629.2872 -- Roll Over

My little blue Focus (affectionately named "Little Blue") has hit a milestone. Yep, the big 100,000. We're going to be able to buy me a new (or at least new-to-me) car in a few months, but part of me is a little bit sad about the prospect. I heart Little Blue! I bought her all by myself just after college. I even haggled the guy down, and did a test drive on my own. I'd never done that before, and I'll never do that again. Not that I'd want to of course... but I was really proud of myself!

Plus, I still have my DOD sticker on Little Blue. It's a fun little souvenir that will never be replaced. Then again, maybe I'll warm up to the prospect of a newer car... here are two I'm looking at.

641.692 -- Miso Glazed Cod

Being that it's Lent, and being that we're Catholic, fish has been introduced into our dinner rotation. Although I am generally not a fish or seafood lover, Matt came home with cod fillets last week, forcing me to come up with a tasty (un-fish-like) recipe. What I found was Food Network's recipe for Miso Cod. Finding no miri at the local Kroger, I substituted Chablis. Finding no white or blond miso, I settled on something called "Minute Miso."
The result was über delicious. In fact, I might try the same glaze on chicken sometime. It's a decidedly Asian flavor, but if you like teriyaki, give it a try. And let me know what you think!

Ingredients

6 6-ounce black cod fillets or regular cod fillets
1/3 cup low sodium blond or white miso
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
toasted sesame seeds and scallions for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat broiler.

Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Combine miso, brown sugar, sesame oil and mirin and stir well until brown sugar is fully dissolved.

Brush about 2 tablespoons miso glaze on each fish fillet. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour. Place fish under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, or until top is slightly charred and glaze has caramelized. Remove fish from oven and brush with remaining glaze. Lower oven to 375 degrees F. Cook an additional 5 to 6 minutes, until fish is flaky but not overcooked.

If desired, serve with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. *NOTE* We had this with brown rice and steamed veggies. Delicious!

508.2 -- It's official!

Spring is here!


Our spring perennials are in full bloom!


The brand new flag pole in our front yard
(installed yesterday!) looked picture
perfect in the beautiful weather.

I want more days like this!!

636.7 -- The Furry Monster

A little slow on the updates, but for those of you I haven't told, Charlie is having some old man problems. First, his teeth and gums were an absolute mess. One surgery later, he is almost completely toothless (he retained his molars) but much happier.

He is also, however, suffering from lateral patellar luxation (Grade III). Basically his kneecaps pop on and off every time he bends his hind legs. It seems to bother him less in warm weather, so we're going to leave it for now, and decide later if he'd be better off with or without surgery. It doesn't seem to cause him pain so much as discomfort.

It's also likely that he has arthritis in his hind knees, and his hearing is rapidly deteriorating. I know he's old -- 14! -- but he still acts so much like a puppy. It's hard to believe. Poor little smoosh :(

155.925 -- Friends

While Matt and I were at Ft. Drum, I made some of the best friends I could imagine having. Earlier this month, they converged on Fairfield for our first reunion in almost 2 years. Of course we have been keeping up to date on each other, but no amount of blog postings or emails could replace actually being together.

Jackie, Erin, Briana, Karen, and me
Jackie and Karen posted more pics on their blogs. Check them out!

641.8654 -- Unconventional Cookies

A staple of my childhood was quick and easy graham-cracker-and-icing cookies that my mom would throw together with leftover icing. Ours usually consisted of chocolate or white icing, but the cookies I made recently for Matt were created with leftover lemon icing. YUM!

Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Icing

Directions:
Break graham crackers into square pieces. Ice one side of each cracker. Start munching! (You can also "sandwich" the cookies by putting a second graham square on top of the icing, but I like it better with just one.)

P.S. I'm curious to know if anyone else is familiar with this method of "cookie baking." Anyone? Anyone?

621.391 -- Computer repair

So our 1 year and 10 days old computer has been temporarily out of commission for the last three days. Help is on the way, but for now my only reliable Internet connection is at work. Urg... what a mess!

006.7 -- Change!

It was time for my very vanilla blog to undergo a renovation. Look how pretty! What do you think?

170.83 -- I believe

So inspired was I by one of my friends' recent blog posts, that I am lifting the idea from her.

*ahem*

I believe...

• That the first spoonful of a new jar of peanut butter is always the best.
• That music can make almost any experience at least a little bit better.
• That good friends can do the same.
• That the fact that someone famous said something does not make it true.
• That water is better, yes... but caffeine is not the devil.
• That having a degree does not make you smarter.
• That reading does.
• That staying close to far flung friends isn't impossible, that it does take some effort, and that it's worth it.
  

This was fun! What do you believe?

