Easy, Frugal Dinner for Twelve

Last night I hosted my bunco group for dinner, drinks and dice rolling. I had pondered what to make for dinner for while. In the 12 years we’ve been playing I have tended to gravitate toward pasta or Mexican dishes for ease and economy, both good options, but I was craving something a little different this year. I decided to spice things up by trying an Indian-ish menu from starter to dessert. It was a hit. One of my friends who arrived late said, “I don’t know what you’re making, but it smells fantastic. I can’t wait to try it.” I broke the cardinal rule of not trying something new when entertaining, and in this case it worked out. It was delicious, inexpensive, and except for the asparagus, everything was prepped or prepared the day before. I tripled recipes to serve 12. Here’s what I served:

Indian Relish photo credit

Appetizer -Red Pepper and Onion Indian Relish with pita chips and carrots. I mixed in cream cheese to cut the heat so mine was more orange than red. Delish

Dinner – Tandoori Style Chicken over Basmati Rice, Cucumber Raita, Asparagus with Curry Butter, choice of Sauvignon Blanc or Zinfandel

cucumber raita photo credit

Eating Well Asparagus with Curry Butter

Tandoori Style Chicken (recipe via St. Supery Wine Club)

2 pounds chicken parts – (used skinless, boneless thighs)

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup yellow onion - chopped

3 tablespoons garlic – chopped

2 tablespoons fresh ginger – peeled and chopped

1 Serrano chili – seeds removed and chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Prick holes all over the chicken pieces with a fork.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub until the chicken is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap or place in a large zip lock bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Rub off excess marinade and grill over hot coals until the juices run clearor you may bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes (this is what I did). Serves 4 

photo credit

Dessert – store bought Mango Sorbet with a spring of mint

photo credit

Note on cost: I had all of these spices on hand which helped keep costs down. If you had to buy them all to start, it could get expensive. Also, I splurged and used Greek yogurt for both this and the cucumber raita,  but that did not add significant expense. Chicken thighs are always inexpensive and red peppers, cukes, asparagus were all on sale this week. 

I would love to know if you have a go-to menu to serve to a crowd? And, do you try new recipes out when you have company?

Replenishing & Upgrading Makeup

I recently restocked my makeup; it seems to all run out, dry up, or disintegrate at the same time. I needed new foundation, a blush, neutral eye shadow and mascara. I decided to upgrade to some higher end products. From Sephora I ordered Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer and Nars Powder Blush, and from the drug store I picked up a Revlon eye shadow quad and CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume.

My favorite of the bunch is the Laura Mercier foundation. In the three days I’ve worn it, I’ve gotten comments like “you look great,” from a friend. “Did you do something different with your hair?” from my husband (I did not, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the subtle change he sensed), and “you have great skin,” from a new acquaintance (this last was at happy hour in a dimly lit pub, but still). I’m sold. Even though this foundation is sheer and doesn’t hide imperfections like brown spots, it adds a luminosity that I have not found in other products, and because it’s sheer I don’t have to worry about ring-around-the-jawline either.

The Nars blush was my other splurge. It’s a pretty pink, in that most famous of shades, orgasm. Even though this product gets rave reviews, I don’t think I’ll buy it again. It has some sparkles or shimmer to it that I’m not crazy about. I think it would be fine for evening. I have dry skin, so a cream formula would probably have been a better choice. Recommendations?

My drug store purchases were a bargain and are completely serviceable. The shadows are in a colorway called khakis and the mascara is well, mascara. The next time I’m at a mall however,  I want to stop by the Bobbi Brown counter and check out Deja’s recommendation for eye shadow and I’ll also stop by the Mac store for a new lipstick. My current faves are Hug Me (neutral) and Syrup (pink), both very quiet shades.

Like my wardrobe, finding what works in makeup is a work in progress. What makeup items do you rely on?

11 Random Things

Random shot of aspen trees

My first meme -- 11 Random Things -- tagged by the multi-talented materfamilias. This was a fun way to get to learn a little more about a few bloggers I'm familiar with and meet some interesting new ones. Here goes...

