Fall Cooking

Is it cold and rainy where you are today? My guess is, unless you live in Florida, it's been a grey, dark week, punctured only with the russets and the oranges in the trees that I have been finally noticing. The weather prediction is that it will be in the upper thirties (with rain!) tonight. No wonder we're skipping the last DC United game.

The cool weather is good for at least one thing -- begging me back inside with some baking. Now my cooking has been relatively uninspired lately -- going back to easy things I am familiar with: tuna noodle casserole, black bean fajitas, lunchtime peanut butter & jam sandwiches.

But I'm still looking for inspiration (if not always finding the time to act upon the inspiration) -- reading cooking magazines, reading blogs of people who incrediblly are cooking with a newborn at home.

You may know my love of all things pumpkin. So when I saw this recipe for a savory pumpkin quiche, I knew I had to try it. It's very similar to the family quiche recipe I use on occasion, just substituting in some canned pumpkin for some of the ingredients. I used about 1/2 gruyere and 1/2 mozzarella for the cheese and I threw in some mushrooms because I had them on hand. It's very pretty and will make a great lunch.


pumpkin quiche

The second thing I threw in the oven (hey, it was already warm!) was a pan full of wholesome date-nut bar mixture. It's a very humble, simple recipe, perfect for an afternoon snack with some tea (personally, I love Earl Grey on a cool weekend afternoon, yes, even with some milk -- but I leave it to you to decide what kind of tea should accompany this snack. Not too sweet.

Chewy Date Nut Bars
(from King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs (beaten together)
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. chopped dates

1. Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a 9x9 pan (I used a 7x7 since that's what I had.)
2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, & sugar.
3. Stir ingredients into the eggs and then stir in dates and nuts.
4. Spread batter into pan, using greased or wet fingers to distribute the dough.
5. Bake the bars for 18-22 minutes.
6. Let cool completely before cutting them into squares.

Wisdom

Inspired by the New Testament reading for today, James 3:13 - 4:3, 7 - 8a: Does gentleness result from wisdom? It seems most wise people I know are also gentle souls. Does the same age and experience which result in wisdom also just mellow us out so we are not so wound-up and rough towards each other?

Wine

Dinner, Villeneuvette, France
Proving that my sister & I are always ahead of the curve in all matters of fashion and culture, the Washington Post wine columnist reviews wines from Languedoc-Rouissillon, the southern French province that's not Provence. Read his recommendations here And no, the wines were not earth shattering (at least not at the price point at which we were sampling), but they are eminently drinkable and an enjoyable way to top off a day of hot, sweaty biking.

One thing we noticed was the relative availability of half-size bottles of wine at most restauraunts. I don't think I've ever seen this at a restaurant in the States and usually the only half bottles of wine I see in the liquor store are for expensive sparkling wines. So, American wine importers & retailers: listen up! there's a market for smaller bottles of wine!

Grilled Radicchio?

Making use of the grill pan.

I always see grilled radicchio being made on cooking shows. I thought I'd try it out--I loved how it looks, but it is still very better.

Is there anything I can do to make it less bitter? Maybe a balsamic reduction over it? (I did make a dressing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, and some herbs.)

The Easiest Iced Tea, Ever

The tea cabinet runneth over.

Red Zinger, working its magic

Drinks associated with summer? Lemonade, of course, but also iced tea.

The Splendid Table recently had a piece on the easiest, fool proof iced tea there is. That is: add your tea to cold water and place in the refrigerator overnight. Okay, that's pretty easy. Turns out, too, some teas need considerably less time than that.

I've tried this method with Good Earth green tea (which is flavored with lemongrass).

I'm also becoming quite addicted to using this method with Celestial Seasoning's Red Zinger herbal tea, which needs more like 15 minutes to "steep." And you really can taste the hibiscus without burning your tongue (as in, what I normally do when I make hot tea).

Driving

I will be signing all of you up for remedial driving lessons. I am not even talking about rude driving or inconsiderate driving, not using turn signals, etc. I am talking about basic rules of the road.

So, here's today's lesson: If you are making a left hand turn, you are allowed -- in fact, it is to be highly encouraged if not required -- that you put your vehicle firmly into the intersection. The purpose is two fold: (1) you will be able to see oncoming traffic to determine whether it is safe to make the left hand turn and (2) if there is a lot of traffic, you will still be able to make your left hand turn when the light turns yellow. This is considered considerate to everyone behind you who doesn't stand a chance of ever making a left hand turn if you don't do this.

