Storm of Thoughts

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the backyard in NJ this morning….

Enjoying an early Thanksgiving meal.

I hope everyone has a great day!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I can’t believe how quickly November has already flown by. I feel like yesterday I was celebrating my birthday and getting ready for Halloween. Of course, at this time of year, there’s plenty to keep you busy (and distracted). This weekend, I spent two great days in Boston with Pete and his parents, and the rest of the time gearing up for a really exciting holiday gift guide. (Not to mention the two-hour 24 special that was on last night).

This week, besides being incredibly busy (and freezing), I am especially excited. Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year. Not only do I get to go home to New Jersey and see family, I also get to enjoy far too much delicious food. Other things I love about fall? The decorations (my mom and I are especially partial to glass pumpkins), the colorful leaves, the pumpkin bars we plan to make (which, by the way, are delicious), the weather (when you need a sweater or jacket, not a coat and hat), fall walks, and the fireplace, which I’m sure my dad already has going.

What are you looking forward to this week?

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Recipe: Chicken and Dumplings

One of my mom’s favorite cold-weather (or, really, anytime) dinners is Chicken and Dumplings. It’s perfect for cold fall and winter nights when you need something not too heavy to stick to your ribs. Here is the recipe she always makes.

Olive Oil, (for pan)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 in. pieces
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 jar (16 oz.) of small whole onions (or half package of frozen ones)
1 cup quartered fresh mushrooms
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 or 3 packages instant chicken broth
4 (or so) carrots, peeled and in pieces (or can use ½ a small package of peeled baby carrots)
1 pacakge frozen peas
1 ¾ cups baking mix (like Bisquick)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup milk

In a 12 inch skillet over medium – high heat, heat the oil and then add the chicken, stirring frequently until golden brown. Add garlic, onions, and mushrooms and stir frequently until veggies are tender. Remove mixture to a bowl.

In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add flour and cook 5 or so minutes stirring constantly until mixture is golden brown. Add instant chicken broth and slowly add 3 cups of water. Cook about ten minutes, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. Add carrots and peas, then add the chicken and other vegetables and bring to a boil.

After it boils, lower the heat and cover. Let the mixture cook for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick and parsley. Using a fork, stir in the milk until just blended. After the chicken mixture has cooked, uncover, and drop 8 equal dumplings onto boiling liquid, and simmer, covered, about 10 to 15 minutes, till dumplings are light and fluffy.

Serves 4.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Wordless Wednesday: Winter is Coming (Already)

Today’s weather had me remembering a (very cold) walk around Boston last December.

The Boston Common will soon look like that again! I can’t decide whether or not I’m excited.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The Not-So-Simple Joy of a Book

I had the unique opportunity to talk with Mary Steenburgen this past weekend as part of an interview for Mom Central. And she said something that really struck me: that we need to encourage children to read, because, whereas a movie is the fulfillment of someone else’s imagination, when we read, we cast our own characters, design our own sets, and create our own costumes. There’s no limit to what we can imagine it to be.

How eloquently true. That is exactly the reason that movies are usually not nearly as good as the books they are based upon. Even an amazing movie with great actors, an incredible script, wonderful music, and a beautiful location can’t live up to what we had imagined. (This is also the reason to always read the book first!) One of my favorite books growing up was The Outsiders. The movie is great too, but nothing compares to the book, and every time I read it (which was often!), new things would occur to me like hidden treasures that can only be uncovered by a third or fourth read.

This is also a large part of the reason that I have always loved to read. When books come alive, it’s just as entertaining as any video game or television show. (Something too many kids today don’t understand.) And a love of reading is something that starts early and remains with you forever. As Meg Ryan said in You’ve Got Mail, “When you read a book as a child it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does.”

What was your favorite childhood book?

(Note: This was the only reading-related photo I could find on my computer at the moment. As you can see, Pete also loves to read. Although he is apparently not as thrilled about having his photo taken while doing it.)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Recipe: Homemade Tomato Soup

I thought I would share the recipe that I used my new toy to make. With the cold weather setting in and the grey, rainy days we’ve been having in Boston, it’s the perfect time for soup - and this one is particularly easy and delicious. You can’t really go wrong with tomato soup and grilled cheese. (As a bonus, I made the soup ahead of time and reheated it, which worked out great when I came home starving at 7:30). The recipe came from my Williams-Sonoma Soups and Stews book.

1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, peeled and cored (buying them in a can works well!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2-1 teaspoon sugar, option
up to 1 cup milk or cream, optional

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-low heat until shiny. Add in the vegetables and sweat (but don’t allow to color) for 10-12 minutes. Add in one cup of the stock, the whole tomatoes (and their juice), and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Use your incredible Cuisinart immersion blender to blend, or do this in parts in your blender, until desired consistency is reached. Then whisk in as much of the remaining 1 cup of broth as you want. I used about 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup milk. You can also substitute the entire cup with milk or cream. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings (with salt, pepper, and sugar) to taste. (Because of differences in the tomatoes, what needs to be added will differ all of the time!) Heat the bowls in the oven before serving and garnish with parsley or cheese.

