3...2...1...

Today is Thanksgiving, but aside from the fact that it was quiet in the office and I had turkey and assorted pot luck sides for lunch, it's just another Thursday.  Actually, that's not true.  It's VACATION Thursday.  As of 2:30 this afternoon, I'm on vacation for ten days.

Ten!  Days!

And of course, I won't be sitting on my butt a whole lot during that time.  I'm in the "final countdown" for the Space Coast Half Marathon this Sunday.  Two weeks ago, I did my final long training run, wrapping up at a distance of 10 miles.  Of course, the race is 3 (point one) miles longer, but I'm pretty confident that race day adrenaline will carry me that last 5K.

Though I haven't managed to beat my 12:49/mile PR, I also haven't tried.  I've been trying to be injury-free going into the next weeks.  It hasn't been an easy road though.  Last week I went to the doctor when pain in my left foot got so bad I started to worry that I might have a broken bone.  (I don't.  I put the insoles from my old shoes into my new shoes, and my feet are happier than they have ever been.)  And even though I haven't been pushing, it still feels like I'm improving.  On my 5-mile run last Saturday, each of my my miles took less than 15 minutes.  And on my 3-mile run yesterday, my overall pace was 13:41/mile.

That last milestone is especially significant because I've been eyeing a handful of future races that have a pacing requirement of 14 minutes/mile (hello, Hershey!) (does anyone else find it ironic that the race through the CHOCOLATE town isn't just a slow fun run??) (excessive parentheses live here).

But I digress.  I wanted to take a minute to write out all of the things I've got planned between now and next Monday when I go back to work...partly because I'm sure I won't end up doing everything I have on the list.

Tomorrow - morning run and breakfast (corned beef hash is carb-loading, right?) with Scott, mini grocery trip (mostly for race day Craisins and pizza fixin's), possible trip to the pharmacy for prescription refills, Mom arrives, home-made pizza for dinner, pack for the trip

Saturday - drive to the coast, race packet pick-up at the expo, hotel check-in, dinner someplace carb-tastic, shower, blow-dry, chalk pink & purple streaks in my hair (if I can find the chalk), and early sleep

Sunday - RACE DAY!  no solid plans after that, but I'm hoping for a dip in the hot tub and a hobble on the beach

Monday - back home, lunch with Mom before she heads home, group project due tonight

Tuesday - laundry, cleaning, homework, short conditioning run

Wednesday - pot luck at work (yep, during vacation!), Candlelight show

Thursday - more homework, more cleaning, another short run

Friday - race packet pick up

Saturday - Orlando Half Marathon

Sunday - more laundry, Candlelight show

Wow...I shouldn't have written it all out.  All of a sudden it looks awfully overwhelming!

Anyway, wish me luck on Sunday.  Hopefully I'll have a race recap up by Tuesday.

Crapple Pie

Well, I'm sorry to say the crapple pie lived up to its name.  Strangely enough, it wasn't the cranberries-simmered-in-mystery-liquid that did it in.  In fact, I'd say the cranberries were the highlight of the pie!  Having just skimmed my last few posts, I realize that I haven't spoken about the pie before, so I guess a little rewind is needed.

Somewhere between Thanksgiving shopping at Publix last weekend and pie baking on Thursday, I decided to change my plain apple pie into a "crapple" pie with the addition of cranberries.  Those of you who have been reading for six years, (DEAR LORD, when did six years go by??!?) or who were at that fateful Thanksgiving dinner, might remember when I proclaimed that cranberries have no place in civilized desserts, and wonder when I changed my mind.  I didn't - I just forgot!

So I started by simmering cranberries (just 1/2 cup) in some apple juice, brown sugar, and sherry.  I wanted brandy, but apparently we were out, and the sherry caught my eye before the rum.  After 45 minutes, they had popped open, sweetened, and were absolutely delicious.  I took them off the heat and left the pot on the stove to cool, and every time I walked into the kitchen, I'd pop one in my mouth.

Self control?  What's that?

And then I made cornbread for Scott's stuffing dressing, pizza crust for Thursday's dinner, and then considered the 2 1/4 cups of AP flour I'd need for the pie crust.  And that's when the pie started going south - when I realized the crust was going to include 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.

