Danielle's Semi-Daily Journal

Top-Iron-Chef-A-Thon

2009-10-30T18:53:00.004-05:00

Steve and I recently went to Jamaica, and before we went we "met" some people from various parts of North America on a message board. After several emails, we 4 couples decided to get each other some gifts from areas we're from. Each couple bought some sort of food product; we got everyone cranberry jam and Fluff, the couple from PA got a big ol' stack of large Hershey products, the couple for TX brought Tex-Joy seasoning, and the couple from Canada brought Maple Syrup.

Then I came up with the brilliant idea of trying to make a meal using the some of the ingredients we got or bought as highlights. Here's the selection:

Fluff, Cranberry Jam, Tex-Joy Seasoning, Maple Syrup, Hershey's Milk Chocolate

First thing I did was whip up a dessert. I melted the Hershey bar over a double boiler, broke up some graham crackers, stirred those in and swirled in some Fluff while the chocolate was hot. Scooped clumps out onto parchment paper and VOILA - S'mores Bites!

After that, I tackled the main course. The first thing I worked on was the stuffed chicken breast. I whipped up a stuffing of:
- 1/4 cup cranberry jam
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- Dashes of cinnamon, garlic powder, and crumbled some dry sage
- Salt & Pepper

I then slit the chicken breasts and scooped some of the stuffing into each one (makes 4, with enough to put some on the top of the breast for a minute at the end of cooking). Then popped them in my electric oven on "Broil", 10 minutes per side.

Off to the side dish! I washed, cut, and boiled about 800 grams of red skinned potatoes. While those were boiling, I sautéed half of a Vidalia onion and measured out about a cup of sweet kernel frozen corn. When the potatoes were cooked and drained, I mashed those bad boys up with about 3 tbsp. of Earth Balance (or whatever butter product you would use), the onions, the corn... AND - Tex-Joy seasoning for flavor. I have no idea how much I put in... until Steve and I decided it tasted right.

When it was all done and plated, here is what it looked like:

We enjoyed the meal with my cousin Andy and his girlfriend Shayna. It was pretty darn good. Steve said he wants me to keep the chicken in the recipe rotation, and the potatoes as well. The S'mores bites were also quite tasty.

So - for my Jamaica Pals - here some ideas for what you can do with your goods.

Cold Salad for Summer Picnics

2009-06-27T14:44:00.003-05:00

When the weather starts to get nice and the grills start to fire up people's minds turn to eating outdoors. Whether it's a barbecue in your backyard or a picnic on the beach, enjoying a meal together outside with family or friends is one of life's great pleasures.

This year, I decided I needed something easy and unique to be able to throw together on a budget that would work for any cookout or picnic. The answer?

Refreshing Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry couscous (cooked to package directions)
- 1 Red Delicious, Gala, or Fuji apple (cored, diced, and tossed with 3-4 drops lemon juice)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli, steamed and cooled OR 1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (with 1 or 2 runs of the knife through it to make slightly smaller)
- 1/2 sweet or Vidalia onion, diced and caramelized
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Dressing:
- 1/4 cup champagne wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil OR 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 1 tbsp orange OR lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp dried sage, crushed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- Salt & Pepper

Method:
- Prepare couscous, apples, onions, and broccoli.
- Toss first four completed ingredients in large bowl with raisins. Set aside.
- In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.
- Drizzle dressing evenly over couscous mixture. Toss so that the dressing coats everything evenly.
- Add grated parmesan cheese and toss.
- Transfer to portable bowl that has a lid (such as a Tupperware or Pyrex container) and put in fridge for at least 2-3 hours to allow ingredients to blend. For best results, prepare the night before. Serve chilled.

So far I've brought this to a picnic with friends and a pot-luck cookout with our small Bible study group and haven't taken much home either time. Tomorrow I'm going to another small cookout with some close friends and I'll be bringing it then too. My litmus test is always how often Steve asks me to make something, and this is one that he has asked me to make for each event since the first time I made it.

My thought: It's got a light flavor that is definitely a great accent to a summer or spring outdoor meal. Plus, it's super easy to make - start to finish takes 30 minutes or less. Tomorrow will be the third appearance for the salad, and hopefully the weather will hold out for our cookout!

Thoughts While At the Gym

2009-05-19T07:11:00.002-05:00

It occurred to me that my brain goes all over the place when I'm at the gym. Today I tried to remember some of the random things that passed through my head...

- Do I want to listen to my iPod or watch the Today Show? Not feeling music, Matt Lauer it is.

- I feel like Al Roker doesn't match today.

- Why can't Republicans and Democrats remember WHY they are doing what they're doing instead of fighting with each other? It's never good for a family when mom and dad just fight all the time, what makes them think it's good for the country?

- Why did I bring my phone in?

- Wow, "Atlas Shrugged". That's some pretty heavy reading for the gym.

- I wonder what the story is with those two. He started to talk to her recently, I never see them with anyone else, no wedding bands... romance at the gym?

- I wish Planet Fitness offered aerobics classes...

- Michelle Obama made the Maxim 100? OK then.

- Jim Cramer was awfully calm this morning... so different than when he's on "Mad Money".

- Oh man. Maybe they'll do the Cosby Show reunion while I'm at the gym. Better pay attention.

- Wow! Even the guy who played the grandfather is going to be on the reunion... he has a walker? Wow. Time has certainly passed...

- I love the little old ladies at the gym. They're so cute.

- Glad those people who got lost at sea scuba diving are OK. I wish I wanted to scuba dive because Steve wants to...

- Has it really been 25 years since the Cosby Show debuted? I wish I had DVR... oh well. I'll just look on Hulu later and see if the interview is posted.

- Why oh why do women get all dolled up with hair and make-up to go to the gym? I guess that's not as bad as the perfume though... makes me gag when I'm trying to work out. I can't be the only one. How do you address that with someone? It's awkward like the BO conversation...

Grampa's Faith

2009-05-06T09:09:00.004-05:00

"Who's that blonde woman sitting next to your Aunt Shirley?"

