Lucy Lou
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’12
It’s easy to be discouraged. Especially in this day and age, when I feel as though comparisons exist on every level for every aspect of life. Especially today, when a tragedy like Sandy Hook hangs in the air, asking all of us to question … well, everything.
It is easy to be discouraged. It is much, much harder to stay encouraged.
This year has been a tough year for me. Tougher than most, and it definitely tested my character, and who I felt I was as a human. Which is hilarious, because I was so convinced that 2012 would be my year. God has a sense of humor, I suppose.
This December, however, has been a bright spot, and I am grateful for all that I have enjoyed. At the beginning of the month, the man and I headed up to his hometown, and while he and his dad headed out to hunt (not my thing, but it’s part of his family tradition) his mom and I journeyed to “Dickens of a Christmas” in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Wellsboro is a cute little town still sporting gas street lamps, and dozens upon dozens of vendors lined the main street, everyone dressed in period costumes, and selling their wares. It was a really good time (I even had funnel cake!) and I was two pairs of recycled sweater mittens richer when we left.
This Santa was fantastic. Seriously. My picture does his suit’s details no justice at all.
And a choir!
December is one of those months where every weekend feels booked up, and ours are no exception. After another week of work (bleh), we headed down to DC for a birthday party ~ the man’s oldest friend from high school”s (well, birth if we’re getting specific) son turned three, and we made the trek to celebrate. Then back to my parents house, to pick up Lucy, and spend some time with the fam.
On Sunday, after a delicious breakfast, we headed home to unwind and relax. Unfortunately, (please read with sarcasm) the Steelers trouncing by the Chargers was not televised but we were able to watch the Giants domination of the Saints. Since the weather had been iffy all day, we decided to take a drive and enjoy some Christmas lights (alright, the truth is, the man thought the lights would look cool in the fog). We discovered a legitimate Candy Cane Lane right near our house, but the true highlight were the mansions on the man’s drive to work, which were decked to the nines. And then, as Bing Crosby crooned “White Christmas” to us (my favorite Christmas voice, and movie) John very sweetly asked me to marry him.
I, of course, said yes. 
We were able to celebrate all week, as my birthday fell on Wednesday (which I spent in NYC and got to see my bro!), and we threw our Second Annual Holiday Party (successful!) the following Saturday. It has been a very exciting, happy week, despite the horrific and incomprehensible tragedy of Sandy Hook.
I even made my very first roast chicken! I used a Martha Stewart recipe (which I normally would eschew for various, valid reasons) and it was amazing. In case you are feeling up for a hearty, cold weather meal, check this out:
What you need: 
1 whole chicken
4 lemons
S & P
Red bliss potatoes
rosemary
Cherry tomatoes
Thyme
EVOO
Crumbled feta (although Martha used blue)
Baby spinach
Mustard
1 shallot
What to do:
Okay, so here’s the deal. About a year and a half ago, I caught this episode of Martha Stewart, and she was interviewing a woman from Glamor magazine. They were discussing a new list of recipes being published “100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know.” I wrote down some sketchy instructions of what to do, and then never got around to making it for – as previously stated – a year and a half. I’m going to share what I did, and I have to say, it turned out pretty well.
First, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.
Then, I emptied out the chicken, rinsed it off, and patted it dry. I stuffed the interior with two full lemons (which I rolled on the counter to soften up), and using the remaining lemon, covered the exterior with lemon juice and a generous coating of salt & pepper.
Next up, I dropped the oven temp to 350, and put the bird in upside down for 15 minutes. During that time, I lined two cookie sheets with tin foil, and cut up the baby red bliss potatoes and the cherry (or grape ~ I’m not particular) tomatoes and spread them (separately) on each sheet.
After the chicken had cooked for 15 minutes, I flipped it, and cooked it another 1 hour and 45 minutes (despite Martha saying it would be 1 hr 15 mins max … oh well!).
