GC occasionally travels for business. In addition to his standard work travel, he's recently contemplated joining the board of a fellow Goizueta MBA grad, the business for which is located in Memphis, TN. To figure out if it's for him, GC is currently in the home of Graceland touring the plant and meeting the owners.
I always miss him when he's away, even if only for a few days. I tend to be incredibly productive while he's gone, but my demeanor is somewhat subdued, in a quiet Sunday sort of way.
Away
When you're away, my heart aches,
perfect in its lonesome melancholy
like jazz in minor, on a rainy day.
Meanwhile, I, in preparation for our party this coming weekend, decided to embark on some "touch ups" around the house. You know, filling and repainting all the little holes in the walls, memories left by the previous tenants. I pulled out the joint compound and away I went. In fact, I kind of got on a roll, kitchen, living room, stairwell, hall, master bedroom, master bath... Typically this sort of thing goes quickly; fill, dry, sand, paint. Unless that it, you're unfamiliar with the paint in the basement.
Long story short, the paint I thought matched that of the family room, was in fact one shade darker. Yup spots all over the wall. So to fix it, I could think of no other solution (not able to find the actual paint color in the basement) than to repaint the whole room. Looks nice and fresh now, but not exactly how I imagined my Sunday. Oh well, I'll get to the rest of the household tasks this week amid lots of cooking and two nights a bust for mandatory functions.
Ha! Maybe a personal day is in order!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Beer, Lovely Beer
This past Saturaday, GC, my sisters and I attended a brew fest. We tasted everything from Ommegang and Smuttynose, to Goose Island (not one of those I don't like, though sadly they were out of my favorite, Matilda by the time we got to the booth, *tear*) to Saranac, Kona, and some of the local favorites like Davidson Brothers, Cooper's Cave, and Lake Placid.
A few highlights of the day included a surprisingly great porter from a brewery called Dundee, and the ever. awesome Abbey Ale from Ommegang. Really though, there were so many great brews it would be hard to pick a favorite.
Fun was had by all and it brought my sisters home for the weekend which is always a happy time. Here are a few pictures from the day.
A few highlights of the day included a surprisingly great porter from a brewery called Dundee, and the ever. awesome Abbey Ale from Ommegang. Really though, there were so many great brews it would be hard to pick a favorite.
Fun was had by all and it brought my sisters home for the weekend which is always a happy time. Here are a few pictures from the day.
Wine Tasting Menu, Course #1
GC and I are hosting a wine tasting at our home. We've lovingly dubbed it "Red House Wine Tasting" in honor of the lovely red house we worked so hard to get and now love so much. Isn't it great?!
Food and wine enthusiasts, we're super excited to open our house to friends and merriment! For our first tasting (we're planning to make this a quarterly thing!), we're tasting a horizontal of Andrew Murray Syrahs.
Based on our areas of expertise, GC is in charge of the vino and I am happily tasked with the food. As a little teaser, I'm posting the menu items here for your enjoyment. We'll have a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option for each course so everyone can enjoy.
Time spent in the kitchen, especially lately, is a welcome stress reliever for me. I've taken to scouring (overpriced, but fabulous!) food magazines, blogs, and cookbooks for new recipes and techniques. I think if I keep this up, I may just be able to call myself and accomplished cook someday!
So, without further ado, course one (pictures to follow, post tasting!):
Flavor Profile: Indian Spiced & Portuguese Smoked
Recipe Credit: Gourmet Quick Kitchen, a Conde Nast special edition
Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup
Soup:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp minced, peeled ginger
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 qt water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Cilantro Oil:
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Make the Soup: Heat oil with butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cool squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic ginger and 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Stir in curry powder and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add lentils and water and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25-40 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Make Cilantro Oil: Puree cilantro, oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a blender.
Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 lb chourico or linguica (smoked Portuguese sausages) or kielbasa, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
6 cups water
1 lb kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves, very thinly sliced
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then brown sausage, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to bowl. Add 2 Tbsp oil to fat in pot and cook onion and garlic with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring often until browned, 7-8 minutes. Add potatoes, water, and 1 tsp salt and simmer, covered until potatoes are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Mash some potatoes into soup to thicken, then add kale and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage and cook until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.
 |
| Note my handsome husband :) |
Food and wine enthusiasts, we're super excited to open our house to friends and merriment! For our first tasting (we're planning to make this a quarterly thing!), we're tasting a horizontal of Andrew Murray Syrahs.