In a room that saw anywhere from 125-175 people over the course of the day and knowing that my family is larger than I could ever put my head around, I looked at this small blonde woman in the black raincoat sitting with her legs crossed on the other side of the room. She looked sad and respectful, occasionally glancing over at Grampa.

"I have no idea... but, there's a better than 90% chance I'm related to her. I'll ask my mom, she'll probably know."

A few minutes later my mom came over to where we were sitting. "Who's that blonde woman sitting next to Aunt Shirley?"

This meant I was not related to her, but I could tell from the way that she was sitting and the way she kept looking at Grampa that she definitely played some sort of important role in his life. My mom walked over to her and introduced herself with a smile; a trait she definitely got from Grampa. I watched as the woman stood up and spoke to my mom, holding her hands as she explained her relationship to him. At the end of the conversation, my mom gave her a big hug and left the room.

I went after her, because she was crying.

"Mom, what happened? Are you OK? Who is that woman?"

"She's some sort of minister. For the last three years she has found Grampa on Sundays when he can't be at church and made sure he received Communion. She visited him in rehab, and in the hospital, and always made sure he received."

This small blonde woman with the respectful smile and the black raincoat was my Grampa's Eucharistic Minister.

I thought back to one of my early visits with him at Greenbriar (the rehab facility he most often went to in order to get his strength back). On the wall I saw that they had Mass on Tuesdays rather than Sundays. I brought this up to Grampa, and he expressed his frustration that the rehab had no way to serve Communion on Sunday. This was very important to him... and God responded by sending him someone who would serve him each week. This small blonde woman in the black raincoat was indeed a very important person to Grampa.

When I think about Grampa, I think about a lot of things. I think about french toast and baseball and puzzles and coffee and good books and a big happy smile. But... I also think about his faith. This was a man who carried his rosary with him to every hospital visit, every surgery, every recovery in the rehab. A man who shed a tear when he heard the song "Amazing Grace". A man who lived and breathed Christ's love through his love of his family and his work through the Knights of Columbus. A man who when he found out that I had come to Christ wanted to see the program from my church, and who was more excited than my other family members when he found out we were running a youth group. "That's very, very important," he told us.

I haven't cried much this week. I thought and prayed about it this week because I find it strange that I'm NOT crying.

Then I realized...

I'll miss Grampa terribly. He was a cornerstone of our family and taught us what family meant. He was an amazing person.

But he was strong in his faith in Christ. Grampa is at peace now, and has taken his place in God's Kingdom. I'll see him again, not for a long time, but I'll see him again in Heaven.

And there is an amazing comfort in that.

I won! Honest!

2009-02-06T07:42:00.004-05:00

So... despite my absence from the blog world of late, I've received this awesome award from Kristin - one of my oldest and dearest friends and author of the Pink and Green Teacher Blog! It's the "Honest Scrap Award", and as a recipient it is now my duty to:

- Pick 7 blogs to give this award to (I'm trying to pick people Kristin didn't award it to!).
- List 10 Honest Things about myself.

And the newest winners of this award are:

- Mags over at Ms. Maggie Moo Talks to You
- Greg over at We're Taking Bets That...
- Matt and his blog at Matt Bortmess' Blog
- Nina at My Food Revolution
- Danielle and Nigel of the Dallaire Family
- Amy and her family at the Lembke News blog
- Missy over at Austin & Missy's Blog (and check her other blog out detailing the adventures of opening a café in Downtown Lawrence).

Now for 10 honest things about myself:

1. I committed my life to Christ on September 9, 2007 and while it hasn't always been easy learning how to live as He wants us to - it's a decision I can say has lifted me spiritually and has given me a different set of eyes to view the world through. I love how the beauty of the whole thing is that He has forgiven us, He understands and loves us as we are with all of our faults... it truly is "Amazing Grace".

2. My dream job is to be a stay-at-home mom someday, even though selling airplane parts is a pretty cool job.

3. I have 3 close girlfriends that I have been friends with for more than 10 years (2 for 15 years each and one for 13 years as of this September). While I don't get to see them as often as I might like to, it's amazing to know that when I do see each of them it's like we never spent any time apart.

4. I love the beach and even though it's stuck in 1989 I wish I could go to Hampton Beach every Wednesday in the summer with a picnic dinner to see the fireworks.

5. I used to hate seafood, but in the last couple of years I've grown to love a lot of it. That said - I still am not a fan of the two New England staples: lobstah and clam chowdah.

6. I am scatterbrained and as a result I don't always think before I speak. This has been known to get me in trouble or in disagreements on more than one occasion.

7. I don't mind traffic and usually take it as an opportunity to either spend some time in prayer, people watch the cars around me (it's amazing how many people pick their nose in traffic...), or sing really loudly.

8. I eat breakfast every morning, usually some sort of cereal.

9. If I could get paid what I get paid at AMETEK to instead spend time cleaning my house, read, and crochet all day I would quit my job in a heartbeat.

10. My husband is also my best friend, which makes marriage a little bit easier to grow into.

You've Got Mail!

2009-01-09T21:15:00.005-05:00

Some weeks are really terrible for mail. Nothing but bills, junk advertisements, more bills, more junk advertisements, and the occasional credit card offer.

But then... there are weeks like this one. When the mail is just amazing.

On Monday, I had a long awaited swap-gift arrive from a swap I was in on Swap-Bot. It was late; it was supposed to be mailed by December 15 and didn't get sent until January 2. But... it was worth the wait. Those who know me know that I love me a good scarf... and also I love purple and pink. This was all three:

Then there were a couple of days of a mail lull... until Thursday. As part of my Christmas gift, Steve gave me a homemade gift certificate to order any apron I wanted from Etsy, an online emporium of handmade goods. I love so many of the aprons that are for sale by Etsy's various merchants, but I had to choose one. I finally decided on one from Bella Bee handmade aprons, potholders, and accessories. I ordered it a couple of weeks ago, and was thrilled when it arrived.