After I flipped the chicken, I returned my concentration to the rest of the meal. I seasoned both potatoes and tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper but used rosemary on the potatoes and thyme on the tomatoes. I popped the potatoes into the oven when I thought that I had about 45 minutes left on the chicken (I wanted to make sure the potatoes were cooked, and the edges crispy.
Then I prepared the salad ~ which was pretty easy. I crumbled up some feta, and tossed it with the baby spinach (and mixed greens ~ the man likes variety). The tomatoes I added last (after the potatoes finished cooking, I put them in the oven for about 10-15 mins). And while I was figuring out timing on everything, I made a little mustard vinaigrette ~ whisking together 1 tbsp mustard, 1/3 cup olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon and a finely diced shallot.
When the thermometer finally popped in the chicken, the man and I pulled it out and allowed it to rest for ten (ish) minutes ~ probably longer. It helps maintain the moisture.
And we served our potatoes with a small side of sour cream (because that’s how we like it!).
All in all, it was a pretty impressive meal (to me at least!) of roast chicken, roasted rosemary potatoes, and a roasted thyme tomato salad with a mustard vinaigrette. The funniest part of it all? The recipe for the chicken was called “Engagement Chicken” and I made mine the Friday before the man proposed. Pretty hilarious (and, upon hearing this, he told me to stop using voodoo on him!).
I redeemed myself with dessert ~ really simple, and I promise, it will be a hit.
Apple Crescents (or, Individual Apple Pie Bites)
What you need:
1 pkg Crescent Rolls
1 apple, cut into thin slices and tossed in lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Clove
What to do:
1. I made a mixture of the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves.
2. I spread 1 tbsp of the mixture in each of the opened crescent rolls, topped with an apple slice and rolled up.
3. I cooked the rolls according to the package directions. (PS. Be prepared for clean up ~ cooked sugar is not anyone’s friend in that regard).
I guess you could top each with a little dollop of Cool Whip, or add some ice cream. We enjoyed them plain, and they were delish.
And now, I must get to bed. My eyelids are heavy, and it’s not even halfway through the week. If I don’t get back to this space before 2013, the man, Lucy Lou and I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, & lots of love and good wishes for the new year. Oh, and of course, happy experimenting in the kitchen. 🙂
roots
Gratitude Journal
November 3rd ~ I am grateful for family.
On Saturday, the man and I headed back down to Bethesda to the National Institute of Health to visit his dad after surgery. We were lucky that my parents were able to watch Lucy Lou (she’s very ‘in demand’!) and John’s aunts were at the hospital as well, having made the drive from upstate PA that morning.
Family is ~ well, it’s a mixed bag, if we’re being honest with each other. But when the going gets tough, it’s family who step up, family who are there when life feels really hard, family who holds you up when you are down. I am grateful that both the man and I have been blessed with family who care.
November 4th ~ I am grateful for football.
All Dressed up for the Game
Possibly superficial. However, football has been an integral part of my life forever. Not only that, but it has been a comfort and buoy in tough times, something to believe in and identify with ~ a passion. During some really low moments, the Steelers were there every Sunday and for the few hours they played, all my baggage and angst got put on a shelf, and my emotions were wrapped up in the game. And Penn State ~ well, Penn State football is engrained in my very being. ‘Nuff said.
November 5th ~ I am grateful for Lucy.
It’s been nearly 10 months since Miss Lucy came home with the man and I. Our lives have forever changed. This weekend, my parents very generously offered to watch her while we did hospital visits on Saturday and drove up to East Rutherford NJ for the Giants/Steelers game on Sunday (it pained them to think of her being alone for so long ~ instead, she was cuddled, coddled and just spoiled in every possible way). The man and I woke up two mornings without our little lady, and even though I didn’t think it would affect me so much, I missed her waking us up, I missed her toes clickety clacking on the kitchen floor ~ I missed her good morning kisses. The house felt lonely and empty without her.