The rules are:
1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag people!

11 Really Random Things about me
1. I spent a whole summer in Germany with my grandparents when I was nine and upon my return I could not remember how to speak English! Wish learning a language was that easy now.
2. I once had an out-of-body experience during the meditative part of a yoga class. I really was looking down at my body on the floor and watching the class gather their things to leave, but there I lay. The instructor held my ankles and gently rocked them back and forth to "bring me back." A truly wierd and unexplainable experience.
3. Our family makes wine as a hobby, lots and lots of wine. We make about 1600 bottles of Zinfandel and Barbera per year or about 132 cases. The grapes come from San Joaquin County near Sacramento. We transport the two tons of grapes back to Colorado in custom made vats. When the wine is ready to bottle we have a huge bottling party with lots of friends and Italian food.


Charles Bridge (Karlovy Most) in Prague

4. Prague is my favorite city because it cherishes artists of all varieties. They have an entire cemetery reserved exclusively for artists. I'm not an artist, but I appreciate and admire the Czech's deep love for beauty and truth. I also love that they elected a poet as their president!
5. At 46 I can still do the splits (yup, a point of pride for me)
6. I once sold Goldie Hawn a swimsuit, although I didn't know who she was until she signed her credit card reciept. I'm still not very celebrity aware.
7. I'm a triathlete. Sprint triathlons only, my favorite portion is the swim and I will take open water over a pool any day.
8. The movie Brokeback Mountain took me completely by surprise. I was devestated for days after seeing it. Something about beautiful, tragic love stories I guess.
9. On the first date with my now husband, we went cross-country skiing, 3 miles round-trip. He built a fire (yes, he's an Eagle Scout) and we drank hot cocoa. Somewhere along the way, I lost a mitten. He escorted me to the car so I would be warm and went off to find the errant mitten, which he did. Needless to say, I was smitten, still am.

The girl who started it all

10. I am an archer. I never would have picked up a bow and arrow were it not for my daughter who at the time was doing eye therapy and archery was a recommended activity. Now I love the sport and spend an entire week each summer in the high country shooting foam targets while pretending to be a more "mature" version of Katniss Everdeen.
11. Once in second grade at Catholic school, I had a crush on a red-haired boy named Brian and I desperately wanted to kiss him so I divised a plan. Our school yard was divided into two sections: big kids and pip squeaks. I lured the unsuspecting Brian to the big kids side of the school yard where I reasoned no one would recognize me and a planted a big kiss on the stunned boy. He turned bright red and I got turned over to the nuns for disciplinary action. They told my mom she'd have to keep a close eye on me so I didn't turn out "promiscuous." My mom laughed her ass off, Brian stayed far away from me, and I married my high school sweetheart.

To answer materfamilias questions --

1. What was your favourite film last year and why? Midnight In Paris because of the scenery and the charm. Owen Wilson is pretty adorable too.
2. If money were no object, where would you spend your next vacation? and why?
At the moment I would choose Buenos Aires. I've never been to South America and would love to explore that part of the world. My husband and I have taken tango lessons and I have real tango shoes from Buenos Aires; would love to take him and them for a spin at an authenic milonga.
3. Describe the earliest meal you can remember enjoying. Spaetzle topped with gravy. The homemade noodles were always a staple at family gatherings growing up. For the adults, the meat was the highlight, for me a plate of gravy-soaked spaetzle was heaven.
4. If you were dividing domestic chores with a new roommate, which ones would you try to claim? Believe it or not I'd want to wash the dishes. I kind of find it relaxing, but would gladly hand off the vacuuming.
5. Do you play a musical instrument? If so, which one? I don't. I tried learning piano as an adult but perfectionist tendencies meddled with my progress. The instrument I wish I could play is the harmonica.