Based on our areas of expertise, GC is in charge of the vino and I am happily tasked with the food. As a little teaser, I'm posting the menu items here for your enjoyment. We'll have a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option for each course so everyone can enjoy.
Time spent in the kitchen, especially lately, is a welcome stress reliever for me. I've taken to scouring (overpriced, but fabulous!) food magazines, blogs, and cookbooks for new recipes and techniques. I think if I keep this up, I may just be able to call myself and accomplished cook someday!
So, without further ado, course one (pictures to follow, post tasting!):
Flavor Profile: Indian Spiced & Portuguese Smoked
Recipe Credit: Gourmet Quick Kitchen, a Conde Nast special edition
Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup
Soup:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp minced, peeled ginger
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 qt water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Cilantro Oil:
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Make the Soup: Heat oil with butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cool squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic ginger and 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Stir in curry powder and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add lentils and water and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25-40 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Make Cilantro Oil: Puree cilantro, oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a blender.
Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 lb chourico or linguica (smoked Portuguese sausages) or kielbasa, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
6 cups water
1 lb kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves, very thinly sliced
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then brown sausage, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to bowl. Add 2 Tbsp oil to fat in pot and cook onion and garlic with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring often until browned, 7-8 minutes. Add potatoes, water, and 1 tsp salt and simmer, covered until potatoes are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Mash some potatoes into soup to thicken, then add kale and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage and cook until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
A Note to Winter
It snowed a little today, Spring has technically sprung, yet winter holds on. My note to winter:
Sigh your last sigh winter,
take the last deep inhale of your frosty breath.
Your days, though glorious in their youth
have dwindled to murky skies, and pitted banks,
salted residue lying like low tide on our streets.
With your last strength spit these final crystals,
now falling weakly, more like rain, a nuisance.
Watch, as in your last stand you soften
the ground underfoot, yielding it to the roots
Spring gently coaxes from your frozen soil.
Winter, your love was fervent, swirling. Deeply
did it bury our hearts. But now, you must be tired.
Let the warmth of Spring burn away your fatigue
with her soft, early glow. Relinquish hold
and release your clenched fist.
The first green sprout was discovered,
the trees quiver in anticipation, birds cry
and the sun answers with light, LIGHT!
The earth is alive, and it guides you to sleep.
Go sleep, so eagerly will we greet you
when you too, awaken.
Sigh your last sigh winter,
take the last deep inhale of your frosty breath.
Your days, though glorious in their youth
have dwindled to murky skies, and pitted banks,
salted residue lying like low tide on our streets.
With your last strength spit these final crystals,
now falling weakly, more like rain, a nuisance.
Watch, as in your last stand you soften
the ground underfoot, yielding it to the roots
Spring gently coaxes from your frozen soil.
Winter, your love was fervent, swirling. Deeply
did it bury our hearts. But now, you must be tired.
Let the warmth of Spring burn away your fatigue
with her soft, early glow. Relinquish hold
and release your clenched fist.
The first green sprout was discovered,
the trees quiver in anticipation, birds cry
and the sun answers with light, LIGHT!
The earth is alive, and it guides you to sleep.
Go sleep, so eagerly will we greet you
when you too, awaken.
Day By Day
Seeing oneself as a work in progress is a good thing, right? What about seeing yourself, your life and all factors you can control, as a constant, complete overhaul? Yeah, not so good.
Why do I pose these questions, you ask? Because lying in bed the other night, it suddenly hit me. Amid the griping of GC and I, I exclaimed, "Let's talk about happy things!" What a simple concept. Almost immediately upon uttering a positive aspect of our life, my mood lifted. Why is it so easy to fall into negative thinking? Because by golly, it sure is easy! Starting today, I've decided to focus on the good.
In that vein, a post a day here with a few sunshiny thoughts! I'll keep posting other stuff as well in this day by day adventure to learn a little, live a little, and love a little, but to keep my head in the happy game, you'll have to endure my willful positivity :)
Why do I pose these questions, you ask? Because lying in bed the other night, it suddenly hit me. Amid the griping of GC and I, I exclaimed, "Let's talk about happy things!" What a simple concept. Almost immediately upon uttering a positive aspect of our life, my mood lifted. Why is it so easy to fall into negative thinking? Because by golly, it sure is easy! Starting today, I've decided to focus on the good.
In that vein, a post a day here with a few sunshiny thoughts! I'll keep posting other stuff as well in this day by day adventure to learn a little, live a little, and love a little, but to keep my head in the happy game, you'll have to endure my willful positivity :)
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