this season, but suffice to say we were in good company. Likely because there are so many transplants (see our Tampa friend and our two boat captains as case in point).
Unlike some cities, Miami fans are also good sports and very friendly. No harassment out in the lots or in the stadium. Some good-natured ribbing when the Patriots fell behind during the first half -- it didn't last long when Miami fell apart in the second half.
The girls sitting behind us (more former Boston folks!) took a fantastic picture of me and Tom. Yes, I'm wearing a pink jersey -- the kind I make fun of at every game. But I can defend my apparel -- we were all the way to Logan when I realized I forgot to pack a Patriots jersey. When we connected with our friends that evening, Hubie's wife Meghan immediately offered one of her two jerseys, Moss or Welker. I picked Welker, only to see seconds later the shirt was pink. Needless to say, our friends at the game who have heard me make fun of the women-wearing-pink-or-blue-sports-apparel-phenomenon gave me a lot of grief!
Patriots fans travel well -- perhaps not quite to the same level as Red Sox fans who seem to travel in droves across the country -- but definitely to Miami. When we came down for the game two years ago, it seemed like 75% Patriots fans. This time, we were probably just over 50%, as Miami has improved dramatically this season, but suffice to say we were in good company. Likely because there are so many transplants (see our Tampa friend and our two boat captains as case in point).
Unlike some cities, Miami fans are also good sports and very friendly. No harassment out in the lots or in the stadium. Some good-natured ribbing when the Patriots fell behind during the first half -- it didn't last long when Miami fell apart in the second half.
The girls sitting behind us (more former Boston folks!) took a fantastic picture of me and Tom. Yes, I'm wearing a pink jersey -- the kind I make fun of at every game. But I can defend my apparel -- we were all the way to Logan when I realized I forgot to pack a Patriots jersey. When we connected with our friends that evening, Hubie's wife Meghan immediately offered one of her two jerseys, Moss or Welker. I picked Welker, only to see seconds later the shirt was pink. Needless to say, our friends at the game who have heard me make fun of the women-wearing-pink-or-blue-sports-apparel-phenomenon gave me a lot of grief!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Miami trip: day 3
Today was our recovery day, with no set agenda. Tom and I enjoyed a lazy breakfast at the hotel, then headed down to the pool for drinks. Two of our friends staying at another hotel joined us. Kind of a crummy pool day -- a little bit overcast and fairly windy. We eventually made our way inside and found seats at the bar. To our surprise, next to us were three men who will be officiating Sunday's Patriots-Dolphins game!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Miami trip: day 2
It should be a sin to get up at 4am while on vacation, but sure enough, there we were. Up at 4am, left our hotel at 5am, pit-stop for bagels, met the rest of the crew at the second hotel at 5:30am, and leaving the dock at 6am. Did I mention I'm not a morning person?However, you are rewarded with views like this...
We sailed for about 20-30 minutes and stopped for an hour or so to "make bait," collecting about a hundred or so small fish to use as live bait. I have to admit -- I chose to skip this process and instead nap inside, so I can't speak to the experience, but Tom thought it was fun to catch five or six fish at a time!
We then sailed about five miles off the coast and began the real fishing for dolphin fish (aka, mahi mahi) and sailfish. Tom and I had fished for dolphin back in May, so reeling in the first two or three was old hat.
The sailfish, however, was an entirely different story. Much larger, a lot more fight to them, and it's catch-and-release. I actually gave up on my first sailfish and handed the rod and reel over to Tom's friend, Hubie, to finish the job. Then I was feeling really sorry for my lack of upper body strength when I reeled in a puny, rather sorry looking fish that had to been about 15 lbs. Tom had a huge battle on his hands with a very feisty fish and nearly fell off the boat when a wave knocked us around at the same time the fish was giving him a run for his money. He successfully reeled in the fish, but had a nasty egg on the top of his knee for good measure.
I had the last word with the sailfish, however, reeling in the final fish of the day. Adam and the mate brought the fish aboard for a very quick photo op, then gently returned it to the sea. Unfortunately, that photo was taken with another couple's camera, so I'm still waiting for the evidence, but check out our photos online.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Miami trip: day 1
After a long night trying to get caught up/ahead of my work, Tom and I left for Florida. The good news is that we used frequent flier miles to pay for our flight. The bad news is that we were boxed into connecting flights through Dulles and thus ended up traveling most of the day.
We finally arrived in the late afternoon in Miami and spent a good 40 minutes wandering around the airport trying to find the proper path to the car rental companies. I guess we should have read the fine print -- they're off-airport. Even better, the streets surrounding their neighborhood were under significant construction, and within minutes we knew we would never find our way back through the detours. That made a last-minute decision to pay $12/day for a GPS system easy...and it paid for itself within the first 15 minutes getting us out of a rather crummy neighborhood and on our way to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.
Low key evening spent driving from our Marriott (thank you again, frequent stay miles!) to have dinner at our friends' digs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. I think I created a new world record for successfully losing $20 in a slot machine in about 70 seconds. Gambling has never been my forte. Early night tonight -- big day fishing tomorrrow!
We finally arrived in the late afternoon in Miami and spent a good 40 minutes wandering around the airport trying to find the proper path to the car rental companies. I guess we should have read the fine print -- they're off-airport. Even better, the streets surrounding their neighborhood were under significant construction, and within minutes we knew we would never find our way back through the detours. That made a last-minute decision to pay $12/day for a GPS system easy...and it paid for itself within the first 15 minutes getting us out of a rather crummy neighborhood and on our way to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.
Low key evening spent driving from our Marriott (thank you again, frequent stay miles!) to have dinner at our friends' digs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. I think I created a new world record for successfully losing $20 in a slot machine in about 70 seconds. Gambling has never been my forte. Early night tonight -- big day fishing tomorrrow!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Our favorite annual laugh for a great cause: Comics Come Home
Last night, Tom and I went to see Comics Come Home, benefiting the Cam Neely Foundation. Now in its 14th year, CCH is apparently the longest running charity comedy show in the nation. I started going in its early years, a year or so before I met Tom. He's gone with me to at least 8 or 9 of the past ten years, so I'd say this is a strong annual tradition.
Neely was one of my favorite players on the Bruins -- #8. A heavy hitter when you needed him to be, he retired far too early in his career after taking a nasty shot that debilitated his already-shaky hip. On the personal front, both of his parents died of cancer in the 1990s, and he and his brother quickly realized that there are not nearly enough resources for families dealing with cancer. The Foundation established the Cam Neely House, a home away from home similar in concept to the Ronald McDonald House. They've been very successful over the years, raising $19M and establishing several different cancer centers in the Boston area, including the most recent addition, the Neely Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the Children's Floating Hospital in Boston, a fantastic hospital at which Tom's nephew was treated years ago.
The show last night was AWESOME -- probably one of the best in a few years. They've decreased the number of acts and lengthened their time on stage. They also got rid of a few all-to-familiar faces, such as Steve Sweeney, whose acts were simply a regurgitation of the previous year's and no longer funny.
Denis Leary is the perennial emcee and steals the show every year. Local boy, swears every other word, and a fantastic singer (here's an old video of The Asshole Song for the uninitiated - -warning, it's pretty off-color and not for little ears to hear!). I'm still laughing at his hilarious story last night about shitting his pants by accident while traveling in Italy with his family. He's irreverent as hell, and took a few minutes to make a very personal and clearly angry statement about the backlash against his upcoming book in which comments he made about autistic families were completely taken out of context and politicized. George W was also a big target this year -- Denis started with a song about how much he'll miss making fun on him.
Jim Breuer was pretty hilarious - Tom and I saw him Friday night at Montien when we had dinner before the Smashing Pumpkins, and yes, he always does look stoned. Lenny Clarke, another Boston boy done well, was simply fantastic -- he's lost a lot of weight, his material is fresh and always taking a jab at Boston politics. Al Madrigal, who co-stars with Jay Moore on a show that I haven't watched, was a pleasant surprise -- his bit was about his new baby and how his world view has changed. My personal favorite was his bit about children who are tethered on leashes. He went over to pat one, the parent said "my child's not a dog," and he responded, "exactly, so why the F*** is he on a leash." Who hasn't wanted to say that!
Tom Shillue and Anthony Clark were both okay -- Clark needs new material. Mike DeStafano got heckled by some jerk in the audience who was promptly escorted out (score 1 for security for acting so quickly!). The show ended with Patrice Oneal who is disgustingly funny - not for the faint of heart!
Neely was one of my favorite players on the Bruins -- #8. A heavy hitter when you needed him to be, he retired far too early in his career after taking a nasty shot that debilitated his already-shaky hip. On the personal front, both of his parents died of cancer in the 1990s, and he and his brother quickly realized that there are not nearly enough resources for families dealing with cancer. The Foundation established the Cam Neely House, a home away from home similar in concept to the Ronald McDonald House. They've been very successful over the years, raising $19M and establishing several different cancer centers in the Boston area, including the most recent addition, the Neely Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the Children's Floating Hospital in Boston, a fantastic hospital at which Tom's nephew was treated years ago.
The show last night was AWESOME -- probably one of the best in a few years. They've decreased the number of acts and lengthened their time on stage. They also got rid of a few all-to-familiar faces, such as Steve Sweeney, whose acts were simply a regurgitation of the previous year's and no longer funny.
Denis Leary is the perennial emcee and steals the show every year. Local boy, swears every other word, and a fantastic singer (here's an old video of The Asshole Song for the uninitiated - -warning, it's pretty off-color and not for little ears to hear!). I'm still laughing at his hilarious story last night about shitting his pants by accident while traveling in Italy with his family. He's irreverent as hell, and took a few minutes to make a very personal and clearly angry statement about the backlash against his upcoming book in which comments he made about autistic families were completely taken out of context and politicized. George W was also a big target this year -- Denis started with a song about how much he'll miss making fun on him.
Jim Breuer was pretty hilarious - Tom and I saw him Friday night at Montien when we had dinner before the Smashing Pumpkins, and yes, he always does look stoned. Lenny Clarke, another Boston boy done well, was simply fantastic -- he's lost a lot of weight, his material is fresh and always taking a jab at Boston politics. Al Madrigal, who co-stars with Jay Moore on a show that I haven't watched, was a pleasant surprise -- his bit was about his new baby and how his world view has changed. My personal favorite was his bit about children who are tethered on leashes. He went over to pat one, the parent said "my child's not a dog," and he responded, "exactly, so why the F*** is he on a leash." Who hasn't wanted to say that!
Tom Shillue and Anthony Clark were both okay -- Clark needs new material. Mike DeStafano got heckled by some jerk in the audience who was promptly escorted out (score 1 for security for acting so quickly!). The show ended with Patrice Oneal who is disgustingly funny - not for the faint of heart!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
A shameful, not smashing end for the Pumpkins
Last night Tom and I went to see the Smashing Pumpkins play at the Wang Theater. Totally last minute, Tom picked up newly released seats five rows from the stage on Thursday afternoon. We're not huge Pumpkin fans and don't have a single one of their newer albums, but the tickets were so good, yet cheap that we couldn't pass them up (and given the choice between a family baby shower and the concert, the Pumpkins won hands-down -- sorry Wally!).
