Happy New Year to All!

Another year comes to a close, and we reflect on the days that have come and gone.  Did we use them well?  Did we make the most of every precious moment, or were we overwhelmed by how harried our daily lives have become?

We look to the future, wondering what each new day will bring.  It is a time for hope and renewal.  A time, not for resolutions which often fail, but to firm up our resolve to deal with and manage our own circumstances, whatever they may be.  Once again we have the opportunity to start over and cull out the old and withered and usher in the new and fresh. 

Here's to a great new beginning - to old friends and new faces - to 2010.  Happy New Year!

Quote of the Week

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.  

- Benjamin Franklin

Good words to live by not just for the new year, but all year through.

Quote of the Week

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year to All!
 

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! 

- Author Unknown

Winter Weather, Winter Food

Hi.  Just more ramblings today.  I thought I would start with the local weather report.  We have the first Winter Storm Watch of the season for tomorrow and Saturday.  There is apparently a big blow coming up from the Gulf.  The moisture will come up and collide with the cold air here, and poof...Snow!  Like many of these forecasts, things change and we end up not getting anything, so as usual I'll believe it when I see it.

I'll be staying on top of the forecast and following the progress on the radar.  Now I really don't care for cold weather and the bitter windy days of winter.  However, I have always liked snow, especially long walks like I used to take with my Mom.  We had such fun walking in the woods with the snow clinging to the pine trees.  One time we even took my sled and went sledding down the path made by trail bikes.  It was hazardous to say the least, but thankfully we never crashed.  Alas, those days are gone, and so are those woods.  They are now a housing development with no sign of their former beauty.

Speaking of cold, snowy weather, it is time to break out the soup pots.  Playing in or shoveling snow builds up a big appetite, and soups and stews are a warming, filling antidote for the chilly-willies.  This is where the crockpot comes in handy.  Just toss in a chuck roast, some onions and carrots, flip the switch and you've got a hot satisfying dinner in the making.  What I did the other day was take some of the broth from the roast and made a gravy.  I whipped up some mashed potatoes and it was pure deliciousness on a plate.  A hearty, healthy, homemade dinner can be quick and easy when you let the slow cooker do the work for you.  Dig in, everyone.

It's Almost Christmas Again

It's amazing how fast time goes by, and once again Christmas is just around the corner.  Yep, just 9 days away.  Is your tree sparkling from top to bottom with a zillion lights, and ornaments of silver and gold, red and green, and all the trimmings?  Do you have all your shopping done?  Presents all around the tree?  I finally started wrapping/bagging yesterday.

My list is short these days, and on-line shopping makes is so much easier.  No driving all over town, waiting in long lines of traffic and longer lines in the stores.  Just click here, click there and you're done.  Simple.  So far, I've had 3 orders from Amazon, one from Penzeys, cashed in green points for a gift card, and ordered ink for my printer to print more money-saving coupons.  The more you save, the more you can give.

I still have a few gifts to get for the "hard to shop for" folks.  My guess is gift cards for them.  I know that sounds like a cop-out, but personally I never mind getting gift cards.  Being the frugal shopper that I am, I make the most of them.  

So, my thoughts in a nutshell...Shop on-line, use coupon codes and seek out free shipping deals.  When you do have to go to the stores, the same principles apply.  Use coupons, especially combined with sales to get the best deals.

Quote of the Week

The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything.

-  Denis Waitley

We almost didn't have a quote this week.  I hadn't found the right one until now.  This one fits the everyday life of all of us.  It is apparent in many daily acts, at work, with family, even cooking.  I use a variation of this when one of my culinary experiments doesn't live up to my expectations.

Why I Don't Like Shopping at the Mall

Are you a mall shopper?  Do you favor the specialty shops or the high-end department stores?  What trips your trigger about mall shopping?  Is it having all those stores under one roof even though you have to walk at least two miles to see them all?  Not me.  During my teenage years, and through much of my working life, I would shop the mall regularly.  It was a mecca of activity during the holidays, and the huge poinsettia tree was a thing of beauty.  Ah, those were the good 'ol days. 

Now it's a horse of a different color.  You can't walk from point A to point B without being accosted by someone selling something, offering to "lotion" or "perfume" you or wanting to see your nails.  They approach you from their kiosk, "Hey lady, can I ask you a question?"  "NO", keeps walking.  Reminds me of Tiajuana.  Really, I just want to get what I came after and leave as quickly and peacefully as possible.  I don't like being rude, but gee people give it a rest.  If we want to see what you're selling, we'll stop and ask.  Otherwise, just leave us alone! 