6. When you're bothered by prolonged muscle or joint soreness that's interfering with your workout plans, do you visit a General Physician, a Chiropractor, a Physiotherapist, or a Massage Therapist? First I would go to yoga class, all that stretching does wonders for a multitude of ailments. If that didn't help I head to the GP.
7. What activities do you hope will sustain you throughout your 80s and 90s? I've been in a bunco group for going on 11 years. It's a great group of women, we laugh, drink wine, eat delicious food, and eventually  we settle down to roll the dice and play bunco. I hope we'll be playing well into our 8th and 9th decades. I also hope to continue snowshoeing, hiking, knitting, reading and continually trying new things.
8. What was the first important car in your life? Toyota Siena for ease of toting kids and stuff around.
9. What was the most significant course you ever took? Hmm, so hard to decide. What made my favorite classes memorable had less to do with the subject matter and more to do with the passion my profs had for their subject. I had some very colorful, enthusiastic lit professors.
10. If you had the resources, which elementary or high school classmate would you try to track down, and why? It was junior high and Linda Nonneman. She had an older sister, so I learned a lot about boys, boobs, hair and makeup when I stayed at her house. We had lots of laughs, but when my family moved from New York to Colorado, we lost touch.
11. Which chef would you like to have come to your house to prepare a meal for your guests -- or, alternatively, give you a cooking lesson in that chef's professional kitchen? Really, any meal lovingly prepared is a gift and a joy to share. I love Viana La Place's cookbooks, so she would be my choice. Her recipes are Italian with a twist and feature simply prepared meats and lots of veggies.

And  now a few questions for you
1. What is your favorite travel destination and why?
2. What is your hidden talent? Have you always had this talent or has it developed over time?
3. What's your favorite wine and what in particular do you like about it?
4. If you never had to work again, what would you do with your time?
5. Do you speak any other languages besides English?
6. Is there some recipe you insist on making from scratch, even though it would be more convenient to just go out and buy it?
7. Do you have a collection (stamps, regilious symbols, cookie cutters)?
8. What "words of wisdom" resonate with you?
9. Do you have a favorite musican or group?
10. If money and time were no object, what hobby or area of interest would you pursue?
11. What do you love most about your home?

I'm a new blogger and have interacted with only a few blogs out there. I don't know if they are game, but  I will be tagging the following because I would love to get to know them all a little better.

From Magpie to Minimalist
The Rich Life (on a budget)
Frugal Scholar

From Magpie to Minimalist's 11 Random Things Post

Mama Bear Awakened

There’s a reason it is ill advised to get between a mama bear and her cubs. One of my daughters is dyslexic and as such she receives extra time on tests. It takes her longer to decode in both reading and math. As a junior in high school she is scheduled to take the ACT test, the college entrance exam accepted at most schools in our state, but a call from the school counselor indicated that she might not get extra time on the ACT. The extra time is an accommodation that is allotted to her because of her learning disability (LD).  She has already been approved to take the AP exams and the SAT test with accommodations.

 In those early years in elementary school she had an IEP, an individualized education plan, which was in place until she reached grade level achievement in all academic areas, thanks in large part to her own motivation and some innovative and excellent teachers. These days, she has a 504 Plan, which means she is performing at or above grade level, but still requires extra time. As parents, we have been vigilant in safeguarding this protection for her. Extra time is just that, if you don't know the material, extra time does you no good, the 504 Plan makes sure she is not punished because it takes her longer to decipher language.

After several phone calls to and from the school counselor, and much fretting on my part, it was decided that the school counselor would submit the request for ACT accommodations with the 504 as supporting documentation. We will have to wait about a month to hear from the ACT people. If she is denied, the school will reevaluate her at their expense in time for her to take the ACT with accommodations in June.

While ultimately Mama Bear did not need to resort to her instincts to rip, shred and maim to protect her young, she sure was on high alert and ready to pounce if necessary. This whole incident brings to the surface the fact that as parents we need to be advocates for our kids always. Learning disabilities are sometimes not obvious and can be difficult to diagnose. My sister is a school principal so she was a big help when we were first learning about dyslexia and LDs back when my daughter was in the third and fourth grades, but there are many more resources now. Here’s one if anyone needs a place to get started and it offers information for elementary through college ages. I still refer to it often http://www.smartkidswithld.org/.
 
