Tuesday, November 23, 2004
"Cholesterol, Sinuses and Thanksgiving"
I got a call from my doctor last night giving me the results of my bloodwork and CT scan from last week. I was pleased to find out that I have low cholesterol!!! Now I'm not saying that I will start going to McDonald's more often than I do right now, but at the same time, I am glad that it's not totally killing me...yet! :-) As far as my sinuses, he said that they look okay and the sinus surgery won't really help me, so I was a bit bummed about that - I guess it's back to taking allergy medication, decongestants and nasal sprays until they figure something out!
With one of my favorite holidays right around the corner, I thought I would share a couple of Thanksgiving recipes:
Caramel Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup pecan halves
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
2 In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
3 Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm.
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Pan Sauteed Oysters (this is from a college friend - I make them every year)
Ingredients:
Oysters
Flour (enough for dredging the quantity of oysters you purchase)
Old Bay
Salt
Pepper
1 Egg, beaten
Italian Breadcrumbs
Butter
Oil (any vegetable-based type)
Directions:
Mix flour, old bay, salt and pepper to taste. Dredge oysters in flour mixture. Dip oysters into beaten egg, let excess drip, then bread with italian breadcrumbs. In a large frying pan on medium heat, melt butter and a bit of oil together (butter for flavor, oil to reduce burning). Sautee on each side until golden brown and remove to serving platter while centers are slightly soft.
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I am not a cranberry sauce lover, but I make this for my mom every year and she loves it. It also makes the house smell heavenly while it's cooking.
Oranged Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1/2 orange, zested
1-1/2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup orange juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
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Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, orange juice, and brown sugar. Add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the sauce has thickened. Taste for sweetness, and adjust with additional sugar if necessary. You can not overcook, so continue cooking until you have a good thick consistency. Let mixture cool, then refrigerate in a covered container. Serves 12.
Happy Thanksgiving to All!! :-)
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I got a call from my doctor last night giving me the results of my bloodwork and CT scan from last week. I was pleased to find out that I have low cholesterol!!! Now I'm not saying that I will start going to McDonald's more often than I do right now, but at the same time, I am glad that it's not totally killing me...yet! :-) As far as my sinuses, he said that they look okay and the sinus surgery won't really help me, so I was a bit bummed about that - I guess it's back to taking allergy medication, decongestants and nasal sprays until they figure something out!
With one of my favorite holidays right around the corner, I thought I would share a couple of Thanksgiving recipes:
Caramel Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup pecan halves
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
2 In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
3 Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm.
___
Pan Sauteed Oysters (this is from a college friend - I make them every year)
Ingredients:
Oysters
Flour (enough for dredging the quantity of oysters you purchase)
Old Bay
Salt
Pepper
1 Egg, beaten
Italian Breadcrumbs
Butter
Oil (any vegetable-based type)
Directions:
Mix flour, old bay, salt and pepper to taste. Dredge oysters in flour mixture. Dip oysters into beaten egg, let excess drip, then bread with italian breadcrumbs. In a large frying pan on medium heat, melt butter and a bit of oil together (butter for flavor, oil to reduce burning). Sautee on each side until golden brown and remove to serving platter while centers are slightly soft.
___
I am not a cranberry sauce lover, but I make this for my mom every year and she loves it. It also makes the house smell heavenly while it's cooking.
Oranged Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1/2 orange, zested
1-1/2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup orange juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, orange juice, and brown sugar. Add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the sauce has thickened. Taste for sweetness, and adjust with additional sugar if necessary. You can not overcook, so continue cooking until you have a good thick consistency. Let mixture cool, then refrigerate in a covered container. Serves 12.
Happy Thanksgiving to All!! :-)
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Monday, November 22, 2004
I know I have been blogless for quite a while, and I promised Jean I would try to be better about this, so here's a rundown on my weekend.
I drove up to Old Town on Saturday morning to meet Luann and some of her other girlfriends so we could try on and pick the bridesmaid's dresses for Luann and Andrew's wedding (congratulations on their recent engagement!). It was a great time trying on the different styles and we made our decision in less than two hours! Afterwards we headed to lunch at Portner
s. The crab bisque was great and I also got a crabcake sandwich (most of you know this, but if there are crabcakes on the menu I always get them. I have a running tally in my head and some of my favorites are Duner's in Charlottesville as well as 1789, Mie N Yu and Old Ebbitt in DC.)
