What I Really Think

Sunday Small Bites - Mushroom

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:40:28 -0500

Okay, I'm a little late, but at least I did it. This week we had to make something with mushrooms. At first I thought I'd do some sort of strudel-type dish with phyllo dough and a mushroom cheese insert (I thought this because let's face it, many dishes made with mushroom look like poo or barf and I figured with the shrooms inside, it would look good). But then I got lazy and I found the Godfather on AMC, so I needed something quick and easy.

I settled on a poo-looking but delicious tasting and easy to make stuffed mushroom recipe instead. I had this recipe in my files for almost 20 years, since I took my first cooking class at Dierberg's in St. Louis, but don't think I've made it since then. I figure the points using my lightening (hey all that oil was left in the bowl), they come in at one point each as opposed to the two points in the original recipe. Again, don't let the images dissuade you.

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

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Sunday Small Bites - Pumpkin

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:07:30 -0500

Those SlowTrav cooks have been working on these small bites based upon different ingredients for weeks now. I had intended to participate from the beginning but well, you know what they say about the road to hell...

Anyway, last week's ingredient was pumpkin. And, basically, each cook is challenged to make something small (most thing appetizer but I guess it can be a dessert too), which utilizes that weekly ingredient. Some are pulling out tried and true recipes, some are finding new recipes to try and others are creating things on the fly.

For this week's challenge, I decided to sort of join the last group. I was inspired by a pumpkin-sausage quiche recipe that Barbara (of Barb and Art fame) posted for me when I inquired what to do with a cheese pumpkin I received from our CSA. Instead, I changed it into something that I could use for the small bites.

The Avon Walk T-2 Days

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:24:51 -0500

On Sunday we walk 13.1 miles. The map below has the locations of the cheering stations. If you're around, come on down - Sunday's cheer stations are the horns and are listed below.

View Cheering Stations in a larger map

Sunday Cheering Stations
91st & 3rd Avenue (Mile 3.0) Viewing times: 8:00am-9:30am (we should be there between 8:20 - 8:40)

Mt Sinai Hospital (Mile 3.7) 99th Street and Madison Avenue Viewing times: 8:15am-9:45am
(we should be there between 8:40 - 9:00)

Cathedral Parkway (Mile 4.9) 110th Street and Central Park West. Viewing times 9:00 - 11:00 (we should be there between 9:05 and 9:20)

Museum of Natural History (Mile 6.8) 77th Street and Central Park West. Viewing times: 9:00am-11:00am (we should be there between 9:40 and 9:55)

Columbus Circle (Mile 8.4) 59th Street and Central Park West/Central Park South Viewing times: 9:30am-11:30am (we should be there between 10:10 and 10:20)

Rockefeller Center (Mile 9.3) 48th Street and 6th Avenue Viewing times: 9:45am-11:45am (we should be there between 10:25 and 10:40)

Bryant Park (Mile 9.7) 40th Street and 6th Avenue. Viewing times: 9:45am-12:00pm (we should be there between 10:35 and 10:50)

Worth Square (Mile 10.5) Broadway, 5th Ave, W 24th to W 25th. Viewing times: 10:00am-1:00pm (we should be there between 10:55 and 11:10)

Chelsea Piers (mile 12.3) 23rd Street and 12th Avenue. Viewing Times: 10:30am-2:00pm (we should be there between 11:20 and 11:40

Circle Line Pier (Mile 13) 43rd Street and West Side Highway. Viewing times: 11:30am-2:30pm (we should be there by noon!!!!)

The Avon Walk T-5 Days

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0500

On Saturday we will walk 26.2 miles (a marathon). On Sunday, 13.1 miles. The google map below has the designated "cheering stations." So if you're in NYC, and want to cheer us on, please stop by. We're shooting for doing the full 26.2 miles on Saturday (fingers crossed). There's also a 13.1 mile option that day.

View Cheering Stations in a larger map

There are 18 cheer stations on Saturday (pink ribbons) and 9 for Sunday (horns).