At first, we were REALLY impressed. Show started on time (never happens) and with no opening act (another thing you rarely see). They played for 2 1/2 hours straight -- again, impressive. Of the original band, only lead singer Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin remain. There's a girl playing bass who blew me away -- first of all, she's all of 5 feet, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, and I swear the bass was bigger than she is! She was dressed up in an outfit that made me think of the Jetsons. But all joking aside, she rocked! There was another girl who played keyboard that within the first few minutes, Tom immediately commented "she's a babe." She totally looked like a 1920s pin-up girl, and I was immediately jealous -- not of her looks, but of her clear talent on the piano!
Billy Corgan is either completely out there or absolutely brilliant. We were so close we could see his fingers flying over his guitar, and he did a rendition of the national anthem that was completely Hendrix. But let me ask you: isn't he creepy? Does he look more like a Jack-O-Lantern or more like James Carville?
But I digress. At the end of the show, after a 15 minute jam session on some song, they walked off stage. No good bye, no nothing. The crowd was a little taken aback and confused, so there was what I like to call a "smattering of applause." After a few minutes, the house lights came on. Applause now turned to booing. Security is running around like crazy -- they don't know what's going on either. After about 15 minute of this nonsense, they come back on stage. First it's someone dressed up as Manny Ramirez poking fun at Red Sox fans. Then it's Billy Corgan berating the audience: "We're just back from Europe, and they have this thing over there that you may have heard of: cheering." WTF? He gives the crowd a hard time, then the band comes out and they do two lame numbers, once of which is "Everyone is Beautiful" on kazoos.
Now I've been to a lot of concerts, but never have I seen the band give the audience a total "F.U." What started out as a fantastic show ended on a completely sour note. Brilliant or not, Billy Corgan behaved like a spoiled brat. Read the review from the Boston Globe the following day and see if I'm totally off-base on my assessment.
At first, we were REALLY impressed. Show started on time (never happens) and with no opening act (another thing you rarely see). They played for 2 1/2 hours straight -- again, impressive. Of the original band, only lead singer Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin remain. There's a girl playing bass who blew me away -- first of all, she's all of 5 feet, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, and I swear the bass was bigger than she is! She was dressed up in an outfit that made me think of the Jetsons. But all joking aside, she rocked! There was another girl who played keyboard that within the first few minutes, Tom immediately commented "she's a babe." She totally looked like a 1920s pin-up girl, and I was immediately jealous -- not of her looks, but of her clear talent on the piano!
Billy Corgan is either completely out there or absolutely brilliant. We were so close we could see his fingers flying over his guitar, and he did a rendition of the national anthem that was completely Hendrix. But let me ask you: isn't he creepy? Does he look more like a Jack-O-Lantern or more like James Carville?
But I digress. At the end of the show, after a 15 minute jam session on some song, they walked off stage. No good bye, no nothing. The crowd was a little taken aback and confused, so there was what I like to call a "smattering of applause." After a few minutes, the house lights came on. Applause now turned to booing. Security is running around like crazy -- they don't know what's going on either. After about 15 minute of this nonsense, they come back on stage. First it's someone dressed up as Manny Ramirez poking fun at Red Sox fans. Then it's Billy Corgan berating the audience: "We're just back from Europe, and they have this thing over there that you may have heard of: cheering." WTF? He gives the crowd a hard time, then the band comes out and they do two lame numbers, once of which is "Everyone is Beautiful" on kazoos.
Now I've been to a lot of concerts, but never have I seen the band give the audience a total "F.U." What started out as a fantastic show ended on a completely sour note. Brilliant or not, Billy Corgan behaved like a spoiled brat. Read the review from the Boston Globe the following day and see if I'm totally off-base on my assessment.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Manners
How many times have you held the door open for someone...and never get thanked?
How many times have you let another car cut into a line...and never get a wave?
For everyone who has (and you KNOW you have!) on occasion sarcastically muttered "you're welcome" in response to no thanks at all, this article on "reverse etiquette" is for you!
How many times have you let another car cut into a line...and never get a wave?
For everyone who has (and you KNOW you have!) on occasion sarcastically muttered "you're welcome" in response to no thanks at all, this article on "reverse etiquette" is for you!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Sign up to be a bone marrow donor
I received an email from Dana-Farber today, and they're spotlighting the need for bone marrow donors. I signed up several years ago -- it's a very simply blood test, and your record goes into a bank that is culled daily for those in need. While I haven't been called to donate, I've heard from others that the marrow collection is a relatively simple, although somewhat uncomfortable process -- but imagine saving someone's life just because you have similar genetics!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Democracy...
"Democracy is...the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people."
Harry Emerson Fosdick in Harper's Monthly Magazine in November 1925, reprinted in Real Simple November 2008.
Here's hoping we've found an extraordinary man...
Harry Emerson Fosdick in Harper's Monthly Magazine in November 1925, reprinted in Real Simple November 2008.
Here's hoping we've found an extraordinary man...
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Get out and VOTE!
My Dad used to joke about voting early and often, and today I practically did. Tom and I stood in line for an hour this morning in Somerville, with approximately 200 folks ahead of us all waiting to vote. Very, very cool stuff -- no matter who you vote for, this year's election has turned out voters like never before.
Part two came when I headed to Lexington to take my grandmother to vote. Unlike Somerville, there were no lines, no waiting. Thankfully so -- she had a hip replacement last Christmas and never could have stood in line like we did.
Tom sent me a link to a blog that he read earlier today that I want to share with you -- this really summed up today's events...
Part two came when I headed to Lexington to take my grandmother to vote. Unlike Somerville, there were no lines, no waiting. Thankfully so -- she had a hip replacement last Christmas and never could have stood in line like we did.
Tom sent me a link to a blog that he read earlier today that I want to share with you -- this really summed up today's events...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Obama's informercial
I was tied up Thursday night and couldn't watch Obama's infomercial, so Tom DVRed it for me. I finally sat down this afternoon to watch it. I couldn't help thinking we're watching history being made -- next week's election is going to be interesting.
What did you think of the infomercial? Good use of time and money? Did it change your opinion?
What did you think of the infomercial? Good use of time and money? Did it change your opinion?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
A new perspective on home ownership: Habitat
Another non-profit I'm doing work with is Habitat for Humanity. Established in the 1970s as a Christian ministry, Habitat has built 300,000 homes across the globe for families in need. Moana and I spent the morning with the development officer for Habitat's New England fundraising, and visited build sites in Dorchester and Newton. This was really a wonderful opportunity and incredibly inspiring to see. Our company is supposed to participate in both a local and international build over the coming year, and I can't wait!
Dorchester site:
The Dorchester project takes place on Blue Hills Avenue. Once a thriving Jewish community, this area has really fallen victim to crime, drugs and a faltering economy. This is a very unusual project for Habitat -- it's larger than normal (multiple buildings, 24 new homes) and will include 2000 square feet of commercial/retail space. Foreclosures run rampant in this area -- we visited several neighborhoods where home after home is boarded up, and on one street, 11 out of the 14 homes have been foreclosed. We visited Building #1 -- I believe Habitat is still in the process of selecting families for this development, and part of the retail space was recently purchased by a local salon owner to create a hairdressing school.. We had a chance to also drive by a series of Habitat homes that were built more than a decade ago -- all of those families still live there and are thriving.
Each unit has a kitchen, living area, bathroom, storage pace and two/three bedrooms. I'm jealous -- there's some serious closet space!
Newton site:
The Newton property came about as part of a bequest from an elderly woman who owned three acres of land in Newton. Part was given to the local conservation department, the other was dedicated to affordable housing. Habitat is building a two-family home from the ground-up. The two families have been chosen. One is a single mother living in public housing, and the others are both pre-school teachers who were getting by living with family. Both have been very active in the build process.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hobnobbing with New Yorkers...
I've been very fortunate throughout my life to have interesting opportunities come my way through my work, things that I could never afford to do on my own. Several years ago, I chaperoned a travel program on a week-long cruise of the Great Lakes. I've met former Secretary of State Shultz, worked with Nobel prize winners, and have been taken on a private tour of a linear accelerator.
Tonight goes up there as one of the highlights, as I flew down to New York with two colleagues and attended the annual Alzheimer's Association Rita Hayworth Gala at the spectacular Waldorf-Astoria. Amazing event for a wonderful cause. The gala is chaired by Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn, daughter of the late actress Rita Hayworth who battled Alzheimer's Disease in an era when little was known about it. Watching the Princess speak was a special delight -- she is clearly passionate about this cause, yet very uncomfortable in the spotlight. There was something so honest and humble about her.
Tremendous people-watching to be had. Celebrities, gorgeous evening gowns, breathtaking jewels. I only wish I had the nerve to whip my camera out and take pictures to share, but I thought it might be a tad improper!
Tonight goes up there as one of the highlights, as I flew down to New York with two colleagues and attended the annual Alzheimer's Association Rita Hayworth Gala at the spectacular Waldorf-Astoria. Amazing event for a wonderful cause. The gala is chaired by Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn, daughter of the late actress Rita Hayworth who battled Alzheimer's Disease in an era when little was known about it. Watching the Princess speak was a special delight -- she is clearly passionate about this cause, yet very uncomfortable in the spotlight. There was something so honest and humble about her.
Tremendous people-watching to be had. Celebrities, gorgeous evening gowns, breathtaking jewels. I only wish I had the nerve to whip my camera out and take pictures to share, but I thought it might be a tad improper!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Is this really only my 2nd Pats game this season?
It's nearly November and it's only the second game we've gone to. It's been a busy, busy fall, especially now that Tom's gone back to school. We run out of steam by the weekends and have been more than happy to share our BC and Pats tickets with the long line of friends patiently waiting for them!
This was Tom's week to provide the beer and food, and, as usual, it was a fantastic spread. The boys have finally straightened out the issues with the satellite dish, so we had the TV up and running by mid-morning. And the weather? Seriously, Tom and several of the guys wore shorts, and I quickly ditched my sweatshirt in favor of a t-shirt. Global warming is frightening, but sometimes in late October, you just roll with it!
Luckily our boys in blue and silver won!
This was Tom's week to provide the beer and food, and, as usual, it was a fantastic spread. The boys have finally straightened out the issues with the satellite dish, so we had the TV up and running by mid-morning. And the weather? Seriously, Tom and several of the guys wore shorts, and I quickly ditched my sweatshirt in favor of a t-shirt. Global warming is frightening, but sometimes in late October, you just roll with it!Luckily our boys in blue and silver won!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Pre-Halloween costumes unveiled!