After 33 years, I would expect things to have changed.  In some cases not all changes are for the better. 

There are some good sales and deals to be had, though, if you can bear the harassement, the parking, the  traffic and the crowded stores especially around Christmas.  I try to limit it to one visit over the holiday, and that was today, probably the coldest day of the year thus far.  What a joy.  I treated myself to lunch at McD when I was done.

Target "Manufacturer" Coupons...Not Really

Target has issued "manufacturer" coupons with their logo on them, so which are they?  Coupons issued by the manufacturer to be used anywhere or store coupons useable only at Target?  Didn't they used to say "Target" at the top and not "manufacturer", and you could use them with  manufacturer coupons on the same item.  I printed some the other day and one said Target Web Coupon (which I understand to be used only at Target) and the other two said "manufacturer" which I assumed I could use anywhere. 

I used the one for Purina Cat Chow at PetSmart, and the cashier didn't even blink.  Today I tried to use the $5 off 4 Kellogg's cereal at Wal-Mart, and argued up and down with two cashiers that it was a manufacturer's coupon and not Target-specific even though it had the Target logo on it.  That was all they could see, and said they were told not to take coupons with other store names or logos.  They wouldn't even scan it to see if it would work.  I gave up and told her if I wasn't able to use the coupon, I wasn't buying the cereal.

The point is that a store-specific coupon should not say "manufacturer" on it if you can only use it at that store, and that a true manufacturer coupon should be valid any place that accepts coupons.

Anyone care to share their experiences?

Quote of the Week

I'm a little late getting this one out today.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.  

- Martin Luther King Jr.

This one goes out to our best friends.  This is how they live their lives, and through them I have seen how faith works.

Yogurt...Good and Good For You?

OK, today we're going on a little trip, a health trip that is.  Are you a fan of yogurt?  The regular stuff that has been around for years or the new, supposedly more healthy versions such as Activia or Dan Active yogurt drink?  I don't always jump on any new bandwagon that happens along, but lately, I thought what the heck, let's give it a try, since we eat yogurt anyway.   So now what to choose?

Activia is supposed to be good for your digestive health.  They even have a money-back guarantee of up to about $12, if it doesn't work for you.  Yoplait has their own version called Yo-Plus, and they are offering free Yo-plus for switching from Activia (receipt, completed form and UPC required).  Activia comes in a variety of flavors, a light version and a drinkable yogurt.

Dan Active claims to help support your immune system.  This product is a drinkable yogurt that comes in a variety of flavors (some in light).  Do any of these do all that they claim?  Check out their websites, do your research and come to your own conclusions.

I read about both products, and regularly purchase both.  Will it make a difference in our overall health, I don't know, but I figure they won't do any harm, and I still get calcium and the good bacteria that we've know for years are good for us.  These fancy new products are more expensive, but with sales and coupons you can still get a reasonably good deal.  Also, Costco has Activia and Dan Active in bulk packaging.  There is yet another way to score a deal on all things Dannon.  They have a program called Dannonomics where you buy products, mail in receipts and completed form and receive dollars off coupons.  The coupons you get are based on the quantity and variety of items purchased.  The program continues through December 31, 2009, so save your receipts, download the form and get up to $15 in coupons.

Garlic Green Beans (a first for me)

Piling on to my previous post, I thought I'd elaborate about one of my side dishes, the garlic green beans.  I wanted something green to balance out turkey, stuffing and mac & cheese.  I had thought about bacon-wrapped asparagus, but the asparagus was all huge and dried out looking.  Yuck!  The Brussels sprouts and loose green beans were in much the same condition.  Zucchini was out since we had that all summer.  I was at a loss until I found a bag of green beans, already trimmed and ready to go.  Well almost ready.  You always have to look over your produce - even the bagged stuff.

Now, I'd had garlic green beans in a restaurant that I thought were good, so I pondered how one would make those.  I came up with cooking them until almost done then sauteing them with garlic.  I googled up some recipes and found one from Morton's Steakhouse in Atlanta that sounded like what I was after.  I minced 2 cloves of garlic and about half a shallot, and sauteed them in a mix of butter and olive oil.  When the garlic and shallots were softened and beginning to brown, I added the beans and tossed until the were done to my liking - tender but not mushy.  I'm not one for the crisp-tender vegetables.  I'm from the South ya know [grin] .  Anyway, the beans were a hit.  So pretty on the plate, and they held their green color very well.  