I am so glad we made the decision to expand our family ~ but more importantly, I’m so glad she chose us, just as much as we found her. We all fit perfectly together. I feel blessed to have her (despite the fact that she drops some major stink bombs sometimes!).
And now, returning to our regularly scheduled programming ….
After our busy weekend, and even though we gained an hour, Monday felt looooong today and I wracked my brain trying to come up with something yum to have for dinner. I had a partially formed idea in my mind to re-dedicate myself to cooking this month. And not ‘fun’ cooking ~ as in, events or dinner parties. Regular, every day cooking. The ‘routine’ kind.
A few weeks ago, we made loaded baked potatoes for WeHangsDay and that felt like delicious and fairly easy plan for a Monday kind of Monday.
They were pretty delish.
I sliced some sweet Italian sausage, sautéed some mushrooms & baked broccoli while the man seasoned and cooked the taters. We added dairy (who wouldn’t?!?) with some grated cheddar (for him) parmesan (for me) and sour cream (is it a loaded potato without sour cream? I think not!). And we settled in for our first weeknight of Daylight Savings with a hot dinner, a snuggly puppy and some DVR recordings. A pretty nice Monday, if I do say so myself.
oh sandy
The shelves at the grocery store last night ~ I stopped in for a couple things, and didn’t realize how serious the storm was. Yowza.
Today, the man and I are both working from home, which has been nice ~if you can use ‘nice’ during a category 1 hurricane. Lucy was very excited at first, but halfway through the morning, she realized that we were both more interested in our computers, and she retreated to her bed to sulk.
I cannot imagine how my mother must have felt when I pulled stuff like that. As a doggy mummy, I felt wretched. Finally I set up on the couch, so she could snuggle up beside me.
We just heard that one of the tall ships ~ the Bounty, off the coast of North Carolina ~ has gone down. The crew was evacuated due to Sandy, and 14 are safe, while 2 are missing. The more we addictively we watch the weather channel, the more worrying it becomes. I’m dreading when the power finally goes out ~ it’s been predicted to be out for long periods of time. Which makes me very anxious.
Luckily, so far all the immediate family members are okay, which makes me feel better.
On a lighter note, we had a great tailgate at PSU this weekend, despite the very disappointing loss to Ohio State. My little bro has a Halloween addiction, so he had pumpkins and was dressed in an amazing costume ~ we also had candy and Halloween cupcake cookies (seriously ~ ah.may.zing) plus incredible pulled pork, butcher sausages and multiple other munchies.
We had additional seats for this game, so the man and I got to watch from the west side of the stadium (a rarity for me ~ we’ve been in EF/ EFU my whole life!).
My daddy, me and Richie Tenenbaum, er, my little brother.
The man and I at half time. It was a White Out, and we were a little tired (we certainly look it!). We managed to rally for the second half (it didn’t help PSU) and we were there to sing the Alma Mater post-game. Bill O’Brien is a cool, classy coach.
My brother’s pumpkins … sadly, we had to leave them behind. But they were pretty cool. And he carved them all free-hand, which was uber impressive. He’s a talented guy, my little bro.
dinner date downtown
Every once in a while, the man and I enjoy dinner on the town. This past weekend, after the executive decision was made that I would have to run a half marathon another day (Side note: I feel a little like a 90-year-old because I’ve been having issues with my hip … it hurts!) we decided to have a date night.
We took Lucy Lou for a nice hike at Valley Green (she loves running off the leash and Valley Green has a doggy paradise) in the morning and then headed downtown to meander. I had to stop in at work and afterwards, we just enjoyed the city on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
And then we hit up an amazing restaurant for dinner. We went early (further cementing my 90-year-old status) but on the plus side, we got great service at a busy restaurant on a Saturday night, and we got home before Lucy decided to disown us as terrible doggy parents.