Tonight our friend Laura hosted her long-anticipated 80s themed Halloween party. Tom's been working on his costume for weeks: Beetlejuice!
The Costume:
He picked up a tuxedo jacket from The Garment District in Cambridge and used white duct tape from the Home Depot to make the white stripes. White duct tape? Am I the only person who didn't know this stuff came in anything other than silver? Not only do they have it in white, but try yellow, red, green...even camo!
Tom paired the jacket with a pair of black pants and a white collared shirt he already had. Throw on some black shoes, and he's ready to go.
The Make-up
Okay, this got messy, but very cool! Tom picked up a black wig from The Garment District -- I think it was some sort of rocker style. He sprayed it with both white and green Halloween hair
color (the temporary stuff you can pick up anywhere) and hung it upside down from a door frame so the hair would dry sticking out all over. We had a lot of laughs over how much it looked like a dead animal. His sister, Judy, trimmed it a bit to make it look more like Michael Keaton's do.
Judy also did Tom's make-up, using a few photos Tom had pulled off the internet as a guide. I have to say, as the night wore on, the make-up got better and better! I have to hand it to Tom -- I would go nuts if I ever had to do full make-up! But Tom's the "go big or go home" type, and his costume came out awesome.
And what did I do? I changed my mind about 50 times. For awhile, everyone had lobbied for a Revere Beach 80s Prom Queen (with all due respect to folks from Revere). My sister dug up a few old dresses at my parents, but let's just say I can no longer wear a size 7 or 9 juniors! So random 80s chick it is! I like to describe this as my "Madonna meets Debbie Gibson" look!
The Costume:
He picked up a tuxedo jacket from The Garment District in Cambridge and used white duct tape from the Home Depot to make the white stripes. White duct tape? Am I the only person who didn't know this stuff came in anything other than silver? Not only do they have it in white, but try yellow, red, green...even camo!Tom paired the jacket with a pair of black pants and a white collared shirt he already had. Throw on some black shoes, and he's ready to go.
The Make-up
Okay, this got messy, but very cool! Tom picked up a black wig from The Garment District -- I think it was some sort of rocker style. He sprayed it with both white and green Halloween hair
color (the temporary stuff you can pick up anywhere) and hung it upside down from a door frame so the hair would dry sticking out all over. We had a lot of laughs over how much it looked like a dead animal. His sister, Judy, trimmed it a bit to make it look more like Michael Keaton's do.Judy also did Tom's make-up, using a few photos Tom had pulled off the internet as a guide. I have to say, as the night wore on, the make-up got better and better! I have to hand it to Tom -- I would go nuts if I ever had to do full make-up! But Tom's the "go big or go home" type, and his costume came out awesome.
And what did I do? I changed my mind about 50 times. For awhile, everyone had lobbied for a Revere Beach 80s Prom Queen (with all due respect to folks from Revere). My sister dug up a few old dresses at my parents, but let's just say I can no longer wear a size 7 or 9 juniors! So random 80s chick it is! I like to describe this as my "Madonna meets Debbie Gibson" look!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Networking with women in the non-profit sector
Tonight I attended a networking get-together for Women in Development of Greater Boston. Those of us who work in fundraising in the Boston area are extremely fortunate to have access to such a fantastic network -- New York has the only other WID organization of which I'm aware. Fundraising crosses many industries, from health care to museums, social causes to education, and this has been a great way to learn about other fields in development and, more importantly, the women who are leading them. Having graduated from a women's college, I have developed a deep appreciation for networks like this where you can learn from their career choices and challenges.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tufts 10K
Moana and I walked the Tufts 10K today -- her first time and my 13th. What a glorious day -- absolutely perfect conditions.
The Tufts is a race like no other -- or for many of my friends, the closest experience they will get to the Boston Marathon. A sea of 7000+ women lined up on Beacon Street next to the Common, then the surge up Charles Street over the Longfellow Bridge. Women screaming as they run through the underpasses on Memorial Drive, listening to their echoes. Cheering on the lead runners as they double-back on the other side of Memorial Drive, heading toward the Mass Ave Bridge. Passing spectators on Comm Ave, some who are there every year to cheer on the women, others who are woefully stuck in traffic, wondering why they didn't know about the race. And turning the corner at the Common and racing toward the finish line.
The Tufts is a race like no other -- or for many of my friends, the closest experience they will get to the Boston Marathon. A sea of 7000+ women lined up on Beacon Street next to the Common, then the surge up Charles Street over the Longfellow Bridge. Women screaming as they run through the underpasses on Memorial Drive, listening to their echoes. Cheering on the lead runners as they double-back on the other side of Memorial Drive, heading toward the Mass Ave Bridge. Passing spectators on Comm Ave, some who are there every year to cheer on the women, others who are woefully stuck in traffic, wondering why they didn't know about the race. And turning the corner at the Common and racing toward the finish line.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Treking the hills of Breakheart Reservation
Today Tom and I took a trip up to Saugus to visit Breakheart Reservation, the potential site for a 5K race we're planning for one of NEEM's clients. What a beautiful oasis outside of Boston -- I had no idea this was out here!
Breakheart offers two paved loops (1.9 miles and 2.9 miles) and miles of wooded trails. The Visitor's Center in Saugus is just off of Route 1, and quite impressive -- areas for cooking (gas only), childrens' playground, a workout center. You can hike about a mile in to a beautiful beach. Warning: it's quite hilly!
We're very excited about the possibilities here and looking forward to sharing the details with our client.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Girls-only wine series: round 3
The lovely ladies came by today for Round 3 of my continuing wine series. This time, the theme was fall flavors and luscious red wines.
For the wines, we enjoyed:
For the menu, we sampled:
For the wines, we enjoyed:
- Penfold's Thomas Ayland Shiraz --- 2002
- Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon -- 2002
- Les Traverses de Fontanes Cabernet Sauvignon -- 2002
- Napa Valley Silverado Vineyards Sangiovese -- 2004
- Soltione Chianti Classico -- 2004
For the menu, we sampled:
- Beef & roasted red pepper crostini: Tom makes this for a lot of family events, and it has a wonderful taste. I bought the wrong bread (the thick french bread, rather than the smaller baguettes), but it worked out fine. The recipe makes a healthy serving, so cut back if you're making it for a smaller group like I did (Moana's son was the happy recipient of many leftovers!).
- Creamy squash and apple soup: this got rave reviews, and I personally loved it. In the recipe, the author suggests holding back only 1 cup of the reserve broth. The soup ended up a lot thicker than we had expected (much closer to a side dish than a soup) so Tom opened up an extra can of chicken broth and threw some in to thin it out. Next time, I'd recommended holding back all of the broth and adding to desired thickness (probably closer to 2 cups).
- Crispy prosciutto and scallion fritatta: the saltiness of the prosciutto and parmesan cheese makes for a really nice taste. I've found in general that I need to cook fritattas for longer than suggested, but it could be just my oven.
- Persian spinach and yogurt dip -- again! I made this for the last party and loved the flavor so much that it made a repeat appearance. The cinnamon in particular lends itself to a wonderful fall flavor! I served it with french bread, rather than crudites or pita.
- Fresh raviolis from Dave's Fresh Pasta and homemade pesto sauce: The sauce was incredibly easy, yet messy to make. Tom found it in a book, but there are plenty of version online.
- Applesauce spice cake: Our friend Mike and his family went apple picking recently and, in a desperate attempt to use their surplus apples, gave us a jar of homemade applesauce. I hunted around for a dessert recipe that would use it, and this cake got rave reviews. The raisins plumped up something ridiculous in the baking process! Served with Brighams (of course!) vanilla ice cream -- yummy!
- Stone Soup Farms (veggie CSA)
- Chestnut Farms (meat CSA)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
VP debate: rants
Ah yes, the moment we've all been waiting for: Biden vs Palin. How bad would it be?
I will say, when you have decidedly diminished expectations, you almost have nowhere to go, but up. Palin managed not to completely make an ass of herself, as she did with an interview earlier this week with Katie Couric. However, she did manage to completely and blatantly dodge every question that was clearly out of her league. Amazing!
A few rants:
1. Joe clearly was told to play it easy and not look like a jerk. It wasn't until nearly the end when he said, look, don't tell me I don't know what it's like to sit at the kitchen table. Irony: if you do a quick look at Palin's assets, she's a lot further from the kitchen table than most of us.
2. What's up with the winking? Seriously...
3. Joe Sixpack did not go over well with our group.
4. It's nuclear, honey. Didn't you learn anything from W?
5. Gosh darn it, you betcha.....my god, I felt like I was watching Fargo!
I will say, when you have decidedly diminished expectations, you almost have nowhere to go, but up. Palin managed not to completely make an ass of herself, as she did with an interview earlier this week with Katie Couric. However, she did manage to completely and blatantly dodge every question that was clearly out of her league. Amazing!
A few rants:
1. Joe clearly was told to play it easy and not look like a jerk. It wasn't until nearly the end when he said, look, don't tell me I don't know what it's like to sit at the kitchen table. Irony: if you do a quick look at Palin's assets, she's a lot further from the kitchen table than most of us.
2. What's up with the winking? Seriously...
3. Joe Sixpack did not go over well with our group.
4. It's nuclear, honey. Didn't you learn anything from W?
5. Gosh darn it, you betcha.....my god, I felt like I was watching Fargo!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Making Pasta with Dave
Tonight Tom and I took a pasta making class at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square. Tom learned about the class through Slow Food Boston, an organization that runs counter-culture to "fast food nation" and promotes eating local.
The class, which held about a dozen people, was taught by Dave himself. We began by learning the basics of pasta making, creating a simple dough from flour (duram and semolina), egg and a pinch of salt. Tom scored well on the dough-kneading -- his was used as the "model" for the rest of us to follow. We left one ball of dough plain and added parsley to the other. After 20 minutes in the fridge, we rolled out the dough and sent them through the cutters, making both angel hair and linguini.
Dave then gave us a tutorial in sauce making, including a great, absolutely easy marinara sauce. Tom asked for a few pointers with his own garlic/white wine sauce, and Dave quickly identified the problem: not enough salt and/or cheese. What a difference it makes using the right quantities! He also made an alfredo sauce and a very cool sauce with blue cheese.
Next class in November is for raviolis -- we're hoping we'll be able to sign up!
The class, which held about a dozen people, was taught by Dave himself. We began by learning the basics of pasta making, creating a simple dough from flour (duram and semolina), egg and a pinch of salt. Tom scored well on the dough-kneading -- his was used as the "model" for the rest of us to follow. We left one ball of dough plain and added parsley to the other. After 20 minutes in the fridge, we rolled out the dough and sent them through the cutters, making both angel hair and linguini.