Then today was the final piece of mail awesomeness arrived - a surprise package from our friend Kimberly! In it was a Pop Rocks Chocolate bar, a coupon for $0.90 off at Whole Foods, an all-natural candy cane (dyed with vegetable based dyes)... and 2 Korknissers made with corks from our own collection!

It was, indeed, an amazing week for mail.

"Stuffed" Portobello Caps

2009-01-05T18:25:00.003-05:00

Late last week, I wanted to make Steve and I a tasty dinner without meat. We're finding that since we're counting our calories, that one of the easiest things to eliminate on a day we don't have a ton left is meat since it's so high in calories. As I often do when I'm so moved, I opened up my fridge to see what was there. I found a package of portobello caps that needed to be used, as well as a bunch of other ingredients. I set to work and came up with....

"Stuffed" Portobello Caps with Cheesey Peasy Rice
Serves 2

Stuffed Portobello Caps
Ingredients:
- 2 large portobello caps, washed and stems removed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 1 cup diced sweet onions (or Vidalia)
- 1.5 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese, divided
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Place the mushroom caps smooth side down and sprinkle visible side with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Turn after 2-3 minutes and repeat on the other side.
- Remove caps after both sides have cooked for 2-3 minutes each and set aside on an ungreased cookie sheet, smooth side down.
- In same pan (respray if needed), sauté garlic, red pepper, and onions until edges of onions begin to brown.
- Add basil & oregano, stir it in until completely incorporated and remove from heat.
- Divide the pepper & onion mixture in two, completely filling the two mushroom caps.
- Sprinkle with 1.5 tablespoons per cap of parmesan cheese.
- Cook in 350 degree F oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Cheesey Peasy Rice
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dry brown rice
- 2/3 cup frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan & romano cheese (the kind you put on pasta)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Method:
- Cook rice to package instructions (usually takes about 30-40 minutes). **Note, I usually eliminate the butter or olive oil and the rice turns out fine.**
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add about 1-2 tablespoons of water so that the rice is almost sticky when it's finished.
- Cook the peas in the microwave for 2 minutes, to allow them to thaw and slightly warm.
- When rice is finished, combine rice, peas, cheese, garlic powder, salt & pepper over low heat.
- Remove from heat and serve.

Virtual Christmas Card

2008-12-27T08:39:00.003-05:00

I hope that all of you had a bright, wonderful, and Merry Christmas!

Here's a virtual toast to an exciting and awesome 2009, full of more awesome experiences and adventures.

Taking T-Bones for All They're Worth

2008-12-04T07:47:00.005-05:00

If you live in the Southern NH area, you probably know about a small restaurant chain called T-Bones. They have locations in Salem, Derry, Hudson, Laconia, and Bedford NH as well as 2 sister restaurants - Cactus Jack's - in Manchester and Laconia. Their menu has tons of variety, all their food is made to order (you can modify it however you want), the prices are reasonable, and the food even tastes pretty darn good.

Those that know Steve and I know that a) we're planners and b) we like to look for the best possible bang for the buck. Enter our annual taking of T-Bones - with this year being the most lucrative one yet. Here's a comprehensive list of how you too can take T-Bones for all they're worth.

1. Sign Up for the Paybacks Program: This is T-Bones instant win for people who go there 2-3 times per year (maybe 4 depending on what you get). For every $100 you spend in food you get a $10 coupon for use at a future visit. Oh yeah - it's also free to sign up.

2. Pay Attention: Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas (and also at occasional other points to raise money for charity) T-Bones offers a deal where for every $5 in gift certificates you purchase you get back $1 in gift certificates. Free T-Bones money. Also, this year I paid attention and caught that for the first time ever, and for a limited block of time, T-Bones was allowing gift certificates purchased to go towards Paybacks points. This means for every $100 in gift certificates purchased - $10 coupon back. If you need to buy a gift for someone this is a great way to make $5-10 in free gift certificates for yourself OR do what we do (since we don't know many other people who go to T-Bones) and get yourself free T-Bones money. This leads to number three...

3. Be Prepared: If you like T-Bones/CJ's, and you know that you and your significant other are going to go on dates or want to go out to dinner at some point during the year, plan ahead. Each year Steve and I have in our annual budget anywhere from $200-300 that we block off to pre-purchase our date nights to T-Bones. With their $5 in GCs get $1 deal, this means we're guaranteed $50-60 in FREE T-BONES MONEY by planning ahead. This year, we were able to do $300, which means we've got $360 in gift certificates AND (remember what I said about this year's limited time Paybacks offer?) another $30 in Paybacks coupons which means we've got $390 set aside for our date-nights and emergency "Don't Eat At Home Tonight" funds.

Ridiculous? Yes. Amazing? Also yes. For those that didn't catch the math on that - for $300 in gift certificates we got a 30% return on our investment and almost $100 in free food at T-Bones by planning ahead.

Oh... I'm not done yet.

4. Don't Forget Your Calendar: T-Bones has an annual calendar that has coupons for each month of the year. These coupons are each good for one appetizer, one dessert, or one kid's meal and have a value of up to $9.99. Now... here's the thing with the calendars: they are available right after Thanksgiving and they typically go pretty fast. If you don't get them the first week after Thanksgiving, there is no guarantee that there will be any left - so make sure you get out and get them!

But wait! This year there's more!

Remember I said that we bought $300 in gift certificates? We found out about a super-secret added bonus last night. This year, when you buy over $100 in gift certificates, you get a dual spice pack containing the T-Bones House Seasoning and the Cajun Seasoning blend they use at Cactus Jack's. Inside the pack is also a recipe card containing the recipes for NH's Best Burger and Cajun Fish Fillet.

There you have it. That's how you take T-Bones for all they're worth. If you've never been to T-Bones or Cactus Jack's, we highly recommend it because the food is great and the waitstaff are usually super friendly and attentive. Then if you like it, we've given you a guide for how to get the most bang for your buck when you eat there.