Saturday Cheering Stations

Pier 1 (Mile 1.3)
W 70th Street 7:00am-8:00am (we should be here between 7:00 - 7:10am)

Riverside Skate Park (Mile 3.3)
Riverside Drive & 109th St. 7:30am-9:00am (we should be there about 7:45 - 8:00)

General Ulysses S. Grant National Memorial (Mile 4.2)
122nd St. & Riverside Drive West 7:30am-10:00am (we should be there between 8:05 - 8:15)

142nd and Riverside Drive (Mile 5.6)
7:15am-9:45am (8:35 - 8:45)

116th & Claremont (between Broadway & Riverside Drive) (Mile 7.3)
9:30am-11:00am (we should be here between 9:05 and 9:15)

Soldiers & Sailors Monument (Mile 8.8)
89th St. & Riverside Drive 9:00am-12:00pm (we should be here 9:35 - 9:55)

Lincoln Center (Mile 10.5)
10 Lincoln Center-Columbus Ave between 63rd & 64th 9:15am-1:45pm (10:10 - 10:25)
Though they're asking people to not crowd this one so they can be invited back next year, so the one below may be better. Though I wonder b/c I thought the distance from 64th street to 46 street along 9th Avenue was almost a mile, not a half-mile. Yeah, even Mapquest agrees that it's .84 miles.

46th St & 9th Avenue (Mile 10.9) 10:00am-1:45pm

29th St & 9th Avenue (Mile 13.1) 10:00am-2:00pm Half-way point (and very close to our hotel for the night! We should be here hopefully between 11:05 - 11:15.

Bleecker St & Mercer St (Mile 14.4) 10:00am-2:00pm I think lunch is at the 13.1 mile marker (not sure though), so from this point on it's hard to say when we'll arrive. Maybe 11:45 - 12:15pm

Pedestrian Entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge - Manhattan Side (Mile 15.7)
Corner of Centre Street & Park Row 11:00am-2:30pm (12:10 - 12:35)

Pedestrian Entrance - Manhattan Bridge - Brooklyn Side (Mile 17.8)
Jay Street & Sands St, Brooklyn, NY 11:30am-3:00pm (12:50 - 1:15)

Stuyvesant Square (Mile 20.5)
2nd Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets 12:00pm-3:30pm (for us, 1:50 - 2:15)

AMC LOEWS Movie Theatre in Kips Bay (Mile 21.5)
31st Street and 2nd Avenue 12:30pm-4:00pm (for us, 2:10 - 2:35)

United Nations Plaza (Mile 22) 45th Street & 1st Avenue 12:30pm-5:00pm (us, 2:25 - 2:50)
Again, I think the distance is off on this rest stop though.

East Side Middle School (Mile 23.8) 1458 York Ave between 77th & 78th Streets 1:00pm-5:30pm (us, 3:05 - 3:30)

Randall’s Island Footbridge Entrance (Mile 25.2)
103rd Street and East River Walking Path 12:30pm-5:30pm (us, 3:35 - 4:05)

Randall’s Island (Mile 26.2)
1 Randall‟s Island Park Peak viewing times: 1:30pm-6:15pm (us, 3:55 - 4:25)

Of course, these times are all estimates. I'll have my phone, so call if you want to know our location (of course, I'll have to stop walking to talk), so maybe, call Chris instead.

Tomorrow, I'll post Sundays rest stops.

The Avon Walk T-6 Days

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:23:35 -0500

I know I wrote about doing the Avon Walk many moons ago and I know many of you generously supported me and I know I promised frequent updates and I know I've let you all down in that regard.

Here's the truth of the matter. I've been training with my friends Alison and Stephanie but not nearly as much as I should - why? Because I hate it (not the being with Al and Steph though - they're a blast)! It's the walking.

Alison, Stephanie, & Kim

I'm sorry but walking for three, four or even five miles is fine. But after that, it gets boring. It gets painful too - my feet hurt, my ankles hurt, luckily with my new sneakers, my legs finally stopped hurting ... but still. And the longer we trained, the more I dreaded it. The more I dreaded it, the less I walked (well at least the shorter walks - like 6 - 8 miles - yes those are considered shorter walks). The less I walked, the guiltier I felt about not walking and not keeping you all updated.

