forgot to include the apple pie in the last post so here it is. we had so much left over that i made a quick snack...
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i think i have to fast for a days!
photos of our thanksgiving meal, and i'm surprised we didn't find ourselves in a food coma afterwards :)
so this year for thanksgiving i wanted to try something new: butternut squash. year after year i would see them in the grocery store and wondered, "what the heck do people do with these things?" my brother had it a few weeks ago for the first time and i've had it a couple of times at legal sea foods in boston and cambridge. my parents have never tried it and we needed some color in the food line-up. when we were shopping at the commissary on fort benning, i held one...knocked and sniffed but had no idea how i was suppose to "pick a good one". i stood there and figured, what the heck they're all in season right?
the day before thanksgiving, i found a recipe for sweet potato soufflé and my plan was to substitute the recipe with butternut squash. i wanted to make this dish ahead of time since the oven was going to be used for baking my mom's korean bbq ribs and my first attempt at making prime rib.
i can still hear the sound of the squash splitting as i forced the knife through, cutting the squash in half. then smell of the air...a sweet and refreshing smell wafting up from the orange halves...i felt like i had walked through a field of ripe melons and fresh cut pumpkins. all i wanted to do was stand at the kitchen counter and sniff sniff sniff. so, i went around the house forcing everyone to take a whiff because it was a first for us. afterwards, i took the halves outside for a better look at all the orange goodness and once i stepped into the sunlight, the squash seemed to burst with a richer color. that's when i noticed the little heart-shaped cavity.
since i was substituting the squash for the sweet potatoes, i had looked online to find out how i was going to cook this thing. there was a suggested baking time of 45 minutes or "until soft" but i had to run to a doctor's appointment with my mom and couldn't gauge how long to leave the squash in the oven. my brother kept an eye out on the timer and even increased the baking time when i called to ask him if it was soft. once i got home, i realized it could have baked it a lot longer than i thought, but it was soft enough. i scooped out the flesh and grabbed all the ingredients, but somewhere in the mixing process i opted to leave out the eggs because it tasted fine the way it was. instead, we had whipped butternut squash. so much for the soufflé!
What are you thankful for?
-
people...i can't imagine who i'd be without them.
- seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting...i take my senses for granted too often.
- my camera...since i haven't been able to paint, draw or sculpt in years!
- my mom's green thumb...i was able to do another photo shoot of my favorite subject--pomegranate seeds--this time with maize from her garden :)
- my brother and dad for their great sense of humor, calm and strength.
- my friends...for helping me get over that wall i had built and showing me that it's okay to let others in, and that there's nothing wrong with enjoying life.
- crystal for inviting me to vox...you've helped me grow in so many ways!
i'm sure i could go on and on but i'm just thankful for this life...
parking perfection. i'll be honest, i hit a car in 5.9 seconds from the get go. it took me 107.4 seconds to finish the course. how did you do?
a light snack i had today made with vanilla yogurt and tangerine slices.
Show us something pink.
after poa-poa's grooming, she barely had any hair left and was shivering like crazy. this particular day, she found a sunny spot on the floor and warmed up in her oversized sweater. her hair is growing back, but not fast enough.
part gizmo, part art,
form follows function.
all the others sucked,
and eventually gave up.
but i am an animal,
a force of nature,
all in the palm of your hand.
anyway, we were at best buy for a little over an hour yesterday afternoon. my brother had briefly considered the bissell healthy home vacuum cleaner since it was $200 cheaper but he kept going back to the dyson model. he had wanted one for over a year after a good friend told him how much he loved his and that it was well worth the price. reminds me of something my mom would tell us when we were younger--spend your money wisely and try to go for quality and it usually lasts longer.
shopping for a vacuum cleaner was a lot like shopping for a car. my brother had done his research, asked for opinions, test drove the model he wanted, and now he was ready to buy. he asked about financing options (2 year interest free) and i asked if they would match a competitors coupon for 20% off any single item purchase. after explaining that bed bath & beyond sold dyson vacuums and that their 20% off coupon applied toward that brand, the rep asked management if they would honor the coupon. booyah! the price dropped $109. definitely glad i asked.
to the best buy crew at the perimeter mall location (brigette, byron and tiffany)--thanks for all your help and friendly service. and a special thank you to brigette for the demo. talk about hands-on, she got down and dirty with her show and tell...literally. when she detached the clear bin and pressed a lever to show how easy it was to empty, a small layer of dirt and dust rushed to the floor and landed all over her black shoes, and black tights. she kept a smile on her face, made light of the situation, brushed the dirt from legs and went on with the demo.
oh, and you want to talk about how much some vacuums suck, this one sucked big time! nearly took the skin clean off my hand during the demo. just kidding, but it did feel like it at first. damn scary how powerful the suction was. good thing it was my hand and not my face--something we would do as kids because it was funny to see the hose dangling from our cheeks, arms or legs. the things we'd do for a laugh. hmmm, i wonder what sort of safety precaution came with this vacuum!
What song best describes your current mood?
Submitted by Section31.
grrrr!!!! someone's dog poo is in the driveway, and i have a feeling it's from one of umpteen dogs holed up at the neighbor's house. she has amassed a horde of animals (mostly dogs), which i cannot understand! she can barely take care of herself, let alone the "pets" in her house. i swear it's like an episode of dateline or 48 hours waiting to happen--an exposé on elderly people living in squalor.
current mood music? how about firestarter and smack my bitch up by the prodigy; or the fun lovin' criminal by the fun lovin' criminals. what i NEED to do is listen to my kama sutra soundtrack...maya's theme always relaxes me.