Enjoy.

The 2008 Annual Pull

A Day in the Life: Photomentary

2008-11-29T17:39:00.006-05:00

The events you're about to see are real. They took place on Friday, November 28, 2008 and are all from my perspective. Please be aware that some images may not be suitable for underage viewers. They contain graphic images of chores, video games, and other such things.

I woke up around 8:45 AM. I decided to be a nice wife and let my husband sleep in. While I waited for him to get up, I started a load of laundry. Darks, to be exact. I couldn't remember if I added soap... so I checked.

As I waited for the laundry to finish washing so I could move it to the dryer, I noticed a slight rumble in my tummy. Hunger. I hadn't had breakfast. Since I knew I had time before Steve got up, I made a cinnamon breakfast flatbread using a recipe for pizza dough. When Steve got up, it was ready. We had flatbread and coffee. It was good, and satisfying. The rumbling stopped, and hunger subsided.

We finished breakfast and Steve left the house to do errands. Laundry had since finished and I had washed and dried our sheets. It was also time to rotate the mattress. I walked into the bedroom and was faced with the following horror:

It was awful. The clean sheets, the bedding... the PILLOWS! But I was brave. I rotated the mattress (it was light, and easy) and made the bed. 20 minutes later... the horror had passed, and peace was had.

Then I realized I needed to make reservations for my 10 year mini-HS-reunion. I was late, and nervous that the slowest restaurant in Salem would be full. I called... no problem. 9 people could easily fit. I sent a message out to the eVite respondents.

Then... it was time. The floor had to be swept. I had just done it two days prior... but yet... the dust monster won't leave my apartment. Just two days and THIS was what I saw... I beat it, and threw it in the garbage. No dust bunnies in THIS house.

I was tired. I needed my fix... of Guitar Hero. But I couldn't get it to work with our new system. Steve had to fix it... and then I rocked it.

After I was done rocking it hardcore (well... really easycore) Steve settled in to play his video game.

And I added the next set of ingredients to the Amish Friendship Bread starter... only 3 more days til I make a loaf:

I then continued on to work on the latest dishcloth to go with my Christmas stash (beware: this could be yours...)

A few minutes into working on the dishcloth... our phone rang. It was our friend Chris asking us to come to dinner. We got in the car and headed out.

We went to Lowell Beer Works where we partook in good food and spirits.

Then we left to return to their place and play games.

It was at this point my camera battery warning light turned on and I knew my photomentary was over. I was not a good photojournalist and did not properly charge my battery that morning. Maybe next time...

...and also maybe next time I'll do something a bit more exciting.

Muchas Gracias

2008-11-27T00:09:00.003-05:00

In the past on Thanksgiving, I've done the cliché list of things that I'm thankful for. I could most certainly do the same thing this year, but I realized as I started to write out a list that it all boils down to basically the same thing.

I am thankful for the things that God has given me.

When I say that, I don't just mean "things". Sure, I'm thankful that we have the means to have a roof over our heads, good clothing, plenty of food for ourselves and to have people over to eat with us, etc. etc. etc. When I say I'm thankful for the things that God has given me, I'm also speaking about much more than that.

I thank God for my family who has been continuously loving and supportive, even when I may have fallen short of the daughter/sister/cousin/granddaughter that I could be. I am humbled by their unconditional grace and love each and every day.

I thank God each morning for a wonderful husband who sees my every - yes EVERY - one of my ups and downs. Yet still he is here with me day in and day out. I thank God for helping us to endure the bumps of the first years. In the last couple of months we've had so many "a-ha" moments about navigating marriage and we're starting to see the growth both together and individually come out of those moments. I'm thankful for the excitement that stirs in my heart each time I see him or hear his voice, because I know in that moment of heart palpitation that we love each other. I thank God for our most fun and silly and awesome moments together as husband and wife.

I thank God for Steve... period.

I thank God for the ability to love. I thank God for our marriage.

I thank God for the friendships I've had in my life and that I will have as I continue on. Those that have endured have helped me to learn what it takes to have patience and love together through the ups and downs of life, and those that have faded have helped me to see where I fall short as a friend to others. I have learned and tried to grow in those times... and I have also learned the grace of God in those moments, as well as the strength of forgiveness.

I thank God for the people He's brought in and out of my life.

I thank God for the small things of beauty that surround us. A child's smile, the giddy laughter of high school students, gerbera daisies, leaves falling around my car as I drive under a tree, apples, a couple holding hands, notes of music drifting through the air... the list is endless...

I thank God for the opportunities he has given me to serve him in any number of ways. Be that large growth opportunities in my career or life-changing opportunities at church, I've begun to develop a desire to go all "Dead Poet's Society" on these opportunities as they arise. Figure out what God is calling me to do, reflect on it in prayer and move down the path with an eagerness to grow.

Mostly... the biggest thing I have to give thanks for this year is the relationship I've grown to have with God over the last year, but especially the last 6 months or so. I've gotten such a different perspective on life since I began to follow Christ, and I am so grateful and humbled by the events of the last year or so. I have grown to see His hand in everything, and I look forward to what the next year (and years) will have in store.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.

Blueberries, Beer, and Bruins

2008-11-21T06:50:00.005-05:00

I was recently invited to come along to a Boston Bruins game with my good friend Mags. She scored some sweet tickets fo' free on Craigslist and when asked to go - I heart Mags, so of course I went!! I took the train down and met her for dinner at Boston Beer Works, a local restaurant chain that brews 16 kinds of beer at their restaurants in Boston (2), Salem, and Lowell.

It was a triumvirate of excitement: a girls' night out with Mags, my first Bruins game, and trying out a "famous" new restaurant. Holy crap - my head essplode.

First of all - I have to say that hanging out with Mags is one of the most fun things ever. It's so nice to hang out, laugh about life, and just have a good time. It was great to see one of the hometown teams win a game on home turf (7-4, it was a REALLY good game).