Here's the official recipe.

Next Up...Christmas!

Thanksgiving has now come and gone, and we are stuffed like the turkey himself.  We had two Thanksgivings and an "eat out" meal right in the middle of it all.  Not to mention the post-Thanksgiving pizza I made.  

Thanksgiving meal #1 was the traditional turkey with all the trimmings:  mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, curried onions (I think I referenced those in an earlier post), cranberry sauce, bread, and pumpkin pie.  That was all washed down with Deinhard Green Label Riesling.  Pretty tasty stuff, not as sweet as most German Rieslings, and without that dreadful petrol aroma/taste.  

Our second dinner was last night with friends.  They brought a turkey, and I did the sides and dessert:  Mac & cheese, stuffing, garlic green beans and pecan pie served with a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.  It was an all-around success, and a wonderful time as usual when we get together.  They also brought cranberry sauce and eggnog.  Now I have never tried eggnog, and was a skeptical participant in this holiday ritual.  I decided it was OK and tasted somewhat like melted vanilla ice cream.  Why not.  It's made with the same ingredients.  I added a bit of Captain Morgan to mine after I had sampled it straight up.  Either is fine, but the rum does give it an added something-something.

Now, Christmas is just 3 weeks away, and we get to turn around and do it all over again.  The cooking, the eating, the visiting, and the groaning after we've done too much of the eating.

Quote of the Week

Nothing is waste that makes a happy memory.

I saw this on a billboard in Stark, Florida on September 29, 2006, on our way home from vacation.  I take trip notes as we travel so I can remember things such as this, and I was struck by the truth of this statement.  An example might be the time spent enjoying a beautiful sunset instead of thinking about cleaning up after dinner.  So think back on all those happy memories, and remember what you were doing (or not doing).

A Day of Mourning!

Do you get really attached to your cars, or are they just a means to get around?  I remember very clearly the day I got my car.  It was April 17, 1997.  I had been shopping for at least two years for just the right car.  I tried out a Dodge Stratus, a Chrysler Cirrus, a Mercury Mystique, and window shopped many others.  I ended up test driving an Oldsmobile Cutlass, and almost got one but I didn't like the color of the only one they had.  I told the sales lady it was a fine car, but it was silver and I don't like silver cars. She couldn't understand that I would reject it because of the color.  I looked around the lot again and found a Cutlass Supreme SL - in Medium Beige Metallic.  When I drove it, there was no question that this was the car for me.  Now the car I was driving at the time was a Cutlass Ciera GT that I bought used at 3 years old.  Absolutely the greatest car on the planet at the time, but it was getting older, and  even though there was nothing wrong at the time, I didn't want to wait until it was critical to find something else .  So now I was getting a new car, the first since 1979.  We keep our cars a long time in my family.  

Since I was so emotionally attached to my Ciera, I decided this new car would be different.  It would be "just a car", and when the 7-year warranty expired, I would replace it.  In reality, though, that was enough time to fall in love so to speak.  I now have the 2nd greatest car on the planet.

Back to the day I actually got the car.  I remember calling Daddy to give him the news, and ask if he wanted to be here when they delivered my new car.  Boy was he surprised!  He knew I'd been looking, but was caught off guard by this apparent sudden purchase.  Well, sudden isn't exactly the word to describe this process, but he wasn't expecting it "so soon".  Of course, he came over, with his checkbook.  I was Daddy's girl, and he always insisted on helping buy my cars.  When they delivered it to my house and they drove my old one away, I hid in the bathroom in tears.  Wimpy, I know, but I loved that car!  

Now I stand at the crossroads between another car I love and the challenge of finding one to take its place.  It is a day of mourning for me.  Last night my beloved car of 12 years gave up the ghost...pause while I blubber some more, and swear that it'll be different next time, and a car will be just a car. 


Edited to add a visual:

 

 

Quote of the Week

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That's why we call it the present.  

- Babatunde Olatunji

What does this mean?  It means we should live each day fully with thanks and appreciation.  In doing so we ensure that our history has no regrets because no one knows what tomorrow holds in store.