Dave then gave us a tutorial in sauce making, including a great, absolutely easy marinara sauce. Tom asked for a few pointers with his own garlic/white wine sauce, and Dave quickly identified the problem: not enough salt and/or cheese. What a difference it makes using the right quantities! He also made an alfredo sauce and a very cool sauce with blue cheese.
Next class in November is for raviolis -- we're hoping we'll be able to sign up!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
National Childhood Cancer month
September is National Childhood Cancer month, and if you haven't had the opportunity yet, take a look at the special segment on Boston.com devoted to this topic. There's a photo montage of children who have survived, are battling and have died from various forms of childhood cancer. One of the photos is of Larry Theriault, one of the patient partners for whom a fellow Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runner runs for -- it's wonderful to see him doing so well.
Childhood cancer rates are incredibly high -- and often you see instances of pediatric cancers striking teenagers or even young adults. I've lost two adult friends to forms of cancers that are typically treatable in children, but can be deadly in adults. I run in memory of Brittany Lambert who died at 13 of myelodisplasia, Tom's nephew Bobby who died just before his second birthday from a brain tumor, and in honor of Amber DaRosa who has successfully completed treatment for leukemia several years ago.
So much more work to be done...
Childhood cancer rates are incredibly high -- and often you see instances of pediatric cancers striking teenagers or even young adults. I've lost two adult friends to forms of cancers that are typically treatable in children, but can be deadly in adults. I run in memory of Brittany Lambert who died at 13 of myelodisplasia, Tom's nephew Bobby who died just before his second birthday from a brain tumor, and in honor of Amber DaRosa who has successfully completed treatment for leukemia several years ago.
So much more work to be done...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
On of my favorite all-time actors...
Tom woke me up this morning with the sad news that actor Paul Newman passed away last night from cancer. Newman was one of my favorite all-time actors, a generous philanthropist and one of the few Hollywood marriages that has stood the test of time. Coincidence -- it was just last week that we caught The Color of Money on TV.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Happy Punctuation Day!
In honor of National Punctuation Day, please take a few moments to assess the proper use of your favorite em-dash, semi colon or period.
I had a hell of an English teacher in middle school who drilled into us the proper use of punctuation, among other grammatical rules. Some of my pet peeves:
1. Punctuation ending a sentence belongs inside the quotes, not outside, unless a parenthetical follows. Example: He said, "I can't believe it's not butter."
2. Use it's when you mean it is and its when you mean the posessive form of it. (okay, that's more grammatical than punctuation, but I digress)
3. Use a semi-colon to link independent clauses, not dependent clauses. Example: I enjoy going running when I travel for work to see new cities; however, this trip I forgot to pack my running sneakers and had to walk in sandals instead.
4. The proper form of the ellipsis is three dots. Two means you made a typo. Four is just plain wrong. Three dots, that's all it takes...
I had a hell of an English teacher in middle school who drilled into us the proper use of punctuation, among other grammatical rules. Some of my pet peeves:
1. Punctuation ending a sentence belongs inside the quotes, not outside, unless a parenthetical follows. Example: He said, "I can't believe it's not butter."
2. Use it's when you mean it is and its when you mean the posessive form of it. (okay, that's more grammatical than punctuation, but I digress)
3. Use a semi-colon to link independent clauses, not dependent clauses. Example: I enjoy going running when I travel for work to see new cities; however, this trip I forgot to pack my running sneakers and had to walk in sandals instead.
4. The proper form of the ellipsis is three dots. Two means you made a typo. Four is just plain wrong. Three dots, that's all it takes...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Clinton on the economy
Those that know me, know that I'm just not a fan of either Clinton. That being said, I was watching David Letterman last night in my hotel room and listened to Bill Clinton give one of the most comprehensive, yet simplest explanations yet of the current economic crisis in the US. Worth listening to!
It's amazing some of the commentary I hear -- the US economy is in its most fragile state since the Great Depression. I think of the 30s, I think of The Grapes of Wrath, dust bowls and bread lines. Today, there are so many households living beyond their means. Materialism has taken "doing without" to a whole new, rather disturbing definition.
I spent today at Habitat for Humanity and was really taken aback by some of the statistics I read about housing and poverty. The official poverty line in the US is somewhere around $19K, but if you add up the basic, most rudimentary costs for living (heat, electric, a roof over your head), you still go north of $20K. So where do these families find the money to get by? And how many middle-class families are falling further and further behind in debt, having overextended themselves over the past few years in low- or no-money down mortgages?
What a mess we've created. No wonder the rest of the world is in a panic, hoping that their economies don't lurch into a tailspin right after us!
It's amazing some of the commentary I hear -- the US economy is in its most fragile state since the Great Depression. I think of the 30s, I think of The Grapes of Wrath, dust bowls and bread lines. Today, there are so many households living beyond their means. Materialism has taken "doing without" to a whole new, rather disturbing definition.
I spent today at Habitat for Humanity and was really taken aback by some of the statistics I read about housing and poverty. The official poverty line in the US is somewhere around $19K, but if you add up the basic, most rudimentary costs for living (heat, electric, a roof over your head), you still go north of $20K. So where do these families find the money to get by? And how many middle-class families are falling further and further behind in debt, having overextended themselves over the past few years in low- or no-money down mortgages?
What a mess we've created. No wonder the rest of the world is in a panic, hoping that their economies don't lurch into a tailspin right after us!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
A bout of bad luck....
Over the past few weeks, Tom and I have narrowly missed a few certainly-ugly car accidents. The usual idiots not paying attention and swerving dangerously into our lane. The guy who blatantly ran a red light and would have t-boned us if I hadn't been slow to start on my green light. And most recently the woman in Porter Square who was more interested in eating her muffin and drinking her coffee than paying attention to our car which clearly had the right away. I find these altercations annoying at best, but Tom gets downright angry, given the nasty accident he was in two years ago.
Well, our luck ran out today, although thankfully neither of us were in the car. Our neighbor's construction worker lost the brakes on his van and, given the choice between hitting our car, a brick wall, or people, choose wisely and hit our parked car. Sheered the bumper right off the front.
No one was hurt, and the aftermath is more annoying than anything else, but oh, the ironies! We were supposed to be at the Pats game today, but gave our tickets away to Tom's friends. I was supposed to have left already to meet Tom at a local restaurant to watch the game, but was puttering around the house trying to get just a few more things done. I would have normally pulled in temporarily in the alley in front of my in-laws cars, but didn't want to get a nail in my tires from aforementioned construction. Sigh....the best laid plans!
Poor Tom -- I'm flying out to Atlanta tomorrow and he gets to deal with all the follow-up!
Well, our luck ran out today, although thankfully neither of us were in the car. Our neighbor's construction worker lost the brakes on his van and, given the choice between hitting our car, a brick wall, or people, choose wisely and hit our parked car. Sheered the bumper right off the front.
No one was hurt, and the aftermath is more annoying than anything else, but oh, the ironies! We were supposed to be at the Pats game today, but gave our tickets away to Tom's friends. I was supposed to have left already to meet Tom at a local restaurant to watch the game, but was puttering around the house trying to get just a few more things done. I would have normally pulled in temporarily in the alley in front of my in-laws cars, but didn't want to get a nail in my tires from aforementioned construction. Sigh....the best laid plans!
Poor Tom -- I'm flying out to Atlanta tomorrow and he gets to deal with all the follow-up!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Revisiting a favorite childhood activity: Boston Harbor Islands
Tom and I were recently approached by an organization interested in hosting a race on one of islands in Boston Harbor. We bailed out of both of our football games this weekend, citing loads of laundry and general fatigue, and took a trip out this morning to Spectacle and Georges Islands to scope things out and enjoy a day off in the sun.
When I was growing up, my father would take me, my uncle and his then-girlfriend (now wife) out boating on the weekends. We would drop the Midido (name leftover from the previous owners down in Florida) into the Charles River at the public boat launch in Watertown, travel down the river into the Harbor and out to Georges Island. I have very fond memories of tooling around the Harbor and running around the island.
It's been easily 20, maybe even 25 years since I last went to Georges Island, and Tom's never visited any of the islands, so this was a great treat. Spectacle was very cool -- open, untamed land covering a landfill. Beautiful vistas of the city and the other islands. The trail along the perimeter is just over 1.5 miles, so there are great possibilities for a fun road
race here. Great investments have been made in amenities like a visitor's center, a modest eatery, and plenty of tables and benches. We had the good fortune to meet one of the Park Rangers while we were out measuring, and she gave us incredible insight as to all the island offers. A caretakers lives there year-round, and the rangers live in temporary dwellings called yurts.
Georges Island is home to Fort Warren, a civil war era fort that has been incredibly well maintained. We stopped at the Information Center for a quick bite to eat (note to self: this late in the season, 'tis wise to bring one's own picnic lunch!), then headed inside. We couldn't resist putting Tom behind bars at our first stop!
It amazes me how accessible the fort is -- there were a few nooks and crannies that definitely gave me the creeps, and a few precarious stairwells and edges overlooking deeps wells that would make me think twice about letting a child run around on their own. Yet, this is exactly what I was doing as a child!
Our trip to the islands brought back great memories for me, and Tom couldn't help but note how he has lived his entire life near the city, yet never took advantage of the harbor islands. The ferry rate is a fair price, and you can bring your own food, games, and other beach gear and enjoy a great day out of the city.
Add this to your to-do list next summer!
When I was growing up, my father would take me, my uncle and his then-girlfriend (now wife) out boating on the weekends. We would drop the Midido (name leftover from the previous owners down in Florida) into the Charles River at the public boat launch in Watertown, travel down the river into the Harbor and out to Georges Island. I have very fond memories of tooling around the Harbor and running around the island.
It's been easily 20, maybe even 25 years since I last went to Georges Island, and Tom's never visited any of the islands, so this was a great treat. Spectacle was very cool -- open, untamed land covering a landfill. Beautiful vistas of the city and the other islands. The trail along the perimeter is just over 1.5 miles, so there are great possibilities for a fun road
race here. Great investments have been made in amenities like a visitor's center, a modest eatery, and plenty of tables and benches. We had the good fortune to meet one of the Park Rangers while we were out measuring, and she gave us incredible insight as to all the island offers. A caretakers lives there year-round, and the rangers live in temporary dwellings called yurts.To the right is Tom just ahead of me on the path walking with our measuring wheel. We got a lot of strange looks from folks on the T that morning, and quite a few inquiries as to what we were doing when we reached the island. :)
Georges Island is home to Fort Warren, a civil war era fort that has been incredibly well maintained. We stopped at the Information Center for a quick bite to eat (note to self: this late in the season, 'tis wise to bring one's own picnic lunch!), then headed inside. We couldn't resist putting Tom behind bars at our first stop!
It amazes me how accessible the fort is -- there were a few nooks and crannies that definitely gave me the creeps, and a few precarious stairwells and edges overlooking deeps wells that would make me think twice about letting a child run around on their own. Yet, this is exactly what I was doing as a child!