Luckily though, the training is over. Why? Because a week from now we'll be done. And whether or not we walk 39.3 miles, 26.2 miles or something in between, I read something today from a woman named Judy Cherry, that I thought I'd share that made me feel a whole lot better about this - even look forward to it:

RELAX, it's just walking. You've probably been doing it since you were about 1 year old. Well, yes, it's a lot of miles, but there are NO mileage police, so if you get tired at mile 10, stop, rest, or pop on a sweep van and sweep ahead to the next rest stop, then continue. If you are really done, the blisters are bad, the back hurts, listen to your body, and get swept to the Wellness Village.

YOU ARE A HERO, you raised the money to allow you to walk, but more importantly you have raised the money that will help many who have no breast health care, you have raised the money that will help fund the research that will end this epidemic.

You ARE curing Cancer because you took the time to raise the money to walk, the walk is a reward, not a punishment, enjoy it!

Whether you walk 39 steps or 39 miles or somewhere in between, just remember you are a HERO!

There's one thing I will disagree with though, "YOU ARE A HERO, you raised the money to allow you to walk..." I'm not the hero. You all are! Thanks for all your support.

Tomorrow I'll be posting the cheering stations, so if you happen to be in NYC next weekend, feel free to stop by and cheer us on.

Chocolate Chip "Squash" Bread

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:00:55 -0500

A couple of weeks ago I received a bunch of delicata squash from our CSA. I didn't know what to do with them until I did some research and found that they're similar to a butternut squash. Still, not having any meals with which I'd consider cooking them, and a chill in the air today, I decided to bake with them, converting a chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe to use the delicata squash instead.

"Delicata" Bread

Snickerdoodles

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:59:11 -0500

I'm always on the lookout for one point cookie recipes. I'm also always on the lookout for snickerdoodle recipes. So Gold! Found both on Cooking Light (aka MyRecipes.com). Now my friend, Lisa, has been nagging for this recipe, as she wants to make them for her Sukkah open house, so I figured I'd finally post it.

Snickerdoodles

Happy Birthday

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:55:45 -0500

Chris and Becky know how much I love the new Windows 7 commercial (with the little girl). So Becky used it to make my birthday present this year!

Official Book Club Selection

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:00:43 -0500

No, I'm not talking about Oprah's latest selection (yet), I am talking about A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin. If you're a fan, you have to read Official Book Club Selection. If you're not a fan, why the hell not?

Seriously though, reading this book is like sitting down with your best friend and having a no-holds-bar discussion about her life. She leaves nothing out (from her drug-addict brother, to her broken marriage, with pictures of her botched liposuction thrown into boot). If you've seen her act or Bravo specials, and/or watched her show, My Life on the D-List, some of the information will be repeat, but it's still interesting, funny and serious all in one. I totally enjoyed it and didn't want it to end.

The Glass Castle

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:02:46 -0500

I read The Glass Castle last week for my monthly book club. This is a memoir that tells the story of Jeanette Walls childhood and early adulthood and the abnormal (aw heck, let's say bizarre) upbringing by her parents. Wells tells the story in such a way that at several points I forgot I was reading a memoir and thought this was a piece of fiction. Really, it got to the point where I wondered if this stuff could have really happened (from the opening where the three-year old is cooking hot dogs, to the shack they live in (or should I say endure), in Appalachia.

All that said though, I did enjoy the book. It's not long (under 300 pages), moves fast and is darn engaging. So I'd recommend it.

Dear Mr. Charlie Falco @ VerizonWireless.com

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:17:06 -0500

Dear Mr. Falco,

I’m writing you this story because at any point in this process your Customer Service people had the opportunity to turn a bad experience into a good experience and didn’t. I’m writing you because it seems your staff is either woefully undertrained in what you offer, or your options are so confusing even they don’t understand them. I’m writing you because I’ve been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for at least a decade, maybe more, but in a few minutes I’m driving over to the AT&T store to see what they can do for me. I’m writing you because I fear whether I go to AT&T or stay, I am still several hours away from having this finished and as a recent chemo patient, the thought of spending any more than the 7+ hours I’ve spent on this makes me sick. I’m writing you because I hope you can once and for all answer the question of can I have a regular phone sync to my Outlook, and how much will this plus unlimited Data cost me each month.