We arrived shortly after the restaurant opened, and while perusing the wine list, discovered our favorite local vineyard (previously only featured at one restaurant -now closed- in Chicago, Charlie Trotters). Then we made the executive decision to do the Chef’s Tasting Menu.
Delish.
I won’t go into detail about each course ( two amuse-bouche, four full courses, a cheese course, dessert and a final bite) ~ but it was an incredible and worthwhile experience.
I will say that I loved the autumn spaetzel and New York Game Hen (the fourth course), the ridic Fois Gras Tart and Cranberry Compote (first full course) and the Sweet Pignoli Cookies with lemon curd perhaps a little more than the rest. But what an experience. Our server was equal parts friendly conversationalist and informed foodie (side note: I actually hate that word but use it here with much respect for her knowledge and enthusiasm). We received a complimentary glass of bubbles for our Tasting Menu order as well as granola to bring home and had an incredible dinner. I could wax poetic about it for paragraphs but I feel as though that would be extremely excessive.
Something else that was impressive to me ~ the cheese course, which consisted of three Pennsylvania cheeses, one New York and one Virginia. Pretty locally awesome. Loved it.
A detail that also made my heart swell? The quote at the bottom of the menu ~ by George Eliot (considered one of the most prominent writers of the Victorian Era).
just another day in the life
We debuted our new grill tonight for some grass-fed beef, and I have to tell you … delicious.
The grill was pretty groovy, too. We decided to take a risk and purchase an infrared grill, and we’re pretty happy with our decision. Incredible, even heat, easy set up and clean up. And … it’s portable. Wha?!? Super cool.
For dinner, we seasoned the beef with a garlic pepper rub (a favor from the wedding we attended in Boston in June) and made veggie cakes and mashed cauliflower (repeater, remember? :)). Very satisfying after a long day that included, but was not limited to, Lucy and my four mile run (at an 8.42 min mile pace, according to Nike + … yeehaw!) a long and always surprising day at work, hot yoga and some errands. By the time we sat down, whew! I was ready!
Also, we’ve been able to leave the A/C off for the last few days and not melt away, which is blissful. Real air. Mmmmm. (I get really nervous leaving Lucy alone if it seems there might be even the slightest possibility that she could get overheated, so our A/C has gotten a workout this year in ways it hasn’t in the past).
Tonight is MasterChef night, so I’m going to leave this short and sweet, a little snapshot of our day. It’s down to the final five, and I love watching the dish creations and mystery box challenges. With that, I bid you adieu until the morrow.
my camelot
It is an infinitely comforting thing, to be curled up in a sweatshirt and snuggly blanket on a cool evening. It was surprisingly chilly today, and the rain didn’t help matters. At one point, when I looked up from work, it was nearly dark outside, with rain streaming down. Eeyore day, indeed.
Sometimes, when all the stars align ~ or, in a better description, a perfect storm occurs ~ everything comes into crystal clear perspective for one breath-taking moment. For me, it brings to mind the idea that King Arthur sings about in Lerner & Lowe’s “Camelot,” ~ … for one brief, shining moment … In that moment, you feel fully content. There aren’t nagging feelings of inadequacy, of being judged, of not fulfilling your potential, of being dissatisfied.
Today, when I got home from work, and the man and Lucy Lou came out to greet me in the drizzle, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. My puppy’s soft nose nuzzled me, and the man kissed me hello and then pulled my bags from the car. And even though life isn’t perfect, and every day will present a new difficulty, challenge or ‘character-building’ experience, having a family to come home to and share the simplest acts of life is an amazing thing.
thundershowers
It has been quite a weekend with many things to celebrate. The man and I squeezed out every minute of celebration for our four years beginning Saturday with excellent wine and cheese at our favorite vineyard, Va La, and winding up with a leisurely lunch today at the Four Dogs (another of our favorites). At both locations, guess who got the most attention?
Yup. Lucy Lou.