Our trip to the islands brought back great memories for me, and Tom couldn't help but note how he has lived his entire life near the city, yet never took advantage of the harbor islands. The ferry rate is a fair price, and you can bring your own food, games, and other beach gear and enjoy a great day out of the city.
Add this to your to-do list next summer!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
We came, we directed, we got soaked....
This weekend, Tom and I directed the 9th Annual Flutie 5K road race. I haven't posted much, if anything, on this blog about our side-business directing road races. For years, we both directed races for our respective favorite causes and received quite a bit of really positive feedback, encouraging us to make this a paying gig. So much so that on a whim, Tom grabbed the url, www.racedirectors.com, and we hung on to it, even while we were busy getting married and my four years at BC working on that MBA. Once I finished, we found that the interest in actually hiring us to direct niche road races was still there, and we've been in the fortunate enough to earn contracts to direct a handful of events over the past 1-2 years.
The Flutie race is a great experience for us, and we enjoyed working with the Foundation's staff immensely. Pre-reg numbers were on track all the way until the close of online registration Friday night to easily break 800-1000 on race day, but sadly, the weather gods were not with us today. I have to say: even we were caught completely off-guard. When we got up at 4am today (yes, 4am), forecasters were still calling for scattered showers. As Tom reflected tonight, were all the showers scattered over Natick, MA? Nevertheless, we had a terrific team of volunteers and really wonderful -- and more importantly, good natured! -- runners that made for a great fundraiser for the Foundation.
Now, to dry out.....
The Flutie race is a great experience for us, and we enjoyed working with the Foundation's staff immensely. Pre-reg numbers were on track all the way until the close of online registration Friday night to easily break 800-1000 on race day, but sadly, the weather gods were not with us today. I have to say: even we were caught completely off-guard. When we got up at 4am today (yes, 4am), forecasters were still calling for scattered showers. As Tom reflected tonight, were all the showers scattered over Natick, MA? Nevertheless, we had a terrific team of volunteers and really wonderful -- and more importantly, good natured! -- runners that made for a great fundraiser for the Foundation.
Now, to dry out.....
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Long sports weekend....
This year, in addition to Patriots season tickets, we decided to throw BC football tickets into the weekend mix. Those of you keeping score heard over the past year how Tom's nephew, Nick, was recruited by some great schools and ultimately accepted a terrific offer from BC. We knew it was highly likely he would red-shirt this year, but decided to go ahead and get season tickets regardless. Oddly enough, I haven't been to a BC game since easily 10-12 years ago, well before I ever went on to become an Eagle myself. We figured we were due!
We're looking at 4-5 long weekends this fall with back-to-back BC/Patriots home games. Oooph -- deep breath! Home opener looked good until the last quarter when they just started getting completely outplayed. BC is definitely missing their now-pro QB Matt Ryan. Nick (#71 in the center of the picture to the right) dressed, but stayed at the sidelines. Our seats are less than stellar, and we quickly found space sitting on a wall of the stadium where we could get a little more air on a humid day.
A brief overnight break, then we were on to the Patriots home opener. Stadium has changed quite a bit over the summer -- Patriot Place is trying to appeal to the masses. I think the boys are too hard core to try "game and a movie." ;)
At any rate, as you can guess, there we were in the end zone, busy watching Randy Moss fumble a pass from Brady, when...oh wait....why are all the trainers on the field around Brady? Oh no....you mean, Cassel? I have to give this kid credit: from where we were sitting, he received equal boos and equal cheers (although the cheers were almost pleading, "come on kid, you can do it").
Cassel or Brady, BC or Patriots, the real story was the start of the tailgating season. Just a few photos of the boys' very serious tailgate.... Hmmm..upload is slow - coming shortly!
We're looking at 4-5 long weekends this fall with back-to-back BC/Patriots home games. Oooph -- deep breath! Home opener looked good until the last quarter when they just started getting completely outplayed. BC is definitely missing their now-pro QB Matt Ryan. Nick (#71 in the center of the picture to the right) dressed, but stayed at the sidelines. Our seats are less than stellar, and we quickly found space sitting on a wall of the stadium where we could get a little more air on a humid day.
A brief overnight break, then we were on to the Patriots home opener. Stadium has changed quite a bit over the summer -- Patriot Place is trying to appeal to the masses. I think the boys are too hard core to try "game and a movie." ;)
At any rate, as you can guess, there we were in the end zone, busy watching Randy Moss fumble a pass from Brady, when...oh wait....why are all the trainers on the field around Brady? Oh no....you mean, Cassel? I have to give this kid credit: from where we were sitting, he received equal boos and equal cheers (although the cheers were almost pleading, "come on kid, you can do it").
Cassel or Brady, BC or Patriots, the real story was the start of the tailgating season. Just a few photos of the boys' very serious tailgate.... Hmmm..upload is slow - coming shortly!
Friday, August 29, 2008
It's that time of year again -- DFMC 2009!
Just received the special invitation to join the DFMC 2009 team, made available only to current team members, and filled it out immediately.
One of the application questions asked you to tell something about yourself. My answer made me smile: we're back in Boston, I'm traveling less and not in school, and I'm stepping down from one or two more volunteer activities. Could it be...do I really...have more time to TRAIN with the gang???
Heartbreak Hill, here I come!
PS: If you didn't get a chance to support my 2008 Boston Marathon run yet, this is my not-so-subtle hint that it's not too late! I just learned I can accept donations through the end of September, so if you can make room for a wonderful cause in your budget this month, please consider supporting me!
One of the application questions asked you to tell something about yourself. My answer made me smile: we're back in Boston, I'm traveling less and not in school, and I'm stepping down from one or two more volunteer activities. Could it be...do I really...have more time to TRAIN with the gang???
Heartbreak Hill, here I come!
PS: If you didn't get a chance to support my 2008 Boston Marathon run yet, this is my not-so-subtle hint that it's not too late! I just learned I can accept donations through the end of September, so if you can make room for a wonderful cause in your budget this month, please consider supporting me!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A historic moment
Hilliary Clinton made the right move today by moving to suspend voting and declare by acclamation Barack Obama the party's presidential candidate. I admit: I am not a huge fan of the Clintons. However, it was wonderful to see a female presidential candidate go so far and only fitting to see this finally end on the anniversary of women's right to vote. The next woman will go further and, perhaps, into the White House itself.
Equally historic is seeing the first African American candidate named as the party's candidate. It's about time.
Equally historic is seeing the first African American candidate named as the party's candidate. It's about time.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Running of the Brides
This Friday was the bi-annual "Running of the Brides" at Filene's Basement. It's turned into quite a production, and I'm proud to say that I did it before it went totally commercial!
Just a week or two after Tom and I got engaged, my now sister-in-law, Mary, urged me to go with her to the upcoming sale, telling me to have no expectations, be prepared to be shocked and amused, and to just go with it and have a good time. I have to say: I had no interest whatsoever in going. When I was young, my mother used to drag me into Boston to catch a good sale at the Basement, and I have very strong and rather unpleasant memories of being practically bowled over by over-eager women of all ages trying to get a bargain. Running of the Brides is not my idea of fun.
I gave in. Mary met me around 6am and we headed into town. We were there by 6:30, an
d I think the doors (of the original Filene's Basement) opened at 7am. Some girls had camped out for an hour or two, but we were fairly close to the front. At her suggestion, I wore running tights and a tank top that I could easily scoot a dress over. The doors opened, we rushed in, grabbed whatever we could, then the trading began. All very cordial -- I'll give you this for that. I saw a petite girl wearing the dress I would ultimately buy and told Mary "we have to get that dress!" No expectations, but I somehow ended up with a designer dress that cost thousands for only $250. Apparently there was local TV footage later that night of me trying the dress on and twirling around in front of a mirror.
Today, the footage is a little more frightening. Girls camping out the night before. Grooms with them, ready to defend their future wife's dress stash physically if necessary. Cutesy matching t-shirts with catchy slogans. Way too many whistles. Way too much flesh being bared -- apparently my modesty is a thing of the past. I think these girls have seen Sex and the City one time too many!
Just a week or two after Tom and I got engaged, my now sister-in-law, Mary, urged me to go with her to the upcoming sale, telling me to have no expectations, be prepared to be shocked and amused, and to just go with it and have a good time. I have to say: I had no interest whatsoever in going. When I was young, my mother used to drag me into Boston to catch a good sale at the Basement, and I have very strong and rather unpleasant memories of being practically bowled over by over-eager women of all ages trying to get a bargain. Running of the Brides is not my idea of fun.
I gave in. Mary met me around 6am and we headed into town. We were there by 6:30, an
d I think the doors (of the original Filene's Basement) opened at 7am. Some girls had camped out for an hour or two, but we were fairly close to the front. At her suggestion, I wore running tights and a tank top that I could easily scoot a dress over. The doors opened, we rushed in, grabbed whatever we could, then the trading began. All very cordial -- I'll give you this for that. I saw a petite girl wearing the dress I would ultimately buy and told Mary "we have to get that dress!" No expectations, but I somehow ended up with a designer dress that cost thousands for only $250. Apparently there was local TV footage later that night of me trying the dress on and twirling around in front of a mirror.Today, the footage is a little more frightening. Girls camping out the night before. Grooms with them, ready to defend their future wife's dress stash physically if necessary. Cutesy matching t-shirts with catchy slogans. Way too many whistles. Way too much flesh being bared -- apparently my modesty is a thing of the past. I think these girls have seen Sex and the City one time too many!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Wounded Chef
No, I didn't hurt myself cooking, just making a play on the show "Iron Chef." I did, however, injure myself walking my dog out the front door this morning....ever fulfilling my role as a klutz.
Long story short, Maddie zagged while I zigged. I tripped over her and in an impressive attempt not to step on her paws and wake up the neighbors at a really early hour of the morning, I slipped on the concrete stairs and put a big gash in my baby toe. I'll spare you the details, but.... Big gash as in "well, do you need to go to the hospital" asks Tom. Big as in "hmmm...maybe you should see someone about getting a stitch in that" states my father. Yup, this is a multiple band-aid job for the near future. No more pedicures this summer.
So, what did we get in today's CSA? Leeks and potatoes! At Tom's request to make something, anything that he actually will eat (let's just say that between our polar opposite likes/dislikes in veggies and his mild allergy to lemon, he's come out on the losing end), I found an old recipe tucked away from years ago when we were dating: Una McKeever's Famous Leek and Potato Soup. Una was a fellow runner and a lovely lass from Ireland. At several potluck affairs, she brought her family favorite soup, and somewhere along the way, I got and kept the recipe. Very easy stuff, although my version needs a little something-something. Kind of bland. I'm sure Tom will weigh in with an idea or two!
I would like to boast that I made this soup entirely on my own -- Tom was up extraordinarily early to finish a lab report for school and went to bed early, completely exhausted.
