Big Party

This afternoon I joined several other Pampered Chef Sales Directors at Francesca's to celebrate PatPamChef for her special birthday celebration. There's nothing better than gathering with a group of colleagues to celebrate a very special woman who's an inspiration to us all. This summer, PatPamChef was promoted to to the highest level that Pampered Chef offers its sales force. She wanted to reach that level before this milestone birthday. She's a goal setter and a goal achiever. She's one of the few people within the Pampered Chef organization to reach the top without ever losing a title along the way. She's funny, energetic, and inspirational, and I'm honored to call her my friend.

First Sunday of Advent

I didn't grow up with the tradition of Advent. The church where Baird and I met introduced me to this centuries-old tradition. Over the years, I would sit in church the four Sundays before Christmas, watch the lighting of the candles, and listen to the meditation. I began to anticipate this special ritual.

For those who may not know, Advent is marked by a spirit of anticipation, of longing. The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in His First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in His Second Advent.

The first week of Advent focuses on expectation or hope. This expectation goes beyond counting down the days until the presents are opened. We look forward to the time when the Prince of Peace will bring true peace, justice and righteousness to this world.

Every night during Advent, our family lights candles, gathers around our manger scene, and recites the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-12. Then we read from The Advent Book. It's a time to reflect on what's truly important this time of year.

Giving Back at the ECC

I'm a firm believer in "to whom much has been given, much will be required." Our family has been so blessed, and we're always looking for ways to give back. Kelsey and I decided this fall that we'd start volunteering at The Emergency Clothes Closet, which is part of Oak Park's Walk-In Ministries. The Oak Park Community of Congregations was looking for a place to move the ECC, since it had outgrown its former home. I was so excited when our church took on this project.
Today was our first time volunteering with this organization. Kelsey and I were personal shoppers, which means we met with people to see what items they needed. After chatting for a few minutes, we'd head down to the basement, grab what was needed, and ask our guest to choose from the options we'd picked. If an item didn't work out, Kelsey would run back down to the basement to look for another option while I continued chatting.
It was a great way to spend the morning, and it opened my eyes to the sheer enormity of this project. It was heartbreaking to have to tell someone toward the end, "I'm sorry, we're out of your size. But please, try again next week, and we'll do everything we can to accommodate you."
If you happen to have adult size boots, gloves or winter coats (esp. in sizes XL-XXXXL) in your house that you'd like to get rid of, please let me know and I'd be happy to get them over to the ECC. And I know that whoever ends up with your generous donation will be eternally grateful for your generosity.

Black Friday

For years, Baird has been up before dawn the day after Thanksgiving, standing in line to get the best deals on all the hot Christmas gifts. This year, stores started opening at midnight, so I joined him. I can't give any details or pictures here, since my kids read my blog, and most of the shopping was for them. We hit 8 stores in 7 hours and we got everything we set out for (and then some).

I wrote a little song about the Black Friday experience. This is what happens when you're up all night shopping after cooking all day. With apologizes to The Little River Band, I give you Night Owl - Black Friday:

There's a sale right across the street
They got a deal you just can't beat
The entrance line is two blocks deep
Black Friday!

They're out of this and what the heck

They're out of that - there's no rain check
Take the last one she'll break your neck
Black Friday!

The last Wii band goes on her wrist
Those behind her are shaking their fists
Waitin' so long for a near miss
Black Friday!

Must be the cheapskate in her soul
Next on the list a stop at Kohl's
It's such a thrill
Just sign the bill

She's a shopper