We celebrated Mother’s Day today as well, since my brother and his lady love were in town. And we also toasted to Father’s Day, as we all won’t be together then, either. And this morning, we sat and watched the flotilla procession on the Thames celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee (her sixtieth year as the monarch of Great Britain). Some fun facts … Queen Elizabeth II does not have a passport. She is also the only person in Great Britain allowed to drive without a license. Additionally, she is the second longest reigning monarch in British history, following only Queen Victoria, who ruled for 63 years. (Sidenote: Some of the best, and longest reigning monarchs have been women. It makes me proud and awed). The celebration was inspiring, despite being very soggy, as it all occurred during a deluge of rain. It culminated (after the fly-by was cancelled due to weather) with choir singers atop a barge, completely drenched, singing a beautiful rendition of “God Save the Queen,” in conjunction with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. I’m glad I got to watch it with my Mama & Aunt.
To rewind a little … On Saturday night, we noshed on shrimp and curry sauce while enjoying ‘The Hatfields & the McCoys’ marathon. What a genius miniseries ~ I will admit my eyelids got very heavy as the third installment began and I slept through most of it. But my internal clock pretty much shuts me down between 10.30p and 11pm, so it was to be expected. I wanted to finish it tonight, but instead, we chose to watch the season finale of “Game of Thrones.” Then to bed ~ this week is busy, and we are off to Boston next weekend for a wedding. Must get good rest. 🙂
Lucy’s First Camping Trip
I’m blogging from my phone today with very iffy service,so I will be short & sweet. We have been planning this camping weekend for quite some time – it is Lucy’s first (and only my second, so the man is dealing with uber novices).
We recently bought a new tent which we managed to set up in the dark so we could sleep last night (huge triumph). We realized this morning, however, that while our trial run last weekend of setting up the tent was very helpful, we’d managed to forget some crucial elements (an example ~ both sleeping bags!) We have managed to remedy most of the boo-boos, and the man is off getting more firewood as I tend the fire.
I would love to add pics but I can’t seem to upload them from my phone, so I promise to add at a later date. I hope you are enjoying Memorial Day Weekend as much as we are!
dinner date
Lucy was so great today that the man and I were able to rekindle an old tradition ~ cooking dinner together.
Yesterday, our neighbor gave us two fresh trout for dinner, but because I was exhausted, hurting and completely unmotivated to do anything, we didn’t end up eating it.
But fresh trout is sort of amazing, so we had a lot of fun ideas to try tonight.
The man is excellent at being creative in the kitchen. Our final plan? Citrus stuffed trout with potato pancakes.
And that is almost what we had!
First, we grated some potatoes and mixed them with grated cheese, bread crumbs, hickory smoked salt and parmesan cheese.
Next, I pressed some garlic cloves, and grated the rind of an orange. I mixed the garlic and the orange rind with some oatmeal (we were out of breadcrumbs!) and stuffed the fish, adding two thin slices of orange to the inside, plus layering orange on the outside.
We cooked the potatoes around 400 degrees on cookie sheets, checking them every so often, and flipping them ~ we discovered that they weren’t really sticking together like potato-cakes, so we just tried to make really yummy potato hash.
When the potatoes looked nearly done, we pulled them and bumped the heat to 425 for the fish. We cooked the fish for a little under ten minutes, while prepping the dishes.
I have to say, the potatoes tasted amazing!
When the fish felt nearly done, we put the broiler on, and slid the fish on the top shelf to “crispen” up the skin.
In the end, I would say we were 80% happy with the results. We felt as though we could have seasoned things more (we used some S & P on the potatoes and on the fish, but not nearly enough in the stuffing).
However, it was our first foray into baking fresh trout (I have previously only sautéed in butter), and when a bite came together … the orange, the garlic, the potato … it was a really good bite.
And it was a really good Monday night. I hope Lucy continues to have great days, because cooking with the man again ~ so very nice.
D5 Creation