Scott was helping me core and peel apples when I realized I should probably find an apple pie recipe to modify, rather than just winging the whole thing.  "Two teaspoons of cinnamon?  That couldn't be enough!  I'll use a tablespoon."

...and then the time came to roll out the crust.

I'm blaming the whole wheat flour, mostly because the crust just looked healthy with those dark speckles.  Really though, the fault lies somewhere between the temperature of my little baking corner (which, have I mentioned, is the spot right next to the damn oven?  nice choice, Jamie!), my own temperament - woah, crazy lady! - and my hesitance to use enough self-rising flour on the rolling surface because I thought it might somehow make the crust puffy.

The first horrible attempt to transfer the crust to the pie plate, during which I let out a string of f-words, I'm pretty sure caused Scott and both cats to hide behind various pieces of furniture.  I did, in fact, scare myself.  On the second attempt, the crust still refused to release from the pastry mat.  So I took the whole mat and flipped it over onto the pie plate.  The crust (mostly) transferred, but I made a powdery explosion of flour all over every surface on that half of the kitchen - stove, counter, wall, floor...  It was a mess.  And Scott agreed to clean it up, probably out of fear.  Seriously, picture "There is no Dana, only Zuuuuuuuuuulllll" only without the cool gold dress and wildly-blowing hair.

With the apples transferred into the pie, I arranged the cranberries over the top.  And then I started on the top crust.

I had already decided on a lattice, because it's so much easier to transfer the small strips of crust than an entire disc.  Unfortunately, the entire disc of dough cemented to the counter.  I declared defeat, then declared "rustic tart!"  I didn't have enough dough to fold up the edges all the way around, so I decided to just drop torn chunks of dough willy-nilly on the top.

It became #UglyPie. 

Surely, something that ugly would at least taste good, right?

Sigh...

The apples were too firm, the filling was too liquid, there was WAY too much cinnamon (and lemon! I just used the lemon to keep the apples from browning, but I'll be damned if my first bite wasn't predominantly lemon and cinnamon), some of the crust chunks on the top were burned...but the cranberries were still delicious.

So that's the tale of the crapple pie.  My apple pie last year sucked, but in different ways, so I'm thinking that maybe it's just time to move on.  I make a mean peach, I enjoy cherry and blueberry.  Maybe it's time to learn pumpkin or some sort of custard.

It's All Gravy

From-scratch day-late free-balled Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, with only a few culinary missteps.  The following is more of a "see you next year" reference than anything meant to be read for fun:

Scott's Best Gravy Yet:
3 T butter
3 T AP flour
2 C turkey drippings/chicken stock (or broth)
Make a light roux - 5-10 minutes - and slowly add the liquid, 1/4 c at a time, whisk constantly until gravy thickens to desired consistency.

Use the dinner roll recipe in the Pillsbury cookbook, but don't forget to add the egg before all of that flour!

Sherry has no place in civilized cranberry sauce, but the texture is better when simmered on the stove top than just eaten raw.  Try again next year!

Time for a new green vegetable recipe! 

Here's the cornbread dressing recipe, which is delicious, but there was WAY too much baking soda in the cornbread.  (once doused with gravy, it was still good enough to make again)

Take the turkey out of the roasting bag for the last 45-60 minutes to brown the skin.

Time to give up on apple pie. They're always tasty, but not happy with the texture of the apples.

Happy Thanksgiving

I've probably mentioned before that Thanksgiving is my worst holiday.  Every year, it brings with it a little bit of melancholy along with turkey and stuffing.  I truly miss the big family feasts of my childhood, but really haven't done much to establish traditions of our own.  That's the thing about there just being two of us: a lot of tradition just feels silly.

Perhaps that's why dinner tonight is homemade pizza with chicken sausage, zucchini, and corn.

Tomorrow is our big meal.  No worries...there will be turkey.  And stuffing cornbread dressing. And mashed potatoes. And sweet potato casserole. And broccoli casserole.  And cranberry relish. And rolls.  And a pie.

