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.

Reese

I'm so sorry to say that we lost Reese last evening. He was a special part of our family that no other dog will be able to replace. We love you, Reese and hope you are playing happily with our old friend Princess in puppy heaven.

Recipe of the Week; CREAMY PUMPKIN DIP

Happy Halloween!!

I have been making this simple, yummy, pumpkin dip recipe for YEARS. It's quick, simple, and decidedly festive when served in a small, hollowed-out pumpkin lined with plastic wrap.


INGREDIENTS
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (30 oz) pumpkin pie filling
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 ground cloves

Combine sugar and cream cheese in mixing bowl. Mix on low until well blended. Add remaining ingredients.

Place in bowl or pumpkin, set in fridge for at least two hours before serving.

Use a a dip with gingersnaps cookies, sliced apples, pretzels, marshmallows, Teddy Grahams and/or graham crackers. I especially like to use the little mini gingerbread men cookies that you can find around this time of year.

Oh The Ideas I Find Online

Today I was researching different "Halloweeny" type foods, you know- for kid's parties and whatnot.

I'm not sure what this has to do with Halloween, but what a clever idea.

The internet never lets me down.

The Great Polenta Debacle

Debacle, as defined in dictionary.reference.com:
(2.) a complete collapse or failure

I have never made polenta. I wanted to try it.

Do not use Gorilla glue to secure a broken handle on a pot.

At some point after you're done stirring the polenta, you must remove it from the heat. That's when the aforementioned Gorilla-glued handle didn't hold.

And. Polenta. Went. Everywhere.