Cheers to You!

A while back, around Halloween maybe, I mentioned our Cheers group, a bunch of friendly, wine-loving folks who get together about once a month to share wine, food and friendship.  I promised to tell the story of how we all came together.  I think it was late in the year 2004, a small wine shop called Carolina Winesellers opened in Lewisville, NC and they specialized in North Carolina wines.  That wasn't all they sold, but it was their primary focus.  This came at a time when, although there were local wineries that had been around for some years, the bulk of the North Carolina wines were just arriving on the scene.  As with most wine regions, it takes a while to get started.  The vines need some maturity  before they produce grapes that make good wine.  We tasted a lot of local wines over the next two years, much of which we found utterly lacking when compared to more mature areas such as Napa, and Europe.  Now, we wanted to support our local wine industry, but  the price point was far above the quality of wine being produced at that time.  That, I am happy to say, is changing.  There are now a number of fine wines being produced around the area. 

Anyway, back to the wine shop.  On most Saturdays there would be a tasting at the wine shop.  The owners are great folks and have become friends,  We would go quite often on Saturday afternoons and hang out around the tasting bar meeting people and talking about wine or whatever else was on our minds.  Unlike most retail shops, occasionally they would host wine dinners, and/or have other entertainment such as live music or movie night.  I think one night they showed Sideways (we'd already seen that, and while we enjoyed it, we didn't feel compelled to see it again).

I guess I should really get to the point.  After about 2 1/2 years they determined that they really weren't "making it".  The shop was essentially breaking even or paying for itself, but not contributing to the family income.  Since they had two boys still in school and were looking at college, they decided to sell the business or close up shop if they found no buyer. They sold wine by the glass and people started gathering there on Friday evenings.  During their last month or so of operation, they decided to have potlucks each Friday night.  Folks would bring appetizers, and buy wine.  We would sit around and get to know each other over wine and food.  Food always brings people together, and add a little wine (or more) since you always got your money's worth at Carolina.

As the days counted down to the close of the shop, we were filled with sadness because we had all come to love the shop and had made friends there.  Memorial weekend in 2007 was the last days of business, and on Memorial Monday, we all got together at the shop for a farewell cookout with hotdogs, hamburgers and everything imaginable to go along side, plus all the wine you could drink (within reason and legal limits of course).  It was on this day that we decided we wanted to stay together as a group.  This was just too good to give up, so we passed around a paper to collect e-mail addresses, and thus our group was born.  I don't know exactly who to credit with giving us our name, but several people remarked that we were like that group on the TV series Cheers.  It stuck!  Our get togethers are referred to Friday Night Cheers, although many times now it's held on Saturdays which is more convenient for some of us.  

Tonight was one of those nights.  Everyone (or couple) brings a bottle of wine and something to eat, either savory or sweet.  It is like the box of chocolates right out of Forrest Gump, because you never know what you're going to get, or who you're going to see.  Not everyone can come every time, but we are die hards and are there pretty much whenever the call goes out.  Tonight there was a selection of dips and crackers, smoked turkey (from Honky Tonk Pig on Jonestown Road), ham, rolls, a broccoli & cheese cornbread, shrimp, chips and salsa, and pecan pie.  I took pecan pie mini muffins that I made from a recipe I found on southernplate.com.  These were a hit, and I brought home an empty plate - always a good sign.  Wine wise, our theme for tonight was Pinot Noir and Gewurtzaminer (is it possible I spelled that correctly?)  There were a lot of Pinots, but I think only one Gewurtz.  There was a tasty Albarino.  Not holding with the theme, but very good nonetheless.  There is no right or wrong at Cheers...it's all good! As always, a good time was had by all, and that is how we came to be.  
Edited to correct spelling - it was a late night!

Thanksgiving Day and the Twice-Baked Turkey

Thanksgiving is a day of feasting, family and friends, and being thankful for all that we have.  It is a day steeped in tradition drawn from years of living, loving and giving.  Although we gather but once a year to celebrate our humble beginnings, we should live every day of the year with an attitude of gratitude.