After lunch, we shopped a bit in Old Town and headed back to get ready for our evening. Luann and Andrew had made dinner reservations at Oceanaire, so I stayed for wine and appetizers. The wine was excellent and so were the calamari and crabcake appetizers! Someday I may venture out and get the $69 grand appetizer that the table next to us ordered, complete with a lobster crowning the top. A bargain, I say. We had a really nice time at dinner and I am so excited to be a part of their wedding!
It was time for the Oyster Riot, so I walked a few blocks and met Jean and Harold just as they were arriving. It was so great to see Jean (who took the Verizon package at the same time I did) again after a year and to spend some time getting to know Harold, who I had only briefly met once before - he is such a nice person and I can see why they are such a great couple! Together we navigated the various varieties of oysters and definitely found a few keepers and also a few that might have been better thrown back. I think that Washington was probably my favorite state for oysters but there were a few from Prince Edward Island that were also quite good. We also had several wines and appetizers including shrimp, dungeness crab claws and passed hors d'oeuvres. All in all, a great night for a seafood fiend, however, as much as I couldn't believe it, i did start to feel the dimishing marginal utility of each additional oyster the longer we stayed, but it was great to have the company of Jean and Harold!
Luann and Andrew met us and we headed back to Alexandria where we listened to the contenders for their wedding band and went through old pictures to use on their weddding website until 3am or so. After we finally awoke and had breakfast and went through some more pics, I headed back home just in time to play the Shrek 2 game that Haywood bought for Sierra. It's a little different so I will try to practice while she is at school today so we can play some more tonight.
Sierra's got a short week at school, just today and tomorrow, so hopefully we'll have a chance to do something fun over the next few days. I am making my Thanksgiving shopping list right now and I plan to start earlier this year on prep work so I can enjoy the day more and not snap at everyone to get out of the kitchen. On Friday, my friend Alexa, her husband Evan and their two daughters (one of whom I haven't met yet, as she was just born this year!) will be swinging by for a visit before they head home to Savannah and then another college friend and her beau visit the following day and we'll go up to Great Falls to celebrate Luann's engagement. A busy week, so I'd better get started on things right now... until next time....
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I drove up to Old Town on Saturday morning to meet Luann and some of her other girlfriends so we could try on and pick the bridesmaid's dresses for Luann and Andrew's wedding (congratulations on their recent engagement!). It was a great time trying on the different styles and we made our decision in less than two hours! Afterwards we headed to lunch at Portner
s. The crab bisque was great and I also got a crabcake sandwich (most of you know this, but if there are crabcakes on the menu I always get them. I have a running tally in my head and some of my favorites are Duner's in Charlottesville as well as 1789, Mie N Yu and Old Ebbitt in DC.)
After lunch, we shopped a bit in Old Town and headed back to get ready for our evening. Luann and Andrew had made dinner reservations at Oceanaire, so I stayed for wine and appetizers. The wine was excellent and so were the calamari and crabcake appetizers! Someday I may venture out and get the $69 grand appetizer that the table next to us ordered, complete with a lobster crowning the top. A bargain, I say. We had a really nice time at dinner and I am so excited to be a part of their wedding!
It was time for the Oyster Riot, so I walked a few blocks and met Jean and Harold just as they were arriving. It was so great to see Jean (who took the Verizon package at the same time I did) again after a year and to spend some time getting to know Harold, who I had only briefly met once before - he is such a nice person and I can see why they are such a great couple! Together we navigated the various varieties of oysters and definitely found a few keepers and also a few that might have been better thrown back. I think that Washington was probably my favorite state for oysters but there were a few from Prince Edward Island that were also quite good. We also had several wines and appetizers including shrimp, dungeness crab claws and passed hors d'oeuvres. All in all, a great night for a seafood fiend, however, as much as I couldn't believe it, i did start to feel the dimishing marginal utility of each additional oyster the longer we stayed, but it was great to have the company of Jean and Harold!
Luann and Andrew met us and we headed back to Alexandria where we listened to the contenders for their wedding band and went through old pictures to use on their weddding website until 3am or so. After we finally awoke and had breakfast and went through some more pics, I headed back home just in time to play the Shrek 2 game that Haywood bought for Sierra. It's a little different so I will try to practice while she is at school today so we can play some more tonight.
