Why, Oh Why?

Common sense is no longer relevant, I suppose. 

Take, for instance-  the man wielding a "will work for food" sign I passed on my way into work this morning.  While that in itself isn't any longer an act looked upon with raised eyebrows (I mean, going into a business, saying "hi, are you hiring?" after all does seem so unreasonable when one can simply hold a sign looking for handouts and sympathy...)  Apparently now it is required for such sign-wielding persons to don an orange safety vest.  A vest worn like those who actually have a job, because they went into a business and said "hi, are you hiring?". 

(Who pays for these vests distributed to the sign-wielders?)

God forbid one of these poor sign-wielding people accidentally get hit by a car because we couldn't see them clearly on that street corner.

And Braille, on a drive through ATM-  excuse my French, but WTF??

Shameless Plug For My New Favorite Show

I'm behind the times, seriously.  Thank goodness for Comcast's On Demand.  I mean, we're already halfway through season two.  I have some catching up to do!

This anti-TV watcher has fallen in LOVE with the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.  It's my guilty pleasure, late at night long after the boy has been put to bed.  Who knew Steve Buscemi could be so sexy?

UPDATE!  1/30/2012

The season finale made me mad.  But I'll still watch next season. 

An Ode To Onions

Lately I've been finding onions to be quite "a-peeling". (oh, ha ha)  But not big Spanish or sweet Vidalias.  No, I'm all a flutter about cute, little Pearls.

The new found love started with my first attempt at making Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. Which, is surprisingly not in any way that difficult, even for someone who's no culinary master.  Present company included.

The original recipe of Boeuf Bourguignon calls for the accompaniment for Braised Onions.  They are so tasty, I prefer to just make them to serve along side a grilled steak, or even Sunday's roasted chicken.  Thank you, Julia.  Naturally, I'll include my own notes along the way, but Julia's recipe is so on-point there's really no need for my tweaking.  Bon Appetit!  (In my best shrill Julia voice.)

BRAISED ONIONS, a La Julia Child

Do Note:  The blanching and peeling process can be tedious, but the results are worth the work.  I don't mind throwing a bag of frozen Pearls in a crock-pot roast or soup, however since these are the main ingredient in this dish, I recommend using fresh.  Also, Julia of course used her own homemade beef stock.  I used the boxed stock and they were still delicious, but I imagine a homemade stock would have made them a little richer.



1 lb. white Pearl onions, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup beef stock (strained of fat, if using homemade)

salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 fresh bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

2 sprigs parsley

Blanch onions in boiling water for about 30 seconds, remove to an ice bath until they are cool enough to handle peeling.  The skins should come off with ease.

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet, add the onions.  Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling onions as they cook to have them brown evenly without breaking apart.

Pour in the stock and herbs, cover.  Simmer over low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender, but still retaining their shape.  The liquid should be mostly evaporated.

Remove the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

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CREAMED ONIONS a La Miss Toni

Another fabulous Pearl onion side dish is creamed onions.  This style of onion dish seems to go exceptionally well in the winter months, along side perhaps a meatloaf.

1 lb. Pearl onions

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

2 fresh bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped, flat-leaf parsley

1 large garlic clove, smashed

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup chicken stock

Blanch onions, as described in previous recipe.

Place onions in a 3-quart saucepan on medium-low heat.  Add cream, bay leaves, parsley, garlic and nutmeg.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.  Remove lid and add stock.  Season again, allow to cook down for 5 minutes to lighten the cream sauce.  Remove garlic clove before serving.



Finding Meaning In Monotony

Oh no.  Here it comes again.  That dubious season when I get itchy.  Not the kind of itchy that requires Gold Bond, but kind of itchy that is warning me of complacency.

I have a huge problem with feelings of ineffectiveness.  I'm one of those who think that life should have some grand meaning.  That I'm put on this earth to matter, and that I shouldn't let one day go by without leaving an impression of some kind.

I dread blandness. In anything- food, books, decorating, life...  you get the idea.  Unfortunately there are times where the well seems to have run dry and there is only stillness.  Stillness is what makes me itchy.

Women my age are at a crossroads.  We've reached a point where if we haven't picked a destination by now, time could be running out.  I worry that my time might be getting too short to seriously be able to do certain things I've always dreamed of doing.  Why do we have to feel as if our life has to have some grand meaning, I ask you?  Maybe not everyone does, but I certainly do and it can cause me to loose sleep.  I refuse to accept that my life is just this existence with no purpose. 

I am mortified by the sting of monotony.  Not that I'm discontent.  If anything, I'm quite comfortable with the life I'm living now.  It just in need of some sort of shake-up.  A change, or a goal.  But not a reprieve. 

I try to remind myself that "It's Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been".  I love this quote by George Eliot, and I especially love the print I have from Mary Englebreit.  I keep it framed and hanging in my bedroom so that I can draw inspiration from it daily.  It's encouraging, and a way to remember that I can still do anything I decide I want to.

As I settle into my mid-thirties, I begin to understand the expression "Youth is Wasted on the Young."  It couldn't be more true!  When I was younger, I took so much for granted.  (Skin elasticity, for starters)  But also, I possessed a certain naivety.  I just assumed everything I always wanted would come to pass. 