...and with the exception of the canned soup and Bisquick in the broccoli, every single thing is going to be made from scratch.  With butter.  But let's not discuss the butter...

Anyway, Scott and I are currently reeling from a "three steps forward, two steps back" sort of month.  As everyone else is taking to social media to rattle off a list of things they are thankful for, I'm having difficulty being thankful.  "Thanks for the health...except for the things that aren't working properly."  "Thanks for the family...the ones who haven't somehow either betrayed or rejected me."  "Thanks for the work and the paycheck...that come with their own share of drama."  And so, to not seem ungrateful for what we do have, which is more than so many others (but less than we had a month ago), I'm keeping my mouth closed and focusing on food.

I think the only thing I can say I am thankful for without any negative qualifier is the future.  The good thing about going through a bad period is that eventually it ends.  And I know that there are huge opportunities coming our way.  After all, I'm probably about 18 months from having a degree AND experience.  Take that, 21-year-olds!  And Scott... well, I expect great things from that guy.

Time to wrap this up.  I've got food prep to do.  Happy Thanksgiving...I hope you have something to not be bitter about this year!

Happy Thanksgiving

Sure it's pretty, but will there be horcruxes? Scott and I are going nontraditional after work - Harry Potter 7.1 and then modified Thanksgiving dinner of chicken breasts, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and probably a vegetable. I made cranberry-orange cookies for us to take to work, but no dessert for tonight.

Anyway, have a great turkey day and don't forget to stop for a moment and remember what you are thankful for: ME! ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving To All...

...and to all a good night!

(If you need me, I'll be burrowed under a blanket. Finally!)

Assorted Nuts

Today's post is really more like a handful of Tweets. Enjoy the odds & ends!

* Why is it ok to talk about puking your guts up or having a splitting headache, but not ok to tell the world about the extent of your diarrhea? It bugs me. Sickness is sickness. Poop is so misunderstood.

* Speaking of sickness, I went home sick halfway through my shift last night. My stomach still hurts, though I'm being careful to feed it a steady diet of bland foods and a distinct lack of dairy. Scott was having stomach problems last weekend (manifesting differently from my own), and we thought it was the fault of the pork nachos. But given my stunning digestive pyrotechnics yesterday (hat tip to "10 Things I Hate About You" for my favorite euphemism), I'm starting to think perhaps it was viral. I'm back to work today. I'd rather take the day off, but if I do that I'll lose my holiday pay.

* Scott and I had a miscommunication regarding our late-November feast. It seems I didn't tell him the ingredients I needed for my cheesecake. And so the poor guy went out in the rain today to buy me a graham cracker crust, caramel topping, and 2 bricks of cream cheese. I was going to make the pie this morning, but I'll try again tonight. I just wanted to get it done and out of the way so I don't have to jockey for oven space at a later time.

* As I mentioned, it is currently POURING! I won't be complaining though. Yes, it's so uncharacteristic of me. I won't complain about this one day of rain because it is a cold front. Tonight we'll have the windows open and in the morning, I might actually be using a blanket. I guess I should find a jacket and umbrella...

Experiments

Sure, Thanksgiving is all about tradition. But what's the point of watching Food Network all the time and owning a gazillion cookbooks if you're never going to try anything new? While what I really want to do is find a stuffing recipe that Scott and I both like (hint: it's not going to taste like sage-flavored grits) (no offense, honey), that's going to be an ongoing project throughout the year.

So for our own humble late-November feast this year, I am trying out two new recipes: healthy (ok, healthier) sweet potato casserole, and caramel-apple cheesecake.

The casserole will, of course, be made without the pecans. Helpful hint to all the nut haters out there: marry another nut hater. I'm quite happy that neither of us "has to" live with nasty nutty pebbles in our baked goods because the other likes them. That said, I may substitute almonds because we don't hate them, but I prefer my sweet potatoes lump-free.

And for the cheesecake, the first thing we're going to do is pretend that it's not a Paula Deen recipe. I also bought a jar of fried apples from Cracker Barrell to use in place of the canned apple pie filling. I really wanted to do a real pie with a scratch-made crust and filling that didn't come from a jar, but I just didn't start planning soon enough. I'm going to make a real pie for Christmas for sure.