It's been my experience that school staff cares deeply about the wellbeing of kids, but they are busy, stressed, over-burdened, if your child has a disability; especially one that is not visually obvious, you need to be their primary advocate and make sure your kiddo is getting what they need to participate fully and successfully in an academic setting. It's also important that as parents we hear what teachers are saying about our kids, and not be in denial about the possibility of an LD. I'm no expert, but everything I have read and every professional I've talked to has said early intervention is a major key to a successful outcome.

 

The Power of Fragrance

One sniff of this cologne and I’m transported back in time to about the age of ten watching my mom get ready for a night out with her grown up friends. She didn’t wear scent often, only for special occasions or while travelling by plane which of course, back then was a dressy affair. This fragrance is 4711, the famous cologne from Cologne, Germany. On nearly every trip to Germany my mom returned home with a bottle (as well as Nivea lotion and sturdy new shoes for all). I picked up this bottle at a thrift store for next to nothing, and while I don’t wear it, I like having it. I like looking at the bottle with its ornate blue and gold design. It comforts me and reminds me of those wonderful days in my youth when we jaunted overseas for long weekends to visit family and friends (we flew for free because my father worked for Lufthansa). All of these memories come back with a single sniff and for that reason I’ll keep this second-hand bottle forever.

My scent of choice has been Allure Sensuelle by Channel. It’s not a wimpy scent, a little goes a long way and it lasts all day. I’ve not come across too many other people who wear it which is a plus. If my children come across this scent or one with similar notes down the road in their lives, I hope it conjures happy memories of me and their childhood. But who knows what scents might trigger a fond memory (or a bad one for that matter), it could be anything -- baking cookies, a campfire, sagebrush after the rain. I am intrigued by the power of fragrance to instantly transport the mind to another time and place.

Do you have any powerful associations with a particular perfume or scent? Also I’ve been considering reading the novel Perfume by Peter Susskind about a boy who is born with the musical equivalent of a perfect pitch sense of smell. It takes place in 18^th century Paris and takes a murderous turn. Apparently this was made into a film as well, any reviews on that?   

A Clothing Rant and the First FO of 2012

First the rant, for my birthday back in October, I received an Aventura cardigan. It is a whole two and one half months later and the cardi is literally falling apart at the seams!! I wear it about once a week, so maybe I've worn it six or seven times since I received it. Honestly, I've heard about such things happening, but I have never had an item of clothing actually self destruct this quickly. This cardi retails for around $80, which is not an insignificant amount of money. I might expect this from a Target sweater, but not from a company whose motto is "Aventura -- helping the earth one garmet at a time." How is making crap helping the earth? This is not even good enough to recycle at the consignment store. I will most likely try to mend it, but I think the gazillion other cardis like this one are making a beeline for the landfill. What a waste.


I know wise shoppers check clothing for quality before buying, but honestly to look at this sweater when it was brand new, it really was lovely. It's in a price range that I would think would offer at least moderate standards of workmanship, although I do know crap comes in every price range. The friend who gave me this sweater is the boutque owner.  Do I tell her so she can inform her vendor of the shoddy workmanship? Do I return it? Neither of these options appeal to me. I think I will most likely keep it, thankful for the generous friend who knew I would love both the cut and color of this sweater. One thing I know for sure is that I will never buy anything from this company.

For better quality knitwear, I finished my first knitted sweater of the year, Zephyr, and learned a couple of new techniques along the way including Judy's magic cast on and how to knit a contiguous sleeve. The best part is that I'm very happy with my new cardi. The yarn in incredibly soft and luxurious(44merino, 44alpaca, 12nylon), made in France (reasonably sure mill is not a sweat shop, unlike the Made in China cardi above, of which I am not reasonably sure) and I can personally vouch for the workmanship. 