But the point of this post is not to get into the inside jokes that Mags and I have or give you a blow-by-blow of the game. It's to tell you about the obligatory sports night beer that I partook in at Boston Beer Works.

First, let me show you:

That, my friends, is a Bunker Hill Blueberry Ale. The little balls - for those that have not had a blueberry beer at a place that does this - are wild Maine blueberries.

I'm not much of a beer fan. There are some that I don't mind, but usually for a beer to really grab my attention it has to have some sort of character to it - a flavor if you will. There are a couple of Dogfish Head IPAs that do this and my favorite bottled beer is the Harpoon UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen. I recently had a sip of a Pumpkin Spice ale that I thought was just great. This beer ranked up with some of my favorites with absolute certainty.

The beer itself was (as you can see) a lighter ale. It had a crisp taste with not a lot of bitterness as it went down. There was the definition of a light beer, but with the sweet hint of blueberries as it made its way across your tongue. It was enjoyable and didn't feel that filling on the stomach - which is good, because a lot of beers can feel like you ate 3 dinner rolls by the time you finish them. Without a doubt, this was one of the best beers I've had while I've been out to dinner someplace.

The neatest part though were the little blueberries. As I drank the beer, every so often one or two of the little guys would make its way into my mouth and add a wee bit of blueberry "pop" to the taste of the beer. At the end of the beer, I had 5 or 6 blueberries left at the bottom of the glass which I dug out with my fork to eat. It was the perfect ending to the beverage - instead of beer that had a slight taste of blueberry, I had a mouth full of blueberry that had a slight taste of beer. As we were having our meal, the blue globes of goodness kept rising and falling up and down the brew as kind of a "blueberry beer lava lamp" (as Mags put it).

Oh... the food at the restaurant was quite tasty too. But with a name like Boston Beer Works, the beer had to live be at least decent and it most certainly was.

It's easy to eat green...

2008-11-15T23:58:00.003-05:00

Two of our closest friends are going to be moving to California soon, and tomorrow we're going to be having a going-away party for them. It's a potluck, and being as I couldn't think of anything good that I already knew how to make - I decided to create something new.

Inspired by the year-round greenness of Southern CA (for the most part) and my most recent post about peas... I set off to Hannaford and got to work. At the request of Steve, I'm putting in a bit more effort to write down the things that I create and made sure to write down every single ingredient I put into this dish.

The result: Green Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. penne, cooked to package instructions
- 1.5 cups frozen peas, thawed (but not cooked)
- 1 each/6 oz. bag baby spinach
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
- 2 cubanelle peppers, seeded & chopped (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded & chopped (approx. 1.5 cups)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Champagne wine vinegar
- Zest of 1 lime (approx. 3 tbsp)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp sage
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- Salt & Pepper

Method:
- Cook & drain pasta and put back in pan.
- Immediately incorporate entire bag of baby spinach in with pasta and cover pasta pan. Stir in between vegetable choppings to wilt the spinach, and cover immediately after each stirring.
- Once spinach is wilted, in bowl combine pasta/spinach and all remaining vegetables.
- Make dressing per ingredient list above, whisk together in small bowl.
- Pour dressing over contents of bowl and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Add cheese and stir until cheese is evenly distributed.
- Allow to sit overnight in fridge so ingredients can settle and "meld".
- Serve chilled.

I took a bite before I popped it in the fridge to make sure it didn't suck. I thought it was pretty darn good, and can't wait to see what it tastes like tomorrow after settling all together overnight.

300th Post - And it's a lame one!

2008-11-12T21:19:00.004-05:00

In honor of my 300th post I've decided that I want to pay homage to one of my favorite vegetables and one that I think is often overlooked for its wonder...

The Pea.

I LOVE peas. I was that weird kid that would go for seconds, thirds, and sometimes fourths on that little round vegetable that most children just play with. Oddly sweet yet still having that distinct taste of a green veggie, I would mix it with my potatoes, rice, or just eat them plain. When it was my turn to pick out the vegetables at dinner during the week, I would push aside those cans of green beans in search for my little round darlings.

As I grew older, my love for peas did not fade. Once in college, a friend of mine and I were watching some good old "Bad Dating TV" late one night and got the munchies. She asked what I thought I wanted... and I paused. There was only one thing that could satisfy my college midnight craving that night: peas. We went to the campus convenience store and each bought a can. I busted out my good old crank can opener, dumped the contents into a bowl, and after 2 minutes had a delicious and relatively good for me snack.

My room smelled like peas for a week.

College ended and still my love for peas endured. I discovered sugar snap peas and the wonder of them in salads and stir fry dishes. They're tasty, but still not as delectable to me as a good old fashioned side of peas. In my quest to eat healthier I've abandoned the old stand by of canned peas in favor of frozen peas to reduce the sodium and maximize the vitamin value. I've discovered that peas can be good in so many things... in homemade pot pies, in pasta salads, and in homemade soups just to name a few.

What is bringing on my sudden desire to spout the beauty of peas?

This week I've been on a comfort food kick, and one of my favorite stand-bys for comfort food is boxed macaroni and cheese with a serving of peas mixed in. I've evolved over the years from store-brand mixes to organic boxed mac & cheese with thawed frozen peas. Every so often I'll even do a one-person homemade mac & cheese like I did tonight (1 serving each of pasta, peas, and cheese with one serving of Smart Balance all mixed together... mmmm) when Steve isn't going to be around for dinner. Mix that all together and garnish it with a good amount of black pepper. There's nothing that says comfort to my tummy like that heaven in a bowl.

So there you have it. My 300th post, and a profession of love for one of my favorite veggies. Enjoy... and peas be with you.

Just a Friendly Reminder...

2008-10-31T05:44:00.003-05:00

As Americans we are one of the most priveleged nations in the world because we have a say in who the leaders of our towns, states, and country will be. If you feel strongly for one candidate or another (or... alternatively against one candidate or another) and you're able to: make sure you get out there and vote.

Why? More importantly: Why not.