Also on the menu: turkey (breast only), cornbread dressing, broccoli casserole (can't remember the recipe, so I'm going to wing it), rolls, and scratch-made cranberry relish (with orange zest). I feel like I'm forgetting something... I'm sure Scott will let me know!

Happy Thanksgiving

The nice thing about having our dinner yesterday? I get to wake up on Thanksgiving morning and watch the Macy's Parade while eating a bowl of leftover sweet potatoes. Yum!

Here's a small portion of our feast: turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and gravy.

Also, there's a bonus to not participating in any big family dinner: no need to change out of your pajamas or brush your hair... and no fighting over the drumsticks!

Wishing you all safe travels, delicious food, and warm memories!

Thanksgiving by the Numbers

9 pound turkey
4 baked side dishes
2 stove-top side dishes
1 cold side dish
2 vegetables
4 starches
7 cups of chicken stock
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 dessert

Here's how that breaks down in the actual menu:

• Turkey
• Cornbread dressing (new recipe this year that used 7 cups of stock and 4 eggs)
• Sweet potatoes a-la-Jamie - less candied than sweet-potatoes a-la-Joe (and made with real sweet potatoes instead of canned yams), but still with marshmallows on top
• Green bean casserole
• Yeast rolls
• Mashed potatoes
• Stove Top Stuffing (you know - for sandwiches, and in case the cornbread stuff doesn't come out... and because I don't really like cornbread dressing)
• Cranberry jelly
• No-bake two-layer pumpkin pie (and I think I got the seasoning right this year for the first time!)

I'm also making single-serve pumpkin pie "jewels" for the work pot-luck tomorrow. We got phyllo shells from Publix and I'll be using the same two fillings as the whole pie. And if the phyllo shells don't work, I have mini muffin papers and the ingredients for graham cracker crusts. (I'm *really* hoping the phyllo tastes ok!)

Hmmph!

They didn't feed me last night at work. They fed me last year. I sort of thought it was a perk of the job.

Guess not.

Oh, and the first half of my day: pretty much mimicked last year. Possibly even worse. But I did get to meet a guy that I was able to get in off the wait list. He gave me a big bear hug. I think Number Two may have tinkled himself a little bit when he saw. I was pretty shocked!

Well, at least Scott got to come over and have dinner with me. That was the silver lining on my otherwise overcast day.

Most Improved

It turns out the candy thermometer was all this recipe needed to bring it to life. It was so good I was burning my mouth picking off pieces as Scott was smashing it out onto the parchment paper. Actually, the candy thermometer wasn't all that changed. Obviously, there's chocolate drizzled on the top (way less than the recipe called for... but I wanted to have lots of chocolate when I do my hypothetical batch for the pot luck). And I also doubled the caramel recipe and used the same amount of popcorn. Oh - and I had Scott mix the popcorn into the caramel. He has the magic culinary touch!

I was telling Girl Chef about my harrowing experience with the first batch, and she looked at me and told me to go to Publix and buy brownies from their bakery. Oh, how I was wounded! The last pot luck, I wanted to bring something made by professionals, and was told that I had to make it myself. And we all know how that turned out! So then I was absolutely determined to make this work. And I think it did. I'm bringing this batch in to work today, mostly so that she can taste it, and I bet it doesn't last through pre-meal. (of course, I'll probably eat 3/4 of it!)

ASIDE: I don't think I mentioned that Girl Chef recently came back from her benchmarking trip to NYC bearing gifts! I couldn't believe I actually got anything! She brought me a little container of caramel corn from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. Anyway, that stuff was the best caramel corn I've ever had - it's so rich and buttery, one tiny bite satisfies my sweet tooth. My stuff isn't that good, but it's also not as rich, so you can eat giant handfuls of it. Plus, it's drizzled with chocolate!

AND BACK-TRACK: Anyway, when I was making this stuff last night, I asked Scott if he thought our family members would mind if I made this instead of pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving this year. And then I had a revelation. We're about 90% sure we're moving into a two bedroom apartment when our lease is up (November 30). (and please, Mother, don't get any grand-maternal jolt from that sentence... we just need more space) This means the weeks before are going to be filled with packing, throwing away, and not filling our fridge with leftovers. I think maybe Thanksgiving this year will fall somewhere between then and Christmas. Or maybe in January. Or we can all just go out for pizza or Chinese!