Simple Pleasure: Gloves

It’s been an odd winter, very warm until our recent snowstorm, but even on those days when the temps hit the high 50s, I was wearing my favorite new winter accessory – gloves – just because.

As a knitter, I’ve been a hardcore mitten girl because there are so many cute and quick-to-knit mitten patterns out there. But for my birthday (back in the fall) my husband gave me an olive green pair of cashmere-lined, leather gloves (on sale now). My hands are my least favorite body part, but when I slip them into these gloves, they are magically transformed into an expression of feminine grace. Okay that may be overstating things, but I love them immensely. They make me feel so … classy and refined. Not the usual words to describe my style. Even if I wear them with something as pedestrian as my Patagonia puffer jacket, I feel ever so slightly more sophisticated.

And I’m hooked, since then I’ve acquired two more pairs – one was a gift from a friend, the other, a consignment store find – I’m enjoying having a small wardrobe of gloves and it comes as a complete surprise to me how hard I’ve fallen for them.

I’ll keep knitting mittens, like these, which are lined with lace-weight mohair, but I think they will become gifts in the future. Perhaps I’ll try some knitted gloves on tiny needles. The pair below have been on my list for at least a few years.

What are the accessories that have surprised you, either in how they make you feel when you wear them or how they add versatility where you didn’t expect it?

A Welcome Guest

We had a special visitor this weekend. He came unannounced and made himself right at home which was fine with us. Our guest was a four-point mule deer buck who amid a lovely snowstorm settled down to the business of pawing through the snow to eat old apples that I didn’t manage to get picked up during the fall yard cleanup. He watched as my husband shoveled snow from the deck, not so much warily, as interested. A beautiful specimen with a thick neat brown coat, he was solidly built and obviously well fed (thank goodness, I hate seeing them scrawny). I am always amazed how that crown of antlers just disappears amid the winter shrubbery, and how if he remained absolutely still we probably would not have even noticed him.

What a treat to see this lovely wonder of nature in our back yard, which is located “in town.” Of course we had to keep Maddy the Dog inside which she did not like one bit, but manners dictated that our guest have use of the yard as long as he wanted it.

Even though I live in a place where seeing deer is not uncommon, it is usually from a distance or through the window of a car.  When they come into our personal space, it is truly magical, a sort of blessing, a delight The photos are of last year’s visitor, I was too afraid I’d break the spell if I ran to get the camera.

Start with a Scarf

I love how a scarf transforms something boring into something special, just as this pretty Pucci scarf  from Nordstrom spices up a basic camel-colored top.

I also like a wardrobe challenge for getting the creative juices flowing, especially now as I’m not planning any clothes purchases until spring. I took a closer look at my wardrobe recently. I’ve never had a bursting at the seams closet, but what I do have is not one, but two drawers filled entirely with scarves. I counted them for the first time, and in fact, I own 69 scarves – 39 non-knitted and 30 knitted!! I was proud of myself for being able to cull ten of them, which leaves me with a mere 59 neck accessories.

And the 30 knitted ones!

So naturally, the challenge I’m setting forth for myself is to wear each of these for the next 59 days – that would be a different neckerchief until Sunday, February 26! I’ll choose the scarf and build my outfit around it a la the Vivienne Files (though there are no Hermes scarves in my collection – yet!). Some of these scarves have not seen the light of day for years, maybe I will love wearing them, or maybe I won’t, in which case they will be deleted.

Now reading this, it is obvious that I do not need another scarf, but this knitted beauty is on my radar for 2012

Pattern & photo credit

What your wardrobe weakness?



Did I Kill the Dog?

That was the thought churning through my head the other day, when our beasty a.k.a. Maddy was no where to be found. Our electronic dog fence was vandalized by either the transient bears that roam through our back yard in search of rotten apples or the delinquent raccoons that prowl the night and love nothing more than to rabble rouse.