Also - make sure you become up to speed on the other candidates you'll have to vote for in this election as well as any propositions that are on the ballot this year. While the choice for the President of the United States is certainly an important choice to make, every choice you make on that ballot is important and effects our country.

Travelin'

2008-10-26T08:00:00.005-05:00

I haven't been around much this month because of travel. I've learned that I'm not one to enjoy this much travel and I like being home. My husband is here, I know where I am, the foliage this time of year is great... I've come to appreciate New England more since I've been traveling.

The bulk of my traveling this month has been/will be for work. Two weeks ago and then again this week I'm stationed at our Costa Mesa, California facility. On the one hand, the weather is nice and the conference room that I park in has a view of the Pacific Ocean (and 6 oil derricks) about a mile and a half away. On the other hand, after work I leave, have a fancy pants dinner (I know, oh darn... but I enjoy cooking for Steve and I), go back to the hotel, perhaps exercise, crochet and go to bed. Alone. It's almost like I'm just killing time with no real purpose. Then there's the almost 12 hours in an airplane. The good news is that the company flies us JetBlue, so that's not so bad. Staying at the Hilton isn't terrible either.

But as we drove around California from work to the hotel, it just wasn't home. Things were overly busy, the highway wasn't that consistent (4 lanes, to 6 lanes, back to 4 lanes, to 5 lanes, to 7 lanes with NO SIGNAGE), and everything was just dry. Not much vegetation to speak of, people's lawns were patchy rather that lush and green, and while the palm trees were pretty they weren't the radiant oranges and reds that I'm used to in October. It wasn't home.

The last time I went out there, I got home on a Friday afternoon late. I was hungry, and Steve picked me up at the airport and we walked around the North End to find somewhere for dinner. The heavy Boston accents were comforting as was the cool fall breeze, as was being able to partake in some wonderful Italian food and Mike's Pastry. Then we went home, and the next day hopped in the car to take a jaunt up to the White Mountains with some friends of ours. I took pictures of the vegetation and the foliage the entire trip (until the camera battery died). Looking out over the White Mountains at Polly's Pancakes for breakfast and then at the condo we stayed at next to Attitash was like a big welcoming embrace back home. Listening to the Pats win on Monday night was like a big welcome home party. Knowing that any day now the first flakes could fall from the sky and cast a "dusting" of 1-6 inches.

Picture taken during our trip to the White Mountains, Oct. 2008

Steve picks on me because whenever I go somewhere and come back to this area I start singing "Dirty Water" by the Standells. But it's that refrain, that "Oh... oh... Boston you're my home"... it just continues to ring true. I hate the cost of living here, I hate when we get more than 8 inches of snow... but the more I think about it, the more that no matter where I live or where I go - New England will always be home.

America's Oldest Restaurant

2008-10-07T06:22:00.006-05:00

Last Friday, Steve and I met up with his cousin Doug and spent the afternoon and evening in Boston. We wandered around the Government Center/Quincy Market/Boston Harbor area chatting and catching up. The highlight of the evening was a dinner at the Union Oyster House, which is a Boston landmark and America's oldest restaurant.

We had a 6:00 reservation, but we were running a bit early and arrived at 5:40 or so. They were able to seat us immediately, and so we went to our table and began to review the menu. As was expected - it was completely drenched in seafood. Steve and Doug ordered the Shore Dinner which consisted of lobster (boiled or broiled), a bag of steamers, an ear of corn, and 2 red potatoes. Included in the price was also a cup of clam chowder and a dessert of either indian pudding or gingerbread. Steve ordered the lobster broiled to try something new. From what he said, the clam chowder was quite tasty, the lobster and steamers were really good, and well... let's just say he tried the indian pudding.

Steve's Shore Dinner - Main Course

Not being much of a lobstah lovah (yeah, I said it), I went ahead and ordered the grilled swordfish special which came with snap peas, mashed potatoes, and a roasted tomato. I also ordered the cream of tomato soup as an appetizer and the Boston Cream Pie for dessert (no... I don't like clam chowdah either). The soup was so smooth and tasty; I'm not usually much of a tomato soup person (unless it's with grilled cheese), but this was a great one. The swordfish was also quite good, it flaked right off with the fork and was not over or undercooked. The snap peas were crisp and cooked in a light oil (tasted like with some lemon too). The mashed potatoes were red-skinned mash with a slight taste of garlic and butter. Overall, the meal I had was really good.

Danielle's Swordfish Dinner - Main Course

Overall, our experience at the Union Oyster House was a very delicious and good one. We would definitely go back there again if we were in the city. The food was great and the staff were friendly. If you're ever looking for a place to eat in Boston, definitely check out this historic landmark.

The Best Years...

2008-10-01T07:03:00.003-05:00

September poll closed last night! Here are the results:

Which of these periods of school was your favorite? (20 votes)
Winner:College - Associate/Bachelor's Degree: 10 votes (50%)
High School - Grades 9-12: 6 votes (30%)
Elementary School - Grades 1-4: 3 votes (15%)
Preschool - Kindergarten: 1 vote (5%)
...and apparently we all hated middle school as it got 0 votes. Masters/Doctoral programs also got 0 votes - which means you're either with me and it's too stressful or you haven't been there yet.

New poll up on the right! Because of the timing of it, it'll only be up for 2 weeks and October will be a 2-poll month. So get your friends to vote quickly!!! :)

Once You Pop...

2008-09-30T07:27:00.011-05:00

As most of you know, I have gotten semi-addicted to craft swapping (and as some of you also know, I've also had my 15 minutes of fame as a result). A couple of months ago, Kimberly and I were up to no good again and decided to gather up the troops and have an in-real-life swap. The theme we chose: Pringle Can Swap!

Basic Premise: Empty and clean out a Pringle can. Fill it with at least 75% homemade goodies and up to 25% purchased goodies. Give it to your partner.