Sierra's got a short week at school, just today and tomorrow, so hopefully we'll have a chance to do something fun over the next few days. I am making my Thanksgiving shopping list right now and I plan to start earlier this year on prep work so I can enjoy the day more and not snap at everyone to get out of the kitchen. On Friday, my friend Alexa, her husband Evan and their two daughters (one of whom I haven't met yet, as she was just born this year!) will be swinging by for a visit before they head home to Savannah and then another college friend and her beau visit the following day and we'll go up to Great Falls to celebrate Luann's engagement. A busy week, so I'd better get started on things right now... until next time....
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Monday, November 15, 2004
"To Infinity and Beyond!"
The other day Sierra called to me and asked, "Mommy, what's the biggest number in the world?" I replied by explaining the concept of infinity and that there's not a number, per se, that can represent infinity. She seemed a little disappointed, but quickly asked, "Ok, then what's one less than infinity?"
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The other day Sierra called to me and asked, "Mommy, what's the biggest number in the world?" I replied by explaining the concept of infinity and that there's not a number, per se, that can represent infinity. She seemed a little disappointed, but quickly asked, "Ok, then what's one less than infinity?"
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Friday, November 12, 2004
"Disoriented"
Well, I have been walking around in a fog for what feels like the last month. My sinuses are packed, my ears are plugged, my balance is off, and it's really getting to the point of annoyance. Since my medical benefits expire in 10 days, I finally went to the doctor for a physical and they have scheduled a CT scan for next week, so they might be able to determine the anatomy of my sinuses and hopefully come up with a way to help them drain better! I am excited at the prospect of possibly being able to smell properly at some point in my life. I have embarrased myself on more than one occasion by saying "Wow, something smells good!" only to find out that I'm raving about a nearby trash bin, only being able to smell part of what is actually there.
I spent the day in Arlington today as the last of my old team (predominantly contractors) have been given their walking papers, so we took them to lunch at Carlyle in Shirlington. Gotta love those crabcakes, and the lobster bisque's not bad either! It was a pretty horrible day for driving - I'd say I spent approximately 7 hours in the car...ugh. I felt like a stranger in my old town. I stopped in at Crate and Barrel and the parking space I parked in did not have a meter nearby so in my rush to get under my umbrella, I totally forgot to look for and fill the meter, which was attached to the adjacent parking space. I didn't realize until I came out and luckily, no ticket! It's about time I had some good luck, as I'm usually the one that gets the ticket by being 1 minute late, even after paying. Leave it to me to not pay at all and be fine. Then I jumped on 66 and totally forgot about the HOV restrictions that I used to have programmed in my brain. Got lucky again. See, this darn rain IS good for something.
I realized on my way home that I really need a blogger terminal in my car. When I'm driving, I think of the most entertaining things to write about and then of course I forget about them by the time I get home. I hope I'll be a little better about blogging now that the weather is getting cold - no more gardening or outside projects for me until spring!
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Well, I have been walking around in a fog for what feels like the last month. My sinuses are packed, my ears are plugged, my balance is off, and it's really getting to the point of annoyance. Since my medical benefits expire in 10 days, I finally went to the doctor for a physical and they have scheduled a CT scan for next week, so they might be able to determine the anatomy of my sinuses and hopefully come up with a way to help them drain better! I am excited at the prospect of possibly being able to smell properly at some point in my life. I have embarrased myself on more than one occasion by saying "Wow, something smells good!" only to find out that I'm raving about a nearby trash bin, only being able to smell part of what is actually there.
I spent the day in Arlington today as the last of my old team (predominantly contractors) have been given their walking papers, so we took them to lunch at Carlyle in Shirlington. Gotta love those crabcakes, and the lobster bisque's not bad either! It was a pretty horrible day for driving - I'd say I spent approximately 7 hours in the car...ugh. I felt like a stranger in my old town. I stopped in at Crate and Barrel and the parking space I parked in did not have a meter nearby so in my rush to get under my umbrella, I totally forgot to look for and fill the meter, which was attached to the adjacent parking space. I didn't realize until I came out and luckily, no ticket! It's about time I had some good luck, as I'm usually the one that gets the ticket by being 1 minute late, even after paying. Leave it to me to not pay at all and be fine. Then I jumped on 66 and totally forgot about the HOV restrictions that I used to have programmed in my brain. Got lucky again. See, this darn rain IS good for something.
I realized on my way home that I really need a blogger terminal in my car. When I'm driving, I think of the most entertaining things to write about and then of course I forget about them by the time I get home. I hope I'll be a little better about blogging now that the weather is getting cold - no more gardening or outside projects for me until spring!
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