It was a sunny day and Maddy loves nothing more than to soak up the rays on the back deck. I was working and didn’t think of her until hours later when she was no where to be found. I called for her, patrolled the neighborhood, enlisted the help of the local animal control officer, asked the trash man to keep an eye out, and set every kid with a bike on patrol. I went down to the river, to the dog park, even to the high school where kids play hacky sack and frisbee. She was nowhere to be found. Now the sun was setting and the temps were dropping. Where could she be? By this time the animal control officer had checked in to inform me that she had not spotted our runaway either. She braced me for the fact that if she was hit by a car, it would be the Streets and Parks department that would be calling me. At this point I am picturing a shovel and dump truck.

I felt the worst was imminent. Having done everything possible, I decided to sweep the neighborhood once more. Was that a flash of brown leg in my peripheral vision? Better go check. Across the street and two houses down I found my beasty. She was shaking and scared, buy why? It was then I noticed the back door to my neighbor’s house ajar. She has a lever door handle and a dog of her own that Maddy is friendly with. Speculation leads us to the conclusion that Maddy opened the door, let herself in, hung out with her pal Denton, and couldn’t figure out how to get out of the house (I never said she was the sharpest tool in the shed). I’m sure she heard me calling and was doing her best to get to me. Other than a loss of heat in my neighbor’s house, no harm was done. Home safe and sound, now it’s easy to joke about Maddy’s growing rap sheet which now includes breaking and entering, trespassing and hit and run (but that’s a story for another time). Needless to say, fixing the fence is a top priority, in the meantime I’ve turned up the heat in the entryway where the tiles get toasty warm and Maddy likes to curl up almost as much as in the sun.

The Godfather

No, not Marlan Brando, I’m talking about the drink. Have you heard of it? I had not until I received a bottle of Amaretto di Saronno from my FIL for my birthday not long ago. I love many things about amaretto, especially the originale from Saronno – the shape and texture of the bottle, the color of the liquor, the creamy almond fragrance, the secret guarded recipe for making it, the fact that it has been around since 1525, and of course it doesn’t taste bad either, but as primarily a wine drinker, I don’t really know what to do with it or most liqueurs. I was explaining this to my mom who said “Oh, you have to make a Godfather.” She went on to tell me that I am not alone in my libational ignorance, everybody including most bartenders has forgotten about this drink. She said she always has to give barkeeps instructions when she orders it out. Having the two requisite ingredients on hand, I promptly mixed one for myself. Here’s how:

A Godfather

Mix 2 parts Scotch or bourbon whiskey with 1 part amaretto in an old fashioned glass with ice. Stir and enjoy. To make it fancy add a lime wedge.

I ended up adding a smidge more amaretto. The whiskey tempered the sweet of the amaretto and the amaretto smoothed the harshness of the whiskey. Happy weekend. Cheers.

It’s Finally Snowing!

This is what I woke to up this morning. At long last, the snow has arrived, covering everything in sight with a fluffy blanket of white. I’ll let Ogden Nash take it from here:

Winter Morning

Winter is the king of showmen,

Turning tree stumps into snow men

And houses into birthday cakes

And spreading sugar over the lakes.

Smooth and clean and frost white

The world looks good enough to bite.

That’s the season to be young,

Catching snowflakes on your tongue
Snow is snowy when it’s snowing

I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going.

Simple Pleasure: An Old English (possibly French) Pub Game

Like most families, we are a busy bunch. Everyone is running in a different direction, making it hard to connect with one another especially during swimming and mock trial seasons. One of our family traditions that has gotten a lot of play over the years and continues to be a source of spontaneous fun for us is a game called Shut-the-Box. We keep it on the kitchen table so it’s easy to reach for anytime two or more of us are sitting down together. We’ve been playing this game since the girls were small, they’re teenagers now and it still has not lost its appeal.

According to the game, Shut-the-Box is a traditional English pub game of dice and numbers. The object is to roll the dice and lay down all the numbered tiles and “shut the box,” or be the player with the lowest score. Some say the game originated in 12^th century France where it was popular with Norman sailors and fishermen as a gambling vice. Despite its salty past, it’s a great game for all ages. Yes, it teaches number sense, probability and strategy to youngsters, but more importantly it’s quick and engaging for all -- just the thing to regroup, even if all you have is five minutes with your kiddo before she’s off to the next thing.