One of the most memorable, or at least interesting Thanksgivings I can remember was at least 30 years ago.  My aunt, uncle and great aunt came down from New Hampshire as they always did - nothing unusual there. What made it interesting is that this is the Thanksgiving when we cooked the turkey two or three times.  Yeah, not the greatest plan I know, but it was a big turkey, probably 20 lbs. or so.  I don't know why we needed a turkey that big for six people.  However, when we were ready to dive into the feast, all the sides were hot and ready, and everyone was salivating over the thought of a scrumptious plate piled high with stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the other goodies that make this day different from the other 364 days of the year, the star of the show, Tom Turkey wasn't.  Parts of his parts were still undercooked.  Now what did we do with everyone waiting...we ate, of course.

We sliced off what was cooked and safe to eat, and put the rest back into the oven to cook for the next round of feasting.  Now I don't suggest using this method of preparation but it all worked out, and no one got sick.  I think that the third cooking involved the walkers and flappers (legs, thighs and wings) as the dark meat takes longer to cook.  Did I mention that this was a really big bird?

I'd love to hear your about your Thanksgiving adventures or traditions.  Please feel free to share.

Wine Lover's Club Monthly Meeting

Do any of you drink wine?  Maybe you enjoy a glass with dinner or like to share a special bottle (or several) with friends.  If you do, then maybe you'd enjoy being part of the American Wine Society by way of a local group of like-minded, friendly, wine loving folks known as the Wine Lover's Club.  We started out as the Lewisville Wine Society with meetings held at the former Carolina Winesellers shop in Lewisville.  We were soon the largest chapter in NC with 40+ members, although our numbers have diminished somewhat in part due to economic times and personal circumstances.  We would love to have you join us for a meeting to see what we're all about, and how much fun we have (you are allowed 3 visits before becoming members).

Here is a little about what went on tonight.  Since it is the week before Thanksgiving, we had the traditional turkey, stuffing and several versions of cranberry salad (made with cranberries, apples and other goodies), which I thought of as dessert since it was sweet.  The official dessert was raspberry brownies.  We were served 4 pinot noirs from California, Oregon and New York.  The objective was to taste each wine with each type of food and determine which we thought paired well.  That is not my strong suit, so I pretty much just enjoyed the food, wine and camaraderie.  I don't know, maybe my palate is just not as fine-tuned as a lot of folks.  I will say that I enjoyed 3 out of 4 wines and thought they went well enough with the food with the exception of the brownie.  I just don't care for a dry red wine with chocolate in most cases. 

In light of the fact that we had hot, tasty food to enjoy, we held the meeting in reverse in that we had our food and wine before attending to business.

Meeting information:
We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at Sociale located at 380 Knollwood Street, Winston-Salem, NC at 7:00 p.m. [update:  this location information no longer valid]

Quote of the Week

I decided I wanted to blog because I thought I had something worth sharing. However, you are only sharing if people are reading. 

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. 

- Cyril Connolly

I suppose this sums up my writing up to this point.  An audience must be earned, so I'll continue to post whatever moves me at the moment and see where it leads me.

Saturday in the Park

Yesterday friends and family gathered at Tanglewood Park to celebrate a birthday.  The birthday boy was a whopping 6 years old.  It was a beautiful day considering it is the middle of November, and we were just out of a mini-monsoon season courtesy of Ida.  Birthday-boy's Dad made a wonderful devil's food cake with homemade praline & chocolate icings.  It was rich and wonderful and oh so filling.  It hit the spot and was sure to cure any sweet tooth for miles around.  He claims not to be a cook, but you know when he's in the kitchen there will be something delicious on the table.  BDB's Mom made him a round brownie color wheel cake.  BDB doesn't eat just anything...

We were the only ones not directly related to BDB.  Others there were his grandparents (Dad's side), his other grandfather, his aunt, uncle and two cousins, Mom, Dad and older brother. We watched him open his presents, and play with a radio-controlled car that belonged to his grandfather.  After everyone had had their fill of cake, soda and playtime, we packed up the stuff, and toddled off for a walk to look at the Christmas lights.  I'd never seen the lights at Tanglewood before.  After breaking off and going in separate directions, we all eventually met back up at the cars.  By that time it had gotten dark, and the lights were really pretty.  We made a slow drive out enjoying the scenery.  We decided to forego the pizza we had planned for dinner in favor of a quick dinner out at a Mexican restaurant in Clemmons.  We hadn't eaten at Cozumel in years, but we used to like it a lot. We split a 3-enchilada plate with extra rice and beans.

Not to worry that we were deprived, however we had the pizza tonight. Yum!