Since we got only one ear of corn last week, I picked up a few more at Shaws last night, on sale. And of course, what did we get: multiple ears of corn. It was getting late, and I had already maimed myself once on the concrete today, so instead of heading outside and grilling them, I threw them in a pot of boiling water and will share them with Tom's parents tomorrow.
Other odds and ends: several different kinds of tomatoes, a handful of green beans, a few red potatoes, some sage, and long veggie that looks like it could be a squash. There's always one in the bunch we're not sure about. Bummer about the sage -- the cut herbs never seem to last more than a day or so, and it always seems to be an herb I just bought within the week at the store. Someday I'll figure out the right balance between the CSA and Shaws!
Long story short, Maddie zagged while I zigged. I tripped over her and in an impressive attempt not to step on her paws and wake up the neighbors at a really early hour of the morning, I slipped on the concrete stairs and put a big gash in my baby toe. I'll spare you the details, but.... Big gash as in "well, do you need to go to the hospital" asks Tom. Big as in "hmmm...maybe you should see someone about getting a stitch in that" states my father. Yup, this is a multiple band-aid job for the near future. No more pedicures this summer.
So, what did we get in today's CSA? Leeks and potatoes! At Tom's request to make something, anything that he actually will eat (let's just say that between our polar opposite likes/dislikes in veggies and his mild allergy to lemon, he's come out on the losing end), I found an old recipe tucked away from years ago when we were dating: Una McKeever's Famous Leek and Potato Soup. Una was a fellow runner and a lovely lass from Ireland. At several potluck affairs, she brought her family favorite soup, and somewhere along the way, I got and kept the recipe. Very easy stuff, although my version needs a little something-something. Kind of bland. I'm sure Tom will weigh in with an idea or two!
I would like to boast that I made this soup entirely on my own -- Tom was up extraordinarily early to finish a lab report for school and went to bed early, completely exhausted.
Since we got only one ear of corn last week, I picked up a few more at Shaws last night, on sale. And of course, what did we get: multiple ears of corn. It was getting late, and I had already maimed myself once on the concrete today, so instead of heading outside and grilling them, I threw them in a pot of boiling water and will share them with Tom's parents tomorrow.
Other odds and ends: several different kinds of tomatoes, a handful of green beans, a few red potatoes, some sage, and long veggie that looks like it could be a squash. There's always one in the bunch we're not sure about. Bummer about the sage -- the cut herbs never seem to last more than a day or so, and it always seems to be an herb I just bought within the week at the store. Someday I'll figure out the right balance between the CSA and Shaws!
Monday, August 18, 2008
A weekend up in Portland
For our anniversary this weekend, we headed up to Portland, Maine with Dave and Kelli. With gas prices what they are, Tom quickly discovered in the planning process that taking the Downeaster train was the way to go: $45 round trip per person, only a few minutes longer than driving. Sure beats $70/tank for our 4Runner!
We arrived in Portland on Friday and had lunch at a great seafood restaurant on the waterfront -- the kind that is tucked in next to the big touristy seafood restaurant and is the one where the locals seem to go. We checked into the Portland Harbor Hotel mid-afternoon, then headed out in the evening to see the Portland Sea Dogs take on the Harrisburg Senators. Minor league games are the best -- up-and-coming stars (Beckett, Buckholtz, and Ellsbury all played here, and even Ortiz spent some time here a few weeks ago on rehab), cheap prices for great seats, and quality entertainment by the various mascots (Slugger the SeaDog and the TrashMonsters...sounds like a Sesame Street Band).
Saturday we had brunch at the hotel, then headed down to the harbor for a tour of the lighthouses in Portland Harbor. The fog was pea-soup thick in some areas, bright and sunny in others. We saw equal amounts (few!) of lighthouses and seals, and were entertained throughout the ride by a very peculiar couple who were....several sandwiches shy of a picnic?
Back in Portland, we poked around and shopped for a bit (I made my annual stop at Lovell Designs), making our way across town to a restaurant that Tom had been talking about for months: DuckFat. And yes, never fear, he was right on the money. Who wouldn't like french fries cooked in duckfat and delicious paninis? We found a very neat culinary bookstore just around the corner from it -- the selection was incredible, but we couldn't help poking around and thinking how we might get a better deal online. Must be so difficult in this day to be an independent bookseller.
Saturday night, we went for round 2 of Tom's incredible culinary tour and had dinner at Cinque Terre, which was awesome. The boys befriended a wonderful gentleman at the bar who surprised us later on by sending a bottle of champagne up to our dinner table. Food was great, wine was great...I was full and buzzed by the end! Dancing followed at a local club, but I can't say I remember much there!
Sunday morning we lazed around, then headed across town to a restaurant recommended by one of Tom's managers, Caiolas. More awesome food and a real off-the-beaten path find! Tom, in fact, is still talking about his burger. We decided to walk back to the hotel and burn off some of the calories we "collected" throughout the weekend. Beautiful afternoon, followed by a very quiet (zzzzzzzzz.......) ride back on the train.
Love the city of Portland -- great restaurants, very walkable, some good shopping (can be a little hit or miss, depending on whether you pick the right shops). This is the second time we've spent a weekend there and will definitely go back.
We arrived in Portland on Friday and had lunch at a great seafood restaurant on the waterfront -- the kind that is tucked in next to the big touristy seafood restaurant and is the one where the locals seem to go. We checked into the Portland Harbor Hotel mid-afternoon, then headed out in the evening to see the Portland Sea Dogs take on the Harrisburg Senators. Minor league games are the best -- up-and-coming stars (Beckett, Buckholtz, and Ellsbury all played here, and even Ortiz spent some time here a few weeks ago on rehab), cheap prices for great seats, and quality entertainment by the various mascots (Slugger the SeaDog and the TrashMonsters...sounds like a Sesame Street Band).
Saturday we had brunch at the hotel, then headed down to the harbor for a tour of the lighthouses in Portland Harbor. The fog was pea-soup thick in some areas, bright and sunny in others. We saw equal amounts (few!) of lighthouses and seals, and were entertained throughout the ride by a very peculiar couple who were....several sandwiches shy of a picnic?
Back in Portland, we poked around and shopped for a bit (I made my annual stop at Lovell Designs), making our way across town to a restaurant that Tom had been talking about for months: DuckFat. And yes, never fear, he was right on the money. Who wouldn't like french fries cooked in duckfat and delicious paninis? We found a very neat culinary bookstore just around the corner from it -- the selection was incredible, but we couldn't help poking around and thinking how we might get a better deal online. Must be so difficult in this day to be an independent bookseller.
Saturday night, we went for round 2 of Tom's incredible culinary tour and had dinner at Cinque Terre, which was awesome. The boys befriended a wonderful gentleman at the bar who surprised us later on by sending a bottle of champagne up to our dinner table. Food was great, wine was great...I was full and buzzed by the end! Dancing followed at a local club, but I can't say I remember much there!
Sunday morning we lazed around, then headed across town to a restaurant recommended by one of Tom's managers, Caiolas. More awesome food and a real off-the-beaten path find! Tom, in fact, is still talking about his burger. We decided to walk back to the hotel and burn off some of the calories we "collected" throughout the weekend. Beautiful afternoon, followed by a very quiet (zzzzzzzzz.......) ride back on the train.
Love the city of Portland -- great restaurants, very walkable, some good shopping (can be a little hit or miss, depending on whether you pick the right shops). This is the second time we've spent a weekend there and will definitely go back.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Happy anniversary!
Five years ago today, Tom and I got married -- love you, honey!
ps -- I love it that my husband writes comments on my blog!
ps -- I love it that my husband writes comments on my blog!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
More adventures in cooking!
So I've taken Tom's advice to heart and have been keeping an eye out for recipes that are relatively easy to follow. This weekend's brunch was a big challenge, as he was down the Cape fishing and unavailable to rescue me, even by phone!
Our menu:
Today, Tom picked up our latest CSA delivery and was pleased to find all veggies he recognized (those of you who played "name that vegetable" with us last week will be amused to learn the dirt balls were beets and the green bowling ball was in fact a watermelon). Tonight he helped me make gazpacho, something I've always loved and have been dying to try. I had ripped out another version of the recipe from Yankee Magazine last year because it had instructions on how to peel and seed a tomato -- apparently I just learn how to blanche, according to Tom! It's another recipe that calls for an overnight in the fridge, so stay tuned...
Our menu:
- Baguettes and several dips/spreads: herbed dipping sauces, rosemary & sage white bean dip, herbed goat cheese, and Persian spinach dip. I was excited particularly to find a spinach dip that doesn't have mayo in it -- instead, you use yogurt. The goat cheese was a hit with those who liked the lemony bite -- I normally love lemon, but thought it was a bit too much. I was nervous about the white bean dip -- it seemed too dry when I first made it, but sitting overnight did the trick (actually, they all sat overnight and were probably the better for it).
- Several salads: green salad with feta and grapes (minus the citrus dressing, as I didn't have white wine vinegar); corn salad (very yummy -- no mayo!); and a squash-based garden salad with citrus dressing.
- Frittata with spinach, potatoes and leeks. I followed suggestions and added more basil, but it was still a little bit on the bland side. It also took WAY longer than 25 minutes to cook -- try closer to an hour. Overall it was fine, but needed a little something-something.
Today, Tom picked up our latest CSA delivery and was pleased to find all veggies he recognized (those of you who played "name that vegetable" with us last week will be amused to learn the dirt balls were beets and the green bowling ball was in fact a watermelon). Tonight he helped me make gazpacho, something I've always loved and have been dying to try. I had ripped out another version of the recipe from Yankee Magazine last year because it had instructions on how to peel and seed a tomato -- apparently I just learn how to blanche, according to Tom! It's another recipe that calls for an overnight in the fridge, so stay tuned...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Why did the turtle cross the road?
Yesterday morning, I was driving out to Wellesley to meet my parents and sister for breakfast to celebrate my mother's birthday. Just off of 128 onto Route 16, five or six cars in front of me locked up their brakes and scattered all over the road. They all inched their way through, and low and behold the culprit: a turtle trying to cross the road from one embankment of the river to another.
No one seemed intent on stopping (hmmm...running late to church?), so I pulled over, waved down an approaching car, ran into the middle of the intersection, picked up the turtle and ran him (or her) over to the other side. What did I get for my troubles? Well, he actually hissed at me, then comically pulled in all four legs and his head like a cartoon. A station wagon full of kids cheered me on.
Needless to say, I was late for breakfast, but I'm sure "I was rescuing a turtle" was a new one for my parents!
No one seemed intent on stopping (hmmm...running late to church?), so I pulled over, waved down an approaching car, ran into the middle of the intersection, picked up the turtle and ran him (or her) over to the other side. What did I get for my troubles? Well, he actually hissed at me, then comically pulled in all four legs and his head like a cartoon. A station wagon full of kids cheered me on.