Simple Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread is a holiday staple. Years ago, we used to make houses, an endeavor requiring mathematical calculations, vats of thick frosting and considerable structural engineering skills; challenging and rewarding, but not simple (for us anyway). Gingerbread houses gradually mutated to gingerbread men and women cut out one-by-one and wonkily decorated with blobs of icing with red hot eyeballs. Charming to be sure, but messy and time consuming; who needs that this time of year? As the demand for holiday gingerbread has not ceased in this household, my husband suggested we simply roll the dough into logs, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate like we do with butter cookies. When ready (the dough & us), slice the dough into discs and bake. Once out of the oven and cooled decorate to resemble snowflakes. Here’s how they turned out – we kept the rewarding and charming, omitted the challenging and time consuming.

And here’s the recipe. It’s from Rose’s Christmas Cookies, by Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of The Cake Bible)

Gingerbread People (Snowflakes)

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup unsulfured molasses

1 large egg

-In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and spices, them whisk together to mix evenly.

-In a food processor with a metal blade, process brown sugar until fine. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the molasses and egg and process until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until the dough begins to clump together.

-Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a ball. Divide dough into quarters and roll each into a log shape. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

-Preheat oven to 350. Slice dough into discs and bake 8-10 minutes. Decorate with royal icing.

No More Meat

I should probably qualify that. No more meat for 60 days from the grocery store. Hunting season is over for us and this year we have two bucks and a cow (elk) in the freezers thanks to my two daughters and my hubby. This may sound like a lot, but we share it with my husband’s parents and my BIL and his wife. We still have a little meat  from last year, so combined with that we’ve got plenty of burger, roasts, tenderloin and stew meat. My husband asked me if it would be possible to not buy meat for two months and use just what we have in the freezer. In addition to game, we’ve got chicken, sausages and pork chops and pork loin roasts, yellow fin tuna and a turkey. Yes, I think we can manage that and then some! In fact, I think it’s a great way to clear out the freezer a bit and try some new game recipes. This, being winter, is the perfect season to try this experiment. I never make roasts and stews when the mercury climbs, but this time of the year the smell of a roast, rich with carrots and onions is as comforting to the senses as a crackling fire after a day on the slopes.  Since we eat a fair amount of game anyway, I don’t think our grocery costs will go down significantly, but I expect them to decrease a bit; the challenge will be to keep the meals varied and interesting.  I’ll be cruising the web for good game recipes. If you have any to share, please let me know.

Attend a Holiday Concert

We recently attended this year’s annual Christmas concert featuring the Mountain Madrigals, a holidays-only choir that sings songs of the season to packed audiences on weekends leading up to Christmas. We didn’t make it last year and I regretted it, so I made sure we got to the first performance before the momentum of December whisked away our chance. Their opening song was Silent Night, my favorite, and long before the final note was sung, I was crying like a baby. What is it about live performances that cuts to the emotional core? My husband even got “choked up” as he put it and I spotted the elderly woman in the pew behind me dabbing her eyes after the Gloria finale. I’m not going to over analyze this phenomenon, I just feel blessed that I was able to attend and be present as 22 voices sang songs, modern and ancient, celebrating the love and hope that Christmas represents.

Concerts like this one happen in every big city and small town during the holidays; usually they are free, like this one, make a donation if you are moved to do so, but attend one if you can. The joy of the holiday season can dissolve in endless to-do lists and rampant commercialism; a hometown concert is a great antidote and a way to tap the spirit of the season.

Simple Pleasure: Making Time to Read

One of my goals over the past few months has been to carve out more time to read books. I read blogs, the newspaper, Ravelry posts, magazines, but I noticed I didn’t have a lot of recently read books to my credit. I love reading. Growing up I always had my nose in a book; I loved the library. Bookish and bookworm were words that once described me. When we bought this house eleven years ago, I had bookshelves built in my hallway which is a nothing space that now houses a miniature library of fiction, suspense, history, travel, how-to, children’s and young adult books. So what happened? Honestly, I don’t know. Apparently I got busy with other things. Sure, I read a few books a year, but not enough to warrant calling myself “a reader.”