The first thing we did was ask (sucker) Steve into pairing us up Round-Robin style so we could keep it super secret and be surprised by who was giving us our cans). Once we had our partners - we got to crafting! Last Saturday was the swap date, and the six participants got together at Kimberly's place (me, Kimberly, Nina, Kristin, Marie, and Laura) for the final event.

We had yummy food including Pringles and dips (of course), yummy vegetarian chili, and some Grandma's Grains (which I forgot to get a picture of).

After that we got to poppin' and swappin'! Kimberly gave her can to Kristin first:

Then Kristin gave her can to Laura:

Laura's can of goodies went to Marie:

Marie passed a can to me next (I LOVE THIS SCARF!!):

Then I passed along to Nina:

And to bring it full circle - Nina gave Kimberly a pile of goodness:

Not only did everyone do an awesome job with their various crafts, we had an awesome time as well. Kimberly and I commented that we should have done this a lot more often! Last year was the Magic Yarn Ball Swap, this year was the Pringle Can Swap... I wonder what next year will bring... ;)

You Saved the Princess

2008-09-14T14:21:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has ever played the Super Mario Brothers game (the first one) for NES remembers beating the game on level 8. Well.. anyone except me who never made it past level 6, but I watched many people beat the game.

Seth McFarlane of Family Guy and American Dad fame has a new Cartoon Cavalcade thing that he's doing. I popped on YouTube briefly and found this by doing a search for Family Guy. I like to think of this as the alternate ending to the NES Mario Game.

Enjoy.

Use What You've Got - Day 3

2008-09-11T06:48:00.003-05:00

On Day 2, we didn't eat dinner in (see below post) but our lunches did consist of things we already had at home. Last night was dinner in, and when I opened the fridge there were definitely things that had to be used before they went bad. So I quickly whipped together a tasty little pasta dish that consisted of:

- 2 leftover homemade chicken fingers, cut up into little pieces
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli
- Some leftover roasted red pepper sauce
- Ronzoni Smart Taste rotini
- Dash of cheese

On the side I made more little toasts out of a quartered hot dog roll, sprayed with olive oil spray and dashed with Brady Street seasoning. Divided up the pasta into the 2 dishes, spread the cheese on top, and threw the bowls and bread under the broiler for about 3 minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese. The result was a quick, tasty dinner that emptied out a bit more of our fridge.

Today we won't be attacking our stash as much because it's leftover Chinese food for lunch and then dinner from the Hannaford salad bar before youth group. However, as I was looking for stuff to make last night, it occurred to me that I can probably continue this next week while Steve is away - at least to some extent.

New Sleeping Arrangements

2008-09-10T06:26:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I did a bit less cleaning out of my cabinets because Steve took me out to dinner at my favorite local restaurant - Grand China. The reason is because we were out and about getting stuff for our...

...NEW MATTRESS!!

I am admittedly oddly excited about the fact that we bought a new mattress set. Why? Because even though I work full time, have bills, rent an apartment, cook dinner every night and clean up - sometimes it hasn't hit me yet that I'm now a "grown up". Maybe it's because we don't have kids yet or the fact that I haven't hit that magical "30" number in age or the fact that I'm back "in" school. I'm not entirely sure what or why, but sometimes I forget that I'm an adult with responsibilities and the little things like this remind me that I am indeed all growed up.

For a little while now, Steve and I have been contemplating getting a new mattress set. Originally we were going to get it when we were going to buy the house, but when that didn't pan out it went on the back burner. However, after a few more months of uncomfortable sleeping on a hand-me-down 11 year old mattress - we decided to start looking. If you weren't aware (which, we weren't) - mattress buying is a process and a half. We must have laid on about 20 different mattresses between 2 different stores before we decided on what we would get. I can't remember the exact model name, but after about 4 total hours of laying on mattresses we decided on a Nature's Rest something-or-other that was soft enough for me and firm enough for Steve all at the same time.

Yesterday Steve stayed home from work to wait for the delivery and take away. The fine delivery people from Jordan's Furniture came in, took our old mattress away, and replaced with the Nature's Rest. When I got home last night and put my bags down, I went in and plopped on the new mattress. Even more comfortable than in the store. Then Steve showed me the crazy part - the mattress was manufactured on 9/4/08 - it was delivered only 5 days after manufacture! We thought that was pretty darn cool.

The one issue with the new mattress was that it is a larger mattress in height than we previously had. As such, when we put the sheets that we had on the bed they were just slightly too small; one or two false moves and the fitted sheet would pop off the corners. That meant... NEW SHEETS!!! And, since our cheap bed-in-a-bag comforter was starting to pull apart where the quilting was and the inner cotton was getting thinner... we figured we may as well look for a new comforter as well. After a lot of examining sheet sizes and visiting 4 different stores for comforters, we were able to find sheets and a comforter set that we agreed on.

The end result? A grown-up looking and comfortable bed and a fabulously comfortable night's sleep.

Oh yeah... about the cabinet cleaning... our lunches came from food already in the house; I had an egg salad sandwich and Steve had a PBJ.

Use What You've Got, Baby!

2008-09-09T06:37:00.004-05:00

No room left in the pantry...

No room left in the freezer...

No room left in the fridge...

Crap.

This week I've decided that for the need for space in my pantry, freezer, and fridge I'm going to be doing a series called "Use What You've Got". After a few canning events, various accumulated leftovers, and buying more stuff for the freezer I've realized that I have no where to put more food. My goal this week is to buy as little food as possible and make every meal with what I already have in the apartment. The only exception to this might be Friday when we have friends over for dinner because most of what I have is odds-and-ends that will make lots of great food for 2 people, but not four.

So without further adieu:

Use What You've Got: Day 1
Last night was pretty easy. I had a package of boneless country style pork ribs that needed to be used and also a big container of leftover veggies that were a couple of days away from the trash. Sunday night Steve put the ribs in a blueberry marinade (from the blueberry canning day this summer) to sit overnight and I tossed them on the broiler for 10 minutes per side. I then reheat the veggies and gave them proper position on the plate (protected from the blueberry juices). Pork is garnished with some whole pickled blueberries (from which the marinade came). The little toasts are one whole wheat hot dog roll quartered, sprayed with olive oil, sprinkled with Brady Street, and toasted under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes (careful eye so they didn't burn).