643.52 -- Never Ending Story

Months ago, when I was sharing the good news of our new house with family, friends, and pretty much everyone else, one of my former coworkers said, "Congratulations! You'll never be bored again!" I laughed with her at the time, but I'm beginning to understand that she wasn't joking. Even on the day after Christmas, Matt preferred to spend his time in the basement working on our soon-to-be new half bath. For clarification, I had nothing to do with this project, except to fetch beer and make dinner. Matt got help from his friend (and several unwieldy power tools).

I didn't take a "before" picture, but this is pretty much what it looked like... minus the gaping hole in the floor.

Then came connecting the new pipe. The far end near the wall is where the commode will be.

Then they backfilled the hole with some of the original gravel and cement chunks. Pictured is Matt using all weight to tamp down the debris.


Finally it was time to mix and pour the cement. Next up, the walls :)

796.426 -- Running

I like running. I was liking it less about a month ago when I re-started after about 5 years of minimal physical activity. Nevertheless, I'm liking it again, more than I did 5 years ago, though I'm still not up to the level I was. Oh to be able to run two miles in 18 minutes! It seems like I'll never get there, but I'm trying to stay positive.

Helping me stay on the wagon (or running behind it?) are a few accouterments. They might help you, too. The first was the iPod. I fought the popularity of the iPod for a long time, but iTunes has it all over other media players in my opinion.

The second was the treadmill. I cannot run outside. The cool air sets my lungs on fire in minutes. Plus I don't look cute when I'm working out, I look sweaty. Thanks to craigslist, I got a great deal on a barely used treadmill. Someone else's failed New Year's resolution was my good fortune.

Third, my new arm band for my iPod allows me to pound "pavement" to some great tunes. Due to 12 years in band, however, I needed music that plays at the same bpm that I run. (Curse my impeccable rhythm.) This is when I discovered jogtunes, which has been the savior of my workouts. After finding that Shake It by Metro Station was exactly the speed I needed, I looked it up on jogtunes to find more just like it. As luck would have it, I now have enough music to keep me going for a solid two miles (if I can make it that long on any given day).

P.S. If you have an iPod and want some great free music for your running (or any other) workout, try the PodRunner and PodRunner Intervals podcasts. They are free of charge, and a new one is published every week. Today I used PodRunner Intervals Gateway to 8K, but I only got through 2/3 of it before I had to stop. *sigh* I'll get there.

025.3 -- Just like a real library!

You may recall my joy at having input my, er, our entire library into Shelfari last year. That excitement, complete as it was, has been surpassed. A few days ago, I discovered GuruLib. It's a lot like Shelfari, except that you can also add DVDs, CDs, software, and games to your library. More importantly, it's a snap to set items to "Out" if you loan them to people. And specify a due date! The downside is that it's not as pretty as Shelfari, but I'm getting over that. The reality is that we loan out our DVD collection more than our books, and it's tough keeping track of what's where. GuruLib has solved that problem. View our GuruLib library here.

Not only do I now have a complete home library, but I was able to use my newest nerdy toy to input our DVDs. Enter CueCat, the friendly little personal barcode scanner. Sure, I could have entered the title or ISBN into GuruLib and done a regular old search. But what's the fun in that?

For anyone wondering, this CueCat has already been "declawed." For Mac users, I'm interested to know how Delicious Library stacks up... the fact that you can hook up your iPod would make adding digitally purchased songs much easier!

394.2663 -- Family time

Through the magic of webcams, I was able to talk to my family all together for one hour on Christmas day. It was 0100 hours for my brother in Korea, 1600 for my mom and her husband in England, and 1100 in good old Ohio. Not the greatest picture of me, but I'm trying not to dwell :) Next year we'll get those microphones working!

641.8654 -- DIY Turtles

Love the taste of turtles? Here's a quick and easy way to make your own.

Ingredients
pretzels (waffle-shaped or regular pretzel-shaped)
Rolos (unwrapped, obviously)
pecans

Directions
Heat oven to 250. Place a layer of foil or wax paper on a baking sheet. Arrange pretzels on baking sheet, placing one Rolo on each pretzel. Bake at 250 for 3-4 minutes. Rolos should retain their form, but be soft enough to squish. Place a pecan on each Rolo-pretzel. Squish it down (not too far!). Let these cool completely before attempting to eat them. (If you just cannot resist, they are edible while still warm... they're just not as good.)

Voila! This year will be your easiest cookie exchange ever!

778.53 -- Talkies

Monday Matt and I attended an advance screening of Tom Cruise's new movie Valkyrie. The movie is based on the fascinating true story of an attempted assassination of Hitler on July 20, 1944.

The movie was just okay. I liked it enough that I'm glad I saw it, and I could even watch it again. I didn't like it enough to buy the DVD -- or to pay theater prices. I really enjoyed the historical aspects, and seeing Tom Cruise in an unweird role (Eyes Wide Shut much?). I wasn't riveted the whole time, but it was pretty interesting.

We wanted to see the movie of course, but seeing it at an advance screening was really cool. Neither Matt nor I had ever been to one! Did you know, they overbook the theater to make sure they're playing to a packed house? When we got there an hour before the start time, there were already a lot of people in line! There were also seats up and down the aisles reserved for journalists and reviewers.

It was really cool to be there! And since we had wanted to see Valkyrie anyway, neither of us could pass this up. What a fun evening!

641.568 -- Turkey a la brine

When I think "brine" my mind skips to sea water and murkiness. So, no, brining a turkey did not initially seem like a tasty option. But even I can't argue with the bevy of 5-star reviews brining often seems to elicit. So brine we did.

My biggest fear was that it would be too salty, but it wasn't. It didn't taste salty at all! And it did turn out to be the moistest turkey I have ever had.

Here is both the recipe and my tips. Give it a go this Christmas. Amaze your family. Thrill your friends. A lot of this will be obvious to you more seasoned turkey roasters. For me, this being my first experience, much direction was needed, so I included it below.

Ingredients
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 bay leaves
2 tablespoons black pepper corns
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Directions

1. Dissolve brine in 2 quarts of boiling water. Ours did not dissolve completely, and it ended up looking a lot like sea water. It smelled great, though, so we stayed the course.
   
2. Once it is dissolved, add in 1-2 quarts more water (depending on the size of your bird).
   
3. While the brine is cooling, place your turkey in a large bag. We used two roasting bags doubled up, but that didn't work as well as we'd hoped, because the brine would not completely cover the bird. We ended up using one of our big blue coolers -- the kind that you see dispensing Gatorade on countless sports sidelines.
   
4. When the brine is completely cool, pour over bird. Add more water if necessary to cover the whole thing. We had to add another quart for our 20-pounder.
5. Let bird sit in brine for 12-24 hours. Use whatever means necessary to keep the brine and turkey under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. We stuck several cold packs around the turkey and left the cooler in the garage overnight.
   
6. When you're ready to start preparing, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse, pat dry, and roast. Discard the brine, obviously.
   

TIP: After the first hour in the oven, we basted it every 30 minutes. If there aren't enough juices to baste the first couple of times, don't fret. Use either melted sage butter or olive oil to supplement.

TIP: For the last hour to two hours, we used tented foil to keep the skin from over-crisping.

TIP: Before roasting, I mixed up some sage butter and rubbed it under the skin of the turkey. This, along with the brining, was designed to keep the breast meat from drying out.

383-4973 -- Neither rain nor sleet ... nor newbies?

I have sent many packages overseas. Enough so that I know which customs form (there are two sizes) to use for which packages, and can fill out said forms with my eyes closed. Enough so that I can guestimate within a dollar or two how much postage will be, and if it would be more economical to use a flat rate box. (That only applies to APO addresses, obviously. You can't send true international mail with flat rate boxes or priority mail markings. Duh, right?)

So when the (probably new?) postal employee started stuttering half way through her spiel, it was no surprise to me that I could finish it for her. I tried to be gracious and deliver it with a smile, but really... I was in a hurry, and she was clearly flustered.

H: "Does this package contain anything fragile, liquid, uh... perish... perishable, or uh... Fragile, liquid, p..."

M: "Perishable or potentially hazardous? No, it doesn't." *smile* "And it's just cookies, so no insurance needed. And I'm set on stamps and other mailing supplies, so I won't need any this time. Thank you."

Though I said "thank you" at least three times during this exchange, I'm sure she rolled her eyes at me after I left.

641.568 -- Family tradition

The day after Thanksgiving means different things to different people. For me, it is safe to decorate for Christmas and annoy everyone with holiday music. For my aunts, it is the biggest shopping day of the year. For my husband, it is the day that turkey leftovers are transformed into a delicious family recipe.

This creamy, flavorful concoction is most commonly referred to as creamed turkey. My husband's family has given it a considerably more colorful name...

Sh*t on a Shingle
Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick margarine or butter
milk
turkey (shredded)
bread (toasted)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine flour and butter in a large skillet. Shred turkey leftovers. Add turkey and milk to skillet until you've reached a cream-of-mushroom/chicken consistency. Should be thick enough to put on plate (not a bowl, like soup). Add salt and pepper to taste. While that is warming, toast bread. When bread is toasted, spoon warm mixture over toast. Enjoy!

394.2663 -- Home sweet home

As long as I can remember, I've wanted a house with a huge front picture window in which to display our Christmas tree. Now this is what I get to come home to every night! Notice the dusting of snow we got that day!

I don't know if you can really see it in this picture, but our tree is that jumble of lights in the front window. Don't bother trying to click on it for a better look... it'll get a little larger and a lot fuzzier! Also, I have no idea why the sky looks so spooky :)

784.83 -- Old band members never die...

... they just wait for their second time around. Needless to say, this marching band was my favorite entry in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. These former marching band and flag corps members, from either high school or college, missed marching way too much to stop. All ages, all abilities. Don't they look like they're having the greatest time?! Here is their official site.