A few months ago, after a long hiatus, I found my way to the local library where I rediscovered a lost world. The book I checked out planted me in Sarah Addison Allen’s charming and slightly magical world, which in turn led me to Alice Hoffman, Audrey Niffenegger and Erin Morgenstern. A string of other books followed; I just finished Still Alice, by Lisa Genova, told from the point of view of a brilliant Harvard professor suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease. I’m still thinking about that one. I have a whole new insight into that wretched disease, but isn’t that the point of reading – to broaden understanding; to glimpse other points of view. I’d forgotten how wonderful it is to read books. I’ve been making time to read everyday and it doesn’t hurt that I’m on a deadline – three weeks and those books have to go back to the library. I have many goals for the upcoming year, but I think making time to read tops the list. I’m currently reading Juliet, by Anne Fortier and next up after that will be The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. Ooh, I’m so excited! Have you rediscovered something you love to do but for some reason quit?

BTW – I’ve found it handy to keep track of my reading – books read and books to read at www.goodreads.com, as well as troll for new reading material.

Why Black Is Not Simple

My quest for a simpler life includes simplifying my wardrobe, purchasing only quality clothing items I love in a color palette that transcends trends. A lot of what I’ve read in the blogosphere, in books and magazines has suggested black be the color that grounds a simple, stylish wardrobe, and I can see the logic there. In the photos of stylish women in New York, Paris and other urban hubs there’s no denying the sleek women in head-to-toe black with a dash of color in a handbag or scarf do look oh-so-chic. I’ve tried this look, and well, it simply doesn’t work for me. I’ve often wondered why this is. This is what I’ve come up with:

1. Black is moody. I live in Colorado, a state that boasts 360 days of sunshine. Black looks better against moody, rainy backdrops like Paris, San Francisco or that town in Oregon where all the vampires live. Exposed to the unfiltered atmosphere at 6,000 feet above sea level, black looks grumpy and in need of a nap.
2. Black likes the City. I don’t live in the City, I live in the mountains; a place where people come to get away from the City (perhaps they come here to get out of their black clothes and experience something more colorful). Head-to toe black, to me, looks like a lost tourist.
3. Black likes to party. Me? Not so much. I love a good wine-tasting party and a concert, but I’m glad my clubbing days are a faded memory. These days, my nightlife includes dinner or drinks with friends, the infrequent work-related function, a few low-key holiday get-togethers, events with extended family, going to the movies – all of which are cheerful occasions calling for attire to match.  
4. Black likes winter. I once bought I linen dress in black, thinking I’d wear the heck out of it all summer long. It hung in my closet, hardly worn, until I consigned the thing. I haven’t bought a black summer dress since. But here in Colorado, with all the snow reflecting all the sunshine, it’s still too bright to wear black on most days, even in winter.
5. Black likes to be alone. It’s no secret that black says back off. There are times when I want to send that message loud and clear, but honestly most of the time, I don’t. Like I said, I live in a small town. I know when I go for a walk, shopping for groceries or to a school function, I will see many familiar faces. Whether I’m wearing black or not, people will stop and chat, so why send mixed messages – “Hi, now get lost.”

Of course if you like black, wear it. It might be simple and chic for you. It is for many, but it’s not for me. The point is to find what works for you, your life, your aesthetic. I still wear black. I have black cardis, pants, skirts, shoes, a coat, handbag and hat, none of which I’m planning on consigning any time soon.  But these days black takes a backseat to other colors, especially the autumnal colors I adore and the jeans that ground my everyday look. Sounds simple, it’s not. One of my most favorite style blogs is The Vivienne Files. She explains with examples and great detail how to take a color palette you love and make it your own.  Black works, but so do a spectrum of other colors.