Seriously, I'm seeing this more and more. Have people forgotten?

Thought for Today

Has my blog become a repository for my crotchedy old lady complaints?

Kids these days .... dress inappropriately, are rude on the Metro, and can't spell.

I think this may sum up many, if not most, of my recent blog postings. Hmmm. Now, where's my cane, so I can shake it threateningly if any youngster gets too close.

What Not To Wear ... to Court

Another installment in my occasional educational series on sartorial choices.

This blog had an interesting round-up of comments attributed to judges referencing appropriate courtwear for attorneys -- although appropriate courtwear seems to be always limited to appropriate courtwear for women.

(I will note, though, actually, I had heard a story of male attorneys during a weeks-long trial who were admonished not to wear sports jackets to trial. And there was that patent attorney from the Pacific Northwest who thought he coul go without a tie to the Federal Circuit, which didn't go down so well).

Anyway, I will say that the whole pants suit v. skirt suit thing is a little silly. I wear both, although usually skirt suits. The rest should really be obvious for both sexes --dark, neutral colors, and basically don't wear anything that would make the judge remember what you were wearing rather than what you were saying.

I do have to disagree with the blog author, however, if she thought that high-heeled leather boots with her skirtsuit was appropriate footwear for court appearances. Even if it was winter in the Midwest. There's another, more vulgar term for those types of boots -- and that is not the message you want to be sending to the bench or to opposing counsel.

Signs of Spring

Hostas, geraniums and a forsythia (?) (ed: azalea) from our garden. Everything is green with all of the rain...it's amazing how alive everything looks.

Couch Surfing

Blog item here on couchsurfing. A million people worldwide are part of the network of people looking for a free place to crash in a visiting city and people who have empty couches/futons/guest bedrooms ready to lend them out to anyone who needs it. Would you be willing to couch surf on your next vacation to save some bucks or meet some locals? How about serving as a host?

Gym Etiquette

What, exactly, is the point of working out on the elliptical trainer while you talk on your cell phone? Are you really getting the full benefit of your workout that way?

Spelling Rant

Does no one know how to spell anymore? Is there an editor left in the world? Or in the world of electronic media, has everyone assumed that SpellCheck will do the work, even though SpellCheck can't catch homophones (that is, words which sound alike but are spelled differently and mean different things)? Why yes, my Harbrace College Handbook does happen to be on my desk, why do you ask?

I give you two recent examples. In the first, I received an invitation via e-mail from my college rowing club sent to all alumni. The title? "Your invited"
AGGHHHH! your signifies a possessive; you're is a contraction of the words you are.

Next, I was looking through the Montgomery County Parks & Planning catalog to see if there might be any interesting classes offered this spring and summer. The brochure advertises some cooking classes in the following manner: "Allow your pallet to travel different countries." (emphasis added).
Ahem. You find a pallet in a hardware store. You find your palate on your tongue.

In both cases, there appears to be a major failure of proofreading. I can assume that the rowing coach did not have someone else read the e-mail before he sent it (although he should have), but presumably the county did have a proofreader or two, so there really is no excuse for that one.

Metro Etiquette Tip #125

Using your commute to sample your selection of downloaded cell phone ringtones is not appropriate Metro behavior.

Unsolicited Fashion Advice #303: Dressing Your Children

If your daughter is under the age of five, here are some hints on what not to dress her in:

*Mini-skirts. Even if they have "girly" ruffles.
*Halter tops.

This list is not exhaustive. You are welcome.

Quote of the Day

"Love does not result in a lack of conflict: Intimacy and conflict are inseparable, for we grow in our personal lives through conflict."

--David Augsburger, The Peacemaker

Greetings & Salutations

I'm really trying to work on letting little things bother me less, I really am. I do believe I am not half as wound up as I was ten years ago, perhaps some evidence supporting the adage that age mellows us all. I don't know. But I had occasion to consider a funny habit recently (not mine): the habit of using "I love you" as a sign-off on the phone.

As in:

"Do you want chicken or pasta for dinner tonight??"
"Chicken.."
"Okay, I'll see you at home. I love you."

or

"Did you just try to call me?"
"No, I was in a meeting."
"Oh, okay. I love you."

As you may imagine, I have opportunities in my daily life to hear inane conversations such as this, and while it's clearly someone else's relationships, not mine, it still kind of drives me crazy.

It reminded me of a thought I had several years ago about not letting "I love you" become another way of saying "good-bye."