The package of pork ribs also allowed me to make a meal for an elderly woman at our church and also save 2 for myself to eat next week when I fly solo while Steve's in NYC at technical training.

Thunder! Lightning! Wild Hurricanes!

2008-09-04T07:23:00.004-05:00

OK folks - here are the results of the August poll:

Which weather event is your favorite? - 19 Total Votes
- Winner Thunder & Lightning - 9 votes (47%)
- Rainbows/Sun Showers - 5 votes (26%)
- Blizzard Conditions - 4 votes (21%)
- Torrential Downpours - 1 vote (5%)
- No love for: Tornadoes, Hurricane Force Winds, Golfball Sized Hail, or Light Flurries

Congrats to Thunder & Lightning! I have to admit that is my favorite as well; there's nothing like sitting on a porch on a summer night, protected from the rain and watching a thunderstorm. It's pretty relaxing and amazing to watch.

New poll off to the right! Make sure to tell all your friends to come and vote - it's the American Way!!

Pardon Our Appearance During Ranting

2008-09-03T05:26:00.003-05:00

I'll update my poll tomorrow evening, but I have to get something off of my chest first.

I hate parties.

**Begin Rant**
No, I don't mean birthday parties or baby/bridal showers or holiday parties. I mean political parties. I hate it when people align themselves with a party and then stick WITH that party just because they like to call themselves a Democrat or a Republican or a Libertarian. For crying out loud even INDEPENDENTS are a party now... I was listening to Joe Lieberman's speech last night on NPR and all the while he was calling himself a Democrat. Then the telecaster gets on and corrects him, calling him an "Independent, former Democrat". Well... excuse him for breaking away from the norms of the Democrats, but the man is standing there calling himself a Democrat. I felt like they were getting in a "I'm a Democrat"/"No you're not you traitor" argument without even talking to each other.

Aligning yourself with a party can give you this sort of group mentality and then poison your mind to think that the other group is all bad. Over the last few months, I've seen more blogs/"news" stories and more talking heads and heard more radio personalities say things like "Only the Republicans could screw something like that up" or "Guh, stupid liberal Democrats, they don't know what they're doing". Why in the WORLD do people say/write things like that? How do you know that 99% of your readership/listenership don't consider themselves Republicans, or how do you know that your best friends don't consider him/herself a Democrats? What ends up happening is that you get more readers/listeners that buy into that sort of destructive pattern, and then THEY go around saying things like "Only the Republicans could screw something like that up" or "Guh, stupid liberal Democrats, they don't know what they're doing" - it's just perpetuating the wheel of hate!

One of my favorites is when people proudly state "I'm a registered Republican/Democrat". Let me let you in on a little secret - THAT DOESN'T MEAN A THING! I live in New Hampshire which means that presidential primaries are a BIG DEAL here. In order to vote for the person you want to vote for in the primary, you must be registered for their party by a certain date. That's something that I believe to be true in most states, but it also means that there are a lot of people who might be registered to a party that either a) don't want to be registered to a party or b) isn't the party of who they'll vote for in the next election or general election. Take me for example. I'm a registered Republican right now. Why? Because I wanted to vote for a Rudy Giuliani in the presidential primary. Does that mean in the next election I'll stay a registered Republican? NO! In the LAST election, I voted for Wes Clark. Guess what - DEMOCRAT! So being proud of how you're registered doesn't mean a hill of beans - it just means that the person you want happens to be in that party. WHOOP. DEE. DOO.

And don't EVEN get me started on elections. This is the worst of the worst, people who are supposed to be setting an example continuing to perpetuate the ridiculousness of the party system. Candidates slinging mud at each other and each other's PARTIES. Whatever happened to just debating about moral values and policy issues and how you're going to solve world hunger? Instead they rant on and on about the Republican mistakes of the last 8 years or the liberal agenda of the Democrats. JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU STAND ON THE ISSUES. Abortion, gay marriage, the economy (which, by the way, presidents should have NOTHING to do with), the military, foreign policy, and lots and lots of other things that are way more important than pointing out the flaws of the moral base of the other person's party. I want to know where YOU stand, Mr. or Mrs. Presidential/VP candidate. Not where the other guy doesn't believe what you do. Give me a BREAK!
**End Rant**

So now that I'm done ranting... what's my point to all of this?

Last night while Joe Lieberman was speaking he referenced a quote made by our first president, George Washington. I don't remember the exact words but the spirit of the quote was that political parties would be the biggest downfall of our democracy. And here we are, over 200 years later living the downfall. People taking stands on party lines instead of really looking at what a candidate stands for. In stark contrast to Washington stands Hillary Clinton, urging her voters to come to the arms of Barack Obama because he's a Democrat, and Democrats have to stick together. Or all the times that our current president George W. Bush talks about the need for bipartisanship, and then mentions the need for Republicans to come together.

Hey people - before we're in a party, we're first Americans. Americans who have ancestors that fought hard for our rights of free speech, overall democracy, women's rights, abolition of slavery, and all sorts of other wonderful freedoms that help us to have an identity as a nation. People in other less fortunate countries don't look at America as a beacon of party lines - they look to us as a beacon of freedom. I think that it would serve us all if before we began to look to party lines for guidance and wisdom that we remembered we are all Americans and being a Democrat or a Republican doesn't make us any less of one.

In the coming election, I encourage you to follow your own heart and your own beliefs to the little boxes on the ballot. Choose who best fits where you stand right now in your life, and not which party you think is best or how good of a job you think G.W. Bush or Bill Clinton did as a president. Do your research on the candidates and use your individual thoughts and your own right to vote - not the urging of a party line - to guide your decision.

For your research purposes:
John McCain
Barack Obama
Candidate Comparison