Our sandwiches involved a crusty loaf of bread, an interesting mix of cheddar and gruyere, and (as per my aunt’s not so secret recipe), some mustard.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Wordless Wednesday: A New Toy

This actually deserves a few words. This is my new Cuisinart immersion blender, which I got (from my mom) for my birthday. In this picture, it was hard at work blending up tomato soup (which is going to be delicious with sandwiches tonight). And not only did it work incredibly well but, as you can see from the picture, it is CORDLESS. Which is incredible. I can blend my soup at the table, at the stove, in front of the TV, in the backyard, or anywhere else I feel like blending soup (or other foods). Every piece is detachable with the push of a button (but can’t accidentally detach itself), and I was amazed to find a plug is actually hidden in the base and easily slides out to charge. (Since I skipped reading the instruction booklet, each new feature I discovered was unexpected and thus especially exciting.) Plus, it also comes with a whisk attachment as well as a measuring/mixing cup (which resembles a mini food processor) that you can chop into. (And so a mini food processor is now off my wish list.) And I’ve never had an easier time cleaning a kitchen product.

My new toy made me very happy.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Honoring Our Veterans

We take the time out today to honor all of our veterans, but deep down we know it’s something that we should do everyday. Too often we take for granted the things that we can do because of what they do. The protection and freedom they provide is something we enjoy every day. So today, of all days, thank a veteran for making your life - and this country - what it is.

My grandpa, the one who voted last week from his hospital bed, served in the army during World War II. In the 94th Division, he served under General George Patton and in the Battle of the Bulge.

And my dad served in the Coast Guard in 1969 and 1970, stationed mainly in Cuba.

Here they are together on Father’s Day, 2006.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Soup

Cold. Grey. Possibility of rain. In other words, the perfect time for soup. And no soup is better than Mom’s, right? This one is especially appropriate because it’s a great time for these roasted vegetables. All that’s missing is a comfortable couch, warm blanket - and maybe a book or great movie.

1 or 2 regular yellow onions, chopped, but not too small
1 red onion
4 stalks celery
4 or 5 carrots, peeled and sliced into big slices
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced into big slices
1 rutabaga (aka yellow turnip)
4 white turnips
3 or 4 white potatoes (russet is best)
1 or 2 sweet potatoes
8-10 cups broth
salt and pepper
parsley for sprinkling on top

This soup is very forgiving. You can add as much of one vegetable as you like and oven roast for longer or shorter, depending on how you like it.

Line two large baking sheets with foil. (You can spray with non-stick spray, but using non-stick foil is especially effective.) Clean and cut all of the vegetables, and, once placed on sheets, drizzle with olive oil.

Put the onions and celery together on a sheet and roast them in the oven for about 18 minutes.
Put carrots and parsnip together on a sheet and roast for 18 minutes.
Roast rutabaga and turnips for 16 minutes.
White potato (sort of small cubes) takes about 15 minutes.
Roast the sweet potato for 12 minutes.

As each veggie is done, add it to a large soup pot and cover with broth (about 10 cups for a large stock pot). You can use either chicken broth or, for a true vegetarian meal, vegetable broth. Cook for about an hour over medium heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

At this point, you can serve the soup as is, or scoop a few large ladles-full into a food processor or blender and blend it to thicken the soup a bit. Either way is wonderful and, with some bread, makes a warm and hearty fall meal.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Family Flashback Friday: Grandma “Guest Post” (or “This Place Sucks”)

I call this series The Diary of “Frank” Anne.

My grandma is an interesting character. We love her, we do. But since they see her on a daily basis, she tends to make my parents’ lives…well, difficult.

A lot of that probably has to do with her personality. She’s not the most positive person you’ll ever meet. But she does have her opinions, and she’s not afraid to let you know what they are, right or wrong. You might, in fact, call her frank. Some of that simply comes with the package. As far back as I can remember, she’s always been more than willing to speak up.

This sometimes comes in handy. Like when, after she spent $20 at the carnival game designed specifically to cheat you out of your money, her 8-year-old granddaughter has only won the tiniest, most insignificant of all cheap carnival prizes. “What about that big one?” she demands. Eventually, after she wears him down over the course of 20 minutes or so (and in the process prevents anyone else from coming anywhere near the stand to try their hand at the game) the carnival worker agrees to swap your cheap prize for the highly-coveted, bigger-than-an-8-year-old stuffed animal. But that’s not good enough for her. And so, ten minutes later, you walk away with both prizes.

Yes, some of it has certainly always been there. But, then again, some of it probably has to do with her age. At 90, she likely doesn’t feel a need to hold back. What does she care what you think? She doesn’t, whether she’s complaining about the favor you tried to do for her, arguing with a doctor, or telling you to (please) get your camera out of her face.

See for yourself.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!