Needless to say, I was late for breakfast, but I'm sure "I was rescuing a turtle" was a new one for my parents!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Girls-only wine series: round 2
Several years ago, I read a wonderful article about a group of women who got together once a year at someone's home or summer home and spent a weekend together eating, drinking, laughing...no real agenda except the occasional pedicure. This really struck a chord with me, so I floated the idea among my friends. Long story short, by the end of a beautiful early spring weekend, close to 30 women had passed through our house in Plymouth. Some dropped by for an afternoon, others came down for a day, still others stayed overnight, and a few girls even came from out of town! Those who couldn't make it begged me to continue the tradition, saying that not only did they look forward to some girl-time, they needed it!
This year, we put the house on the market and eventually rented it out in the last spring, so using Plymouth was out of the question. We live in a two-floor apartment in Somerville, so having a houseful of girls for an entire weekend is sketchy at best. So, Heather's girls-only wine series was born!
I threw together a last minute wine & cheese in June, featuring Australian wines, and only a few girls could make it. This time, I gave the gals a few weeks notice and was delighted to have a full table of girls over for brunch today. Our theme: champagnes and sparkling wines. Why? Because I had somehow accumulated four bottles in our fridge between the SuperBowl and a few other parties and I desperately need the room!
Our selection:
A good resource for the uninitiated: Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wines. I think the writing is hilarious and have learned a lot from it. The best part is for each type of wine, he recommends best buys under $15, as well as those to impress under $30. Several of the above were his recommendations.
The nicest surprise of the day, however, was Tom's early anniversary present. He had come home from the Cape a wee bit hungover, so instead of heading out with the boys, he spent a few hours in the a/c upstairs in bed, then later in the afternoon settled in on the couch to watch TV. He must have been listening to our conversation about jewelry, because he suddenly appeared with a bag from DePrisco and said "here, I thought you might have fun showing these to the girls." A beautiful pearl necklace and matching earrings! Totally caught me by surprise -- we're heading up to Portland this coming weekend to celebrate and I hadn't expected us to exchange gifts (sneaky little bugger!). But apparently I needed to stop borrowing my friend's pearls (namely Cindy's for our wedding) and have my own. What a guy!
This year, we put the house on the market and eventually rented it out in the last spring, so using Plymouth was out of the question. We live in a two-floor apartment in Somerville, so having a houseful of girls for an entire weekend is sketchy at best. So, Heather's girls-only wine series was born!
I threw together a last minute wine & cheese in June, featuring Australian wines, and only a few girls could make it. This time, I gave the gals a few weeks notice and was delighted to have a full table of girls over for brunch today. Our theme: champagnes and sparkling wines. Why? Because I had somehow accumulated four bottles in our fridge between the SuperBowl and a few other parties and I desperately need the room!
Our selection:
- France: Perriet Jouet Grand Brut
- Spain: Freixenet and Segura Viudas Brut Reserva
- Italy: Prosecco Brut Mionetto and Zardetto Proseco
- US East Coast: Westport River Blanc de Noirs 2000
- US West Coast: Mumm Nappa Blanc de Noirs
- El cheapo: Korbel
A good resource for the uninitiated: Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wines. I think the writing is hilarious and have learned a lot from it. The best part is for each type of wine, he recommends best buys under $15, as well as those to impress under $30. Several of the above were his recommendations.
The nicest surprise of the day, however, was Tom's early anniversary present. He had come home from the Cape a wee bit hungover, so instead of heading out with the boys, he spent a few hours in the a/c upstairs in bed, then later in the afternoon settled in on the couch to watch TV. He must have been listening to our conversation about jewelry, because he suddenly appeared with a bag from DePrisco and said "here, I thought you might have fun showing these to the girls." A beautiful pearl necklace and matching earrings! Totally caught me by surprise -- we're heading up to Portland this coming weekend to celebrate and I hadn't expected us to exchange gifts (sneaky little bugger!). But apparently I needed to stop borrowing my friend's pearls (namely Cindy's for our wedding) and have my own. What a guy!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Now this is how a concert should be: Coldplay
Tom and I went to the Boston Garden...er, Fleet Center.....er, TD BankNorth Garden or whatever they're calling the building on Causeway, to see Coldplay.
The show itself was fantastic -- I love the emphasis on piano in their music. Their light/visual effects were incredible -- really very cool. Toward the end of the show, the band hopped into the crowd, went across the venue and picked back up on a very small stage in the middle of the crowd to play one or two songs. Very, very cool! My only complaint -- they should play longer shows (played for one hour, then a 2-3 song encore).
Our seats were the bonus for the evening. We bought into a luxury box through one of Tom's friends with 24 other people. Really pricey and not something we're likely to do again, but we had a private box with a great view, free food, a personal bartender, security to keep the riff-raff out, and nice cushy seats, including couches. Very, very comfortable.
Ah, if only we had a money tree in the backyard!
The show itself was fantastic -- I love the emphasis on piano in their music. Their light/visual effects were incredible -- really very cool. Toward the end of the show, the band hopped into the crowd, went across the venue and picked back up on a very small stage in the middle of the crowd to play one or two songs. Very, very cool! My only complaint -- they should play longer shows (played for one hour, then a 2-3 song encore).
Our seats were the bonus for the evening. We bought into a luxury box through one of Tom's friends with 24 other people. Really pricey and not something we're likely to do again, but we had a private box with a great view, free food, a personal bartender, security to keep the riff-raff out, and nice cushy seats, including couches. Very, very comfortable.
Ah, if only we had a money tree in the backyard!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The perils of moving over a six-month period: stuff, stuff and more stuff...
Last night, Tom and I went to The Container Store and spent $$$ on Elfa shelving for our dining room. There's an alcove where his parents' hutch fit perfectly, but alas ours does not even come close. Tom decided, given our storage constraints, the best plan of attack was to install shelving and cover it with curtains. We sat down, figured out exactly what our storage needs were, and found ourselves happily designing a space that's 57" wide by 93" tall by 18" deep. Yes, it's the little things in life.
A few swears later this morning, our shelves were in place, and I spent most of the day going through boxes and bags of stuff yet unpacked from our frenetic move from Plymouth.
So here's what happens when you put your house on the market, move over a six month period, then decide to rent said house semi-furnished: you can never remember what's at the house, what's buried in the apartment, or what you simply don't have. This is why I uncovered the following this weekend:
So, with our new and improved shelving system, I went through our cabinets and reorganized everything. The things we tend to keep buying are now in plain view, whereas the things that I don't mind collecting because they get used up so quickly (marinades, pasta sauce, BBQ sauce) are in the cabinets. We're already off to a good start: Tom was reacquainting himself with the basket of sauce and seasoning packets and discovered one for herb roasted potatoes which will nicely take care of the potatoes from last week's CSA delivery.
I swear, when the day comes when we consider redoing the kitchen, we have a good case for using glass doors just to keep track of the "stuff."
A few swears later this morning, our shelves were in place, and I spent most of the day going through boxes and bags of stuff yet unpacked from our frenetic move from Plymouth.
So here's what happens when you put your house on the market, move over a six month period, then decide to rent said house semi-furnished: you can never remember what's at the house, what's buried in the apartment, or what you simply don't have. This is why I uncovered the following this weekend:
- 13 sticks of my deodorant, and at least 8 of Tom's
- Cans and cans of beef and chicken broth, at least half of which expired 1-2 years ago
- Several opened boxes of crackers that didn't need any further investigation to determine staleness
- 4 bottles of Frebreeze air freshener
- 2 boxes of Saran wrap, 3 boxes of freezer bags, and an extra box each of sandwich bags, tin foil and trash bags
- Unopened flour (yup, re-bought up here for Christmas baking), vanilla (same), honey (probably the same), and the bottle of key lime juice my father picked up for me two years ago when I had intended to make a cake for one of our Pig Roasts, then ran out of time. Now that, I might use next weekend....
So, with our new and improved shelving system, I went through our cabinets and reorganized everything. The things we tend to keep buying are now in plain view, whereas the things that I don't mind collecting because they get used up so quickly (marinades, pasta sauce, BBQ sauce) are in the cabinets. We're already off to a good start: Tom was reacquainting himself with the basket of sauce and seasoning packets and discovered one for herb roasted potatoes which will nicely take care of the potatoes from last week's CSA delivery.
I swear, when the day comes when we consider redoing the kitchen, we have a good case for using glass doors just to keep track of the "stuff."
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Knowing when to admit you're too old for some things...
Back in 2000, shortly after having knee surgery, I had my belly button pierced. I have both ears pierced multiple times and liked the idea of the belly button ring. Unfortunately, it never seemed to heal quite right and required a degree of looking-after that grew tedious in recent years. But still, I liked my belly button ring.
Flash forward to last week, just before my birthday. I met Tom at Primal Instinct in Malden where his tattoo artist is working on the massive piece of art on his leg. I was chatting with the owner, who teaches piercing, and mentioned the ongoing battle with my belly button ring. He was surprised, saying it should have healed by now (eight years later!) and asked to take a look. A few seconds later, a full diagnosis: pierced too deep, the ring had settled to one side. And my skin was clearly allergic to the metal (I had replaced it a few years back with what we thought was a titanium ring, which we thought was least reactive). His recommendation: replaced the ring with a stainless barbell immediately, and potentially re-pierce the navel down the road if the barbell didn't straighten things out.
What ensued was a week of being VERY uncomfortable. It became quite clear that the piercing was just plain off, and instead of laying vertical, the barbell twisted on one side and pulled my skin. Finally tonight I couldn't take it anymore and decided enough was enough. Out it went. Within just a few hours, I had no pain and the skin no longer looked angry. But it's clear that I'm going to have scaring from the allergic reaction my skin had to the various metals over the years.
Moral of the story: at 35, looking "cute" doesn't cut it when I can barely sit still because of the discomfort. Mind you, I have no regrets and would do it all over again, given the opportunity. But I wish I had gone to a better piercer!
Other things that cease to become cute at 35:
1. Mini skirts (I don't mind short skirts, but have been picking skirts that fall just above the knee)
2. Baby doll dresses. At this age, you get mistaken for actually being pregnant.
3. Some tattoos. Most people know I have one tattoo on my bikini line, and I get razzed for how small it is. But at least it's not some trashy tat that I'll regret when I get older!
4. Denim shorts. I don't know why, but they just look better on teeny-boppers.
Oh, I'm sure there are more!
Flash forward to last week, just before my birthday. I met Tom at Primal Instinct in Malden where his tattoo artist is working on the massive piece of art on his leg. I was chatting with the owner, who teaches piercing, and mentioned the ongoing battle with my belly button ring. He was surprised, saying it should have healed by now (eight years later!) and asked to take a look. A few seconds later, a full diagnosis: pierced too deep, the ring had settled to one side. And my skin was clearly allergic to the metal (I had replaced it a few years back with what we thought was a titanium ring, which we thought was least reactive). His recommendation: replaced the ring with a stainless barbell immediately, and potentially re-pierce the navel down the road if the barbell didn't straighten things out.