5-Star Thanksgiving

One word to describe the first half of my work day: SUCKED. If I had more of a word allowance, I might add a few more: sucked hairy monkey balls. Despite the fact that I was there to hold her hand through half of Wednesday, our part-timer seems to be leaving more and more work for me to clean up on Thursdays. I don't know if things are really as hectic as she says, or if she's just taking advantage because she knows I'll clean up the mess.

Of course, once I got that mess cleaned up and I realized that I wasn't going to be making any phone calls, the day fell into a comfortable rhythm - busy, hectic, but full of good cheer and happy people. And I wore a skirt. People seem to think I look good as a girl. Don't get me wrong - skirts are too much of a pain to do on a regular basis, and I fully intend to wear khakis tomorrow - but maybe I'll wear a skirt again for Christmas.

And in case you were wondering what they serve at a froo-froo restaurant on Thanksgiving, how does Roulade of Sonoma Turkey with Foie Gras-Cornbread Stuffing and Sweet Potato Purée sound? Well, it was one of the best dinners I've ever had. And I brought half the turkey and stuffing and most of the haricot verts (ok, green beans) home for Scott. Sadly for him, I licked the plate clean of the sweet potatoes and the fresh cranberry sauce.

I sent an e-mail to some of my old work friends this afternoon, wishing them a happy Thanksgiving and hoping they were all fat and happy (except for John, who is still a little anorexic - I wished a pumpkin-flavored rice cake). John sent back such a funny reply I just had to share it:

Thank you for the sentiment. I despise pumpkin, though. It's a squash. Squash is not an acceptable component of any dessert. We don't eat broccoli cake nor do we eat green bean pudding, so whose bright idea was it to turn a squash into a pie?

On top of that…Thanksgiving is too close to Halloween, but not nearly far enough away, for me to be wholly convinced that the same nasty pumpkin that we gutted in mid-October and let rot on the front porch with a candle inside didn't end up on a crust with some allspice.

He's got a point. I hate it when he does that!

Happy Thanksgiving

...to anyone out there who wasn't eating turkey at my house on Tuesday. Not that you *can't* or *shouldn't* have a happy Thanksgiving... But it's really just another work day here in the ParkHopper household. (is it wrong that I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a hand-out at work today??) At least Scott's area is having a potluck! Anyway, it's time for me to scrounge for leftovers to take to work.

Maybe next year I'll use a picture other than this emu for my Thanksgiving entry. Probably not... I do love it so!

Please Pass the Tums

It's all over... except for the leftovers.

What's truly great about the amount of food in the fridge is that we sent everyone home with extra food. AND we pawned off some other leftovers on Mom and Michael. And I snagged some of Janette's sweet potatoes. I think that'll be breakfast tomorrow. Since Scott and I are both working, we're going to carpool. I'm setting my own hours - I only wish that his hours weren't quite so early. At least we'll be home in time for dinner.

And for anyone who might be wondering what I'll be doing two weeks from today, I'll be eating burgers at Cookie's Barbeque.

Adventures in Pie Making

3:15 - finally get started no-baking pies after morning out with Scott, stop at Publix (**shudder**), and crazy drive surrounded by rock trucks

3:35 - finished coring, peeling, and "finely chopping" 1 1/2 apples (recipe calls for 1, but I "cored" an awful lot out), rinse cranberries, pop one into mouth only to find out that cranberries are the most sour food EVER!

3:37 - mix apples, cranberries, and other ingredients in saucepan, wait anxiously for boil (because immediately after the boil I have to turn down to simmer or else!)

3:40 - let cats out on balcony to enjoy beautiful fall weather

3:43 - Milo cries to be let in, so I let him in.

3:44 - Milo cries to be let back out, so I open the door and he looks up at me as if to say, "are you CRAZY? it's cold out there!" Kilo, with his orca-like insulation, remains on the balcony.

3:53 - add entire "optional" tablespoon of sugar to cran-apple recipe, realizing that cranberries have NO place in civilized desserts. remove fruit from stovetop to cool.

Start pie #2

3:55 - realize cool whip for pie #2 was supposed to be thawed. go watch last night's Desperate Housewives, come back later!

Start pie #2 again!

5:20 - start whisking cream cheese, milk, and sugar for bottom layer of pumpkin pie, realize that perhaps the fridge-temperature of our apartment wasn't warm enough to soften said cream cheese

5:30 - marvel that the lead story on the 5:30 newscast was the mouse infestation of Apopka. that's right - there's officially no news tonight in Orlando!

5:38 - give up on "silky smooth" texture for pie bottom, decide that cottage cheese is close enough.

5:45 - finish goo for second layer of pumpkin pie, dump on top and smooth

5:47 - get creative and decide to plop the leftover white goo in the middle of the pie, like a delicate cloud of whipped cream in a sky of pumpkin

5:48 - realize "delicate cloud" looks more like a plop of cottage cheese

5:50 - pour cooled fruit mixture (I tasted it - it tastes like apple pie!) on top of bottom layer, which is made of plain yogurt, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract (and tastes just like vanilla yogurt!).

5:55 - take picture of pie triumph


6:00 - blog

Still to Come Tonight:

I promised Scott I would make the cornbread for his cornbread dressing (which we "Yankees" would call stuffing). The benefit for me is that I get to turn the oven on. My hands may warm up a little during the baking process!

I need to clean the cat box. Fa la la.

I should clean up the crap all over the apartment. Need to find some empty boxes to stow stuff for 24 hours...

I can almost smell the turkey!

mmm...Turkey...

Scalzi's Weekend Assignment: It's time for Thanksgiving dinner! Which do you prefer -- white meat, or dark meat? Explain your answer. Because it seems that most people have a preference one way or another, and sometimes they can get testy about it.

I believe that each meat has its strengths. On Thanksgiving day, I like pretty slices of white meat on my plate. Of course, I'm not sure if any single piece of turkey ever makes it into my mouth without at least one of the following dolloped on top: mashed potato, sweet potato or cranberry sauce.

For sandwiches, casseroles, and all that jazz, I prefer the little chunks of dark meat. They are also the best ones for reaching in the fridge and shoving in your mouth when no one is looking. :o)

And lucky me - I get to enjoy this feast two days earlier than the rest of the world. Gotta love the hospitality industry!

Extra credit: Being Thanksgiving, note one thing you've been thankful for in 2006.

I'm thankful that Scott and I are FINALLY able to go on vacation on our honeymoon... three years late. The year we got married, we were broke from moving and paying for a party for everyone we knew. The next year, I had a $700 hospital bill to contend with. The next year, my car had a $1500 breakdown. Now we get to sail away into the sunset together. (this doesn't mean I'm not thankful for our health, or the love of our families, or any of that stuff. I figured I'd stray from the standard cliche answers)

No-Baking for the Holidays

Somehow our guest list for Thanksgiving on Tuesday is now sitting at an amazing SEVEN. Last year, it was just me and Scott in our own little food orgy. Now we'll be surrounded by family. That's great, in a non-traditional sitting-around-the-living-room-floor sort of way.

My original plan was to make the no-bake (because have YOU ever tried to get near the oven on Thanksgiving?) pumpkin cheesecake I made last year. It was oh-so-tasty, and Scott and I have been jonesing for one since about September. With seven people, you need more than one pie though, especially when the pie is so tasty. And I figured it wouldn't be proper to have two of the same pie. So I did an AOL search for "no bake pie" and came up with a gajillion recipes. Blueberry? nah. Pumpkin? got that covered. Cranberry Apple? hey... now we're talking!

Unlike the pumpkin pie, which requires no more culinary skill than "measure, stir, dump, chill, slice," this pie requires a little chopping, some boiling, and some adding sugar "to taste." (mmm... I wish to taste a lot of sugar!) I feel that I am up to the task, and am sending Scott to the store for the ingredients.

I think Pie Day will be Monday, although my schedule keeps getting tighter and tighter. Wish me luck!