Here we go.

Theme: Electric

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:49:14 -0500

I've decided to get back into photohunting after my summer hiatus. This week's theme is electric, and I thought I'd start with a shot from our summer trip to Paris.

Eiffel Tower at Night - as if I needed to tell you

What do you think it costs to light this puppy up every hour?

Never Forget

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:45:35 -0500

I've got to tell you, seeing this today peeves me. And here's why.

There's another event in our not too distant past for which a group says, "Never forget." The problem? It seems like today, in this country, a lot of people have forgotten.

I read this blog, YesbutNobutYes the other day, specifically, "Heil Hitler?!?" What the Hell Is Happening In Our Country and I grew sick. The "right's" use of associating our current administration with Hitler and the Nazis is outrageous, sickening and demeans "Never Forget" creating a generic presence representing anyone that happens to disagree with your opinion.

And let's face it, besides the events of eight years ago, and the events that started some 70 years ago, there are a hell of a lot of things in human history that we should "Never Forget." So many, I'd wager, that we've forgotten a huge chunk of them.

So, instead of "Never Forget", how about let's remember one thing, to treat everyone, everywhere with kindness, courtesy and compassion. Maybe then we'll finally have nothing we have to "Never Forget."

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:54:19 -0500

The Bulldog

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:13:58 -0500

Our first night we went for dinner at Le Bouledogue, a brasserie/cafe down the street from the apartment. Originally, I had contacted them, via e-mail, asking for a 7:30 reservation, but since I never heard back from them, I assumed they didn't receive it and we were on our own. So it was funny when I popped in there at 5:00, to make a 7:00 reservation (didn't think the teens would make it until 7:30), and they had the reservation, which they agreed to make earlier (normally, I do not think they start dinner service until 7:30).

As it was, we arrived at 6:45, after scouting a one block radius of the apartment and contributing to the Paris economy (a shirt for Jake, a shirt for Sammi, tee shirt presents for some people, a scarf for Sammi and a "special" surprise for Becky later...). Being early, they still graciously sat us and offered us some pre-dinner drinks. Mom and I shared a medium pichet of rose (a sancerre that I thought a bit tanic but drinkable and cokes for the teens), along with what seemed like some homemade chips - very nice.

We received English menus, so no translating contests for the kids tonight. Jake found a steak served with shallots that the agreed to leave in the kitchen, Mom went with the duck confit, I had a filet of duck breast in a green peppercorn sauce and Sammi had difficulty. Not a much of a meat eater, she opted for the trio of steamed fish along with rice cooked in .... lotus leaves ... I can't remember - but it reminded me of the presentation of sticky rice in Chinese restaurants. Other than Sammi's fish, they all came with house frite (fries) and a green salad, which was presented "family-style" in one bowl, from which we all shared.

Dinner at Le Bouledogue

Jake ate his steak, which he described a bit "crispy" on the outside - It was seared to a coating, and actually medium and tender. Both kids tried our duck dishes and both preferred the duck confit to my duck breast, as the peppercorn sauce threw them off. Sammi was not happy with her steamed fish (I tried it though and it was good), but she was a trooper, trying everything but I think filling up on mostly chips and bread.

For dessert we had two chocolate fondants with custard sauce (one for Jake and one for Mom), while Sammi and I shared some profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

All and all, a decent meal, can't say if it was really pricey as no comparisons yet but it came in about €135 euro. A highlight though was getting to meet the bulldogs - yes they do exist, three of them, that seem to live upstairs but came down to hang by the bar for a chunk of time while we ate. They were quite camera shy though.

After dinner, we returned to the apartment for four rounds of Rummikub (only three that counted though in our trip tournament because Mom had the rare occurrence of never being able to meld before we ran out of tiles and none of us wanted to stick her with all those points from which we doubt she'd ever recover. Of course, if she ends up winning the tournament, you know we're all going to cry foul.)

It was off to sleep for the women about 11:00pm while Jake watched the first half of Fellowship of the Ring on his DVD player before turning in close to midnight.