What ensued was a week of being VERY uncomfortable. It became quite clear that the piercing was just plain off, and instead of laying vertical, the barbell twisted on one side and pulled my skin. Finally tonight I couldn't take it anymore and decided enough was enough. Out it went. Within just a few hours, I had no pain and the skin no longer looked angry. But it's clear that I'm going to have scaring from the allergic reaction my skin had to the various metals over the years.
Moral of the story: at 35, looking "cute" doesn't cut it when I can barely sit still because of the discomfort. Mind you, I have no regrets and would do it all over again, given the opportunity. But I wish I had gone to a better piercer!
Other things that cease to become cute at 35:
1. Mini skirts (I don't mind short skirts, but have been picking skirts that fall just above the knee)
2. Baby doll dresses. At this age, you get mistaken for actually being pregnant.
3. Some tattoos. Most people know I have one tattoo on my bikini line, and I get razzed for how small it is. But at least it's not some trashy tat that I'll regret when I get older!
4. Denim shorts. I don't know why, but they just look better on teeny-boppers.
Oh, I'm sure there are more!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Another passing: the last lecturer
It was so sad to hear this morning that Randy Pausch, the CMU professor who was diagnosed more than a year ago with pancreatic cancer, finally succumbed to the disease this morning. I wrote about him several months ago, and have read his blog and watched his amazing "last lecture" to CMU students after his diagnosis time and time again since -- including tonight. So much of what he had to say was so simple, yet touched so many, including me.
The news media say it best: the man who was told he would die, taught us how we should live. I think back to my moments with my patient partner for Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, Brittany Lambert, and remember quite clearly her stating to me "well, it's not like I'm going to die tomorrow." She lived life well.
Live today like you have no tomorrow. For then, you will have lived a wonderful life.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Birthday musings.....
Birthdays really just aren't my thing -- I'm much more of an Easter or Christmas kind of gal. And today is off to a rip-roaring start with torrential rain, the worst traffic I've hit yet going to my still-relatively-new job, and a leak has appeared in my office ceiling. But I digress....
Top things I hate about turning 35......
1. I am now closer to 40 than I am to 30. Or, as Tom pointed out, today I'm exactly half-way in between, but once midnight strikes, I'm on my way to 40. I've always had issues with the birthdays ending in 5s and not the 0s. 25 - miserable. 30 - one of my favorites. We'll see where 35 lands...
2. I'm twenty pounds heavier than I was at 30 when I got married. There - I put it in writing. And I have nothing but beer and Tom's good cooking to blame. And my morning can of soda. And my sweet tooth. But seriously, the upward slide needs to stop.
3. Just don't bounce back like I used to. The dog kept me up last night because of thunderstorms, and I had the hardest time getting out of bed. Is this the same person who could stay up until 1, then get up at 5:30 and do it all over again? I'm just hoping I last long enough to enjoy drinks tonight with friends.
4. Aches and pains. I had a lot of hip pain after last year's marathon and spent a good deal of time in PT trying to work out the kinks. After this year's marathon, I noticed that my other hip now gets achy. At least my knees are still functioning....knock on wood.
5. I'm starting to get ma'am at the grocery store from pimple-faced teenagers. Don't need to expand upon that at all.
There are bright sides......
1. I'm told I barely look 30 and still occasionally get carded.
2. I'm still a size 8 (hmmm....so where the heck is that 20 pounds going?)
3. If I were really motivated to run faster, I just got another 5 minutes added to my qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.
4. I have an awesome husband of nearly five years and a ridiculously full calendar of things to do every week!
5. The things I used to sweat and worry about in my 20s are downright laughable in my 30s.
Things to ponder over drinks tonight!
Top things I hate about turning 35......
1. I am now closer to 40 than I am to 30. Or, as Tom pointed out, today I'm exactly half-way in between, but once midnight strikes, I'm on my way to 40. I've always had issues with the birthdays ending in 5s and not the 0s. 25 - miserable. 30 - one of my favorites. We'll see where 35 lands...
2. I'm twenty pounds heavier than I was at 30 when I got married. There - I put it in writing. And I have nothing but beer and Tom's good cooking to blame. And my morning can of soda. And my sweet tooth. But seriously, the upward slide needs to stop.
3. Just don't bounce back like I used to. The dog kept me up last night because of thunderstorms, and I had the hardest time getting out of bed. Is this the same person who could stay up until 1, then get up at 5:30 and do it all over again? I'm just hoping I last long enough to enjoy drinks tonight with friends.
4. Aches and pains. I had a lot of hip pain after last year's marathon and spent a good deal of time in PT trying to work out the kinks. After this year's marathon, I noticed that my other hip now gets achy. At least my knees are still functioning....knock on wood.
5. I'm starting to get ma'am at the grocery store from pimple-faced teenagers. Don't need to expand upon that at all.
There are bright sides......
1. I'm told I barely look 30 and still occasionally get carded.
2. I'm still a size 8 (hmmm....so where the heck is that 20 pounds going?)
3. If I were really motivated to run faster, I just got another 5 minutes added to my qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.
4. I have an awesome husband of nearly five years and a ridiculously full calendar of things to do every week!
5. The things I used to sweat and worry about in my 20s are downright laughable in my 30s.
Things to ponder over drinks tonight!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Tom's annual fishing extravaganza
This weekend, Tom and the boys participated in their annual fishing tournament down in Orleans. From what we heard from where us girls were lazing on the beach, the fish weren't biting until nearly the end of the day. All in all, they didn't do too badly -- after all, a bad day fishing is far better than a good day in the office!
Their catch.........
Monday, July 7, 2008
More cooking!
I've been getting into trouble in the kitchen again! As Tom pointed out, I keep trying recipes that are way more difficult than I can handle. Thank goodness I have a supervisor!
On the 4th of July, we (emphasis on the we) made risotto with fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes and basil. We got a basil plant from the CSA a few weeks ago, and I wanted to start using it, plus we love caprese salads, so I figured why not. Yeah, risotto is a bit more complicated than I realized -- thankfully Tom has made it several times and bailed me out about half-way through. It came out pretty well, with two exceptions. The mozzarella melts almost instantly and really thickens the risotto, so as Tom pointed out, this is a dish to make when you're going to eat it instantly. The recipe also had you boil down balsamic vinegar (there was some technical term Tom used that I forget - caramelize?). When everything was said and done, this sauce had thickened so much that we ended up pouring it over the entire risotto, rather than over each dish. Worked out fine. I felt like the salty chicken stock was a bit overpowering -- maybe more basil?
Tonight I tackled some of our leftovers from last week's CSA. Of course, after buying cucumbers and green onions at the store, what did we get? Cucumbers and green onions. We also got a totally wild looking root vegetable called kohlrabi. Looks like a beet, sort of tastes like jicama.
So first plan of attack was the kohlrabi. I found an interesting recipe online called kohlrabi and apple salad with creamy mustard dressing. The recipe called for heavy cream, but some of the posters who critiqued the salad recommended using sour cream. Tom picked up some fantastic ground mustard -- nice and spicy. I used dried parsley instead of fresh -- eh, should have used fresh. Definitely a 1:1 ratio apple to kohlrabi works just fine. Instead of julienning either one, I also went with the recommendation to use a box grater (use the widest slice) - far easier than using Tom's professional-grade knives!! Great tangy taste; unfortunately since Tom's semi-allergic to lemon, he'll just have to take my word for it.
My last dish tonight was dilled potato salad with feta -- another attempt to use up cucumbers, green onions and some more dill. Aside from the fact that I think I boiled the potatoes too long, this was pretty easy to make. It's chilling in the fridge -- I'll try it shortly -- but the colors are fantastic. A nice alternative to regular potato salad which has mayo -- both Tom and I hate mayo enough that we've been known to return sandwiches when sub shops make the mistake of adding it. Unfortunately Tom hates dill and cucumbers (I'm not sure what his opinion is on feta), so it would be cool if I could figure out some substitutions here. Anyone ever have a spicy potato salad?
So I still have one zucchini (what can one make with just one?), a few garlic scapes, some green onions and yet more cucumbers. Suggestions? Next veggie CSA pick-up is tomorrow. Please, please, please send us veggies that my husband likes!
On the 4th of July, we (emphasis on the we) made risotto with fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes and basil. We got a basil plant from the CSA a few weeks ago, and I wanted to start using it, plus we love caprese salads, so I figured why not. Yeah, risotto is a bit more complicated than I realized -- thankfully Tom has made it several times and bailed me out about half-way through. It came out pretty well, with two exceptions. The mozzarella melts almost instantly and really thickens the risotto, so as Tom pointed out, this is a dish to make when you're going to eat it instantly. The recipe also had you boil down balsamic vinegar (there was some technical term Tom used that I forget - caramelize?). When everything was said and done, this sauce had thickened so much that we ended up pouring it over the entire risotto, rather than over each dish. Worked out fine. I felt like the salty chicken stock was a bit overpowering -- maybe more basil?
Tonight I tackled some of our leftovers from last week's CSA. Of course, after buying cucumbers and green onions at the store, what did we get? Cucumbers and green onions. We also got a totally wild looking root vegetable called kohlrabi. Looks like a beet, sort of tastes like jicama.
So first plan of attack was the kohlrabi. I found an interesting recipe online called kohlrabi and apple salad with creamy mustard dressing. The recipe called for heavy cream, but some of the posters who critiqued the salad recommended using sour cream. Tom picked up some fantastic ground mustard -- nice and spicy. I used dried parsley instead of fresh -- eh, should have used fresh. Definitely a 1:1 ratio apple to kohlrabi works just fine. Instead of julienning either one, I also went with the recommendation to use a box grater (use the widest slice) - far easier than using Tom's professional-grade knives!! Great tangy taste; unfortunately since Tom's semi-allergic to lemon, he'll just have to take my word for it.
My last dish tonight was dilled potato salad with feta -- another attempt to use up cucumbers, green onions and some more dill. Aside from the fact that I think I boiled the potatoes too long, this was pretty easy to make. It's chilling in the fridge -- I'll try it shortly -- but the colors are fantastic. A nice alternative to regular potato salad which has mayo -- both Tom and I hate mayo enough that we've been known to return sandwiches when sub shops make the mistake of adding it. Unfortunately Tom hates dill and cucumbers (I'm not sure what his opinion is on feta), so it would be cool if I could figure out some substitutions here. Anyone ever have a spicy potato salad?
So I still have one zucchini (what can one make with just one?), a few garlic scapes, some green onions and yet more cucumbers. Suggestions? Next veggie CSA pick-up is tomorrow. Please, please, please send us veggies that my husband likes!
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