Well, I still don't own a Victorian Bed and Breakfast.  I can check so many things off my list, but still.  There are others that I can see within reach.  Can't call it "finding myself", I'm not necessarily lost.

Oh, I don't know.  I suppose I'm just bored.  And I'm searching, as always.  Looking for the next new thing.

Cafe Brulot

"Noir comme le Diable;
Fort comme la Mort;
Doux comme l'Amour;
Et chaud comme l'Enfer."

Translation:
"Black as the Devil;
Strong as Death;
Sweet as Love;
And Hot as Hell."

And no, I'm not speaking about my husband this time. Though oddly it fits.

I'm talking about a strong cup of cafe chaud. For those who do not speak French, I'm referring to hot coffee. I don't speak French, either. But I know how to look up French translations online.
As usual, mid-to-late January into early February gets me in the mood for Mardi Gras. For po' boys and beignets. For crawfish etouffee and pralines. And naturally, a strong cup of French roast coffee.

You won't need to go to New Orleans to enjoy a cup or two of this wonderful and aromatic brew, but it's highly recommended that if you can, please do. Je te/vous remercie.

Cafe Brulot

1 orange
12 whole cloves
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup orange liqueur
3- 2-inch long strips of lemon zest
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cups hot, very strong, brewed French Roast coffee, or chicory if you prefer

Remove the orange zest from the orange with a peeler, keeping it in one long, single spiral. Stud the orange with the cloves. Add to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with brandy, liqueur, lemon zest, cinnamon and sugar. Warm through over medium heat, stirring. Tilt pan over gas burner (or use a long match) to ignite carefully!! Use extreme caution, the flames will shoot up! While the flame subsides, slowly pour in hot coffee. Ladle into small cups (demitasse).

The Resolutions That I Don't Make

Yes, I know I've already talked about the New Year. To be fair, I was reflecting on the year that's passed.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. I DO NOT MAKE RESOLUTIONS. Because, well- why? It's setting myself up for failure.


But this year, my dear husband and I are doing something different, and experiment of sorts. We're make resolutions... for each other. We had a pretty comical discussion about this last evening, and we even set some ground rules. Like, no being judgie. Resolutions can't be something that is a fix for an everyday pet peeve we may have. (So "fluffing the couch cushions after you get up so they don't look so squished" can't be a resolution.)

And they have to be resolutions that truly are something that is beneficial, such as mine for him that states:

     - NO paying monthly for a gym membership that doesn't get used at least 4 times in a month.

See how I did that? I'm not saying he can't have the membership. But $36 a month for something he doesn't even use? Total waste! And this might encourage him to actually use it, which would be a good thing.

Today we are to draft our resolutions and we will go over them with each other. So will it be easier to follow through with something that wasn't our own? We shall see.

New Year, New Reflections

As I do every year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, I reflect briefly about the year I'm leaving behind. What changes have occurred since the year prior? Am I better off than where I was? Am I restless, unfulfilled, or discontent? Were there any big events that have altered the path I walk on each day?

This year, my answers were all gleefully positive. Sure, there is always room for improvement or stronger commitment to something I've started (perhaps like this blog). I like to judge the outgoing year by comparing it to the one before it. If I've not gone backwards in anyway, or even stayed exactly the same, then by my judgement it was a successful year! I strive to move forward. Apathy and inactivity scare me. As does monotony.

You know, I heard from someone that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time, or something like that. That cannot be more true when comparing the last 5 or 6 years of my life. We aren't known for making subtle changes in my little family. (Eight moves over thirteen years of marriage, three of which were state-to-state!) Maybe it's the thrill of a new place, the anticipation of how things will turn out or even the joy of learning and growing along the way that make change such an appealing option for us. I don't know.


But each year has progressively gotten better. To compare with even just one year ago to this very day- we're better. A year older, a year wiser. 2011 was a year that I can look back upon with a smile. I can say the same thing about 2010, 2009, and 2008. We've accomplished some goals we've set for ourselves, and it feels great.

There is a flip side to this, however. Such as- what can I do even better? How can I commit to certain things this year that I've let slide previously? (like keeping up with exercise or cutting back on my meat consumption) I've reached a point where I'm content in my work. I do not have any desire to move on, or move forward with that. Truth be told, I'll never find a better job right now. So looking to change that wouldn't be such a great idea. However, we have felt the walls of our little dollhouse closing in around us, slowly suffocating us as our son grows and we've decided that maybe it's time to get serious about owning a home of our own once again. While we've decided quite some time ago that this is where we'll be planting our roots, we've never been certain on how deeply we'd want them to go. The last couple years have pretty much decided that for us.

I've noticed, too, that if I stick to a regular schedule with blogging, it's easier to keep up with. I'm going to try. I enjoy writing my blog, sharing recipes and complaining to unknown cyber friends about all of the ridiculous things that bother me. A weekly post shouldn't be that hard, so right now that's my goal.

I do wish everyone the best for the upcoming year. I hope for redirection in our country's leadership, and peace and unity among mankind.

And no matter what, I still will absolutely NOT join Facebook in 2012.