Defiance

Latest remedy for a blown wrist. Not willing to call it (or admit to it) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I’ll just say it hurts, and I misplaced the usual left hand keep-my-wrist-straight appliance. I picked up this one at the pharmacy this morning.

Pre-dawn

Neighbor’s tree, basking in the street light.

Insert Sneezes and Watery Eyes Here

A writer’s tale, there and back again.

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Freeze

And yet another snow day. Or night, in this case. Up to six inches by morning, which really isn’t that much… but here in MD it’s enough to shut down the state for a day.

'Nother Snow Day

In my early twenties I worked for my uncle doing home construction. One of the projects he started just as I was moving on into the restaurant business was renovating an old farm house built in the 1890s in Hanover, PA. Some years later I visited a nearby relative, saw the house and fell in love with it.

The original structure remained with a tastefully done 2/3s addition. The home was situated on 3 acres with federally protected wetlands behind it, included three out buildings and was filled with antiques collected by my uncle. It was gorgeous. L and I looked into purchasing it —fully furnished with all those antiques— but the cost would have necessitated two salaries, and L was looking to have children.

I often think of that old place, it’s isolation and solitude, and find that I’m still scheming a way to get into it… somehow. I especially think of it on these cold, snowy days when a hundred+ year old fireplace crackling with life between two, tall formica windows spilling out into the falling snow, nothing but woods in the background would really hit the spot. 

Killing Time at the Pharmacy

I didn’t even know these little gems existed…

Mt. Bass Pro

Mike scales the intermediate side of the climbing wall, making it all theway to the top. I only made it half way up the beginner’s wall. But I shall return….

Early Morning Dusting

Feeding the 100

L is one of a handful on the list to cook for the post-liturgy lunch at the parish tomorrow. The spec is “entree’ and side for 50 people”. Another on the list is out of town, and after striking out with other cooks called me to see if we could do double duty, graciously offering to pay for the food. So we’re cooking for 100: beast stew with red wine, butter, garlic, herbs, Celtic Sea Salt, red onions, french potatoes, green beans and stock. Po-man’s meal, yes, but we’re essentially poor after Christmas spending so I’m fine with that.

Bought a shiny, new 40qt aluminum pot to handle the load, as our last large pot has mysteriously disappeared and the parish kitchen only had a 20qt pot to offer. What a monster!

I’m hoping this works out. I usually cook for a handful, not for a hundred. I firmly believe, however, that any stew will be quite edible when cooked with enough red wine, butter and garlic. But I’m no Julia Child… although after watching Julie and Julia last night I wish I were!

Update on January 25, 2010 by Jim

Somehow or another the recipe —if you can call it that— has gone missing. Here it is:

• 10lbs of chopped meat
• 5lbs carrots
• 2lbs bakers’ potatoes
• one big honkin’ can of green beans
• several red onions (pearl onions might actually be better)
• a pound of butter
• 2/3s beef stock and 1/3 red wine for the base

Season to taste with:

• Sea salt (use more salt that you think you should)
• Crushed black pepper
• basil
• thyme
• oregano
• rosemary

You could add other veggies, I just ran out of money so I couldn’t

Wolverine

Newer new boots, replacing the other too-big-and-rubbing-my-ankles-raw boots I returned to Eddie Bauer. These are “water resistant”, but I think I’ll be wearing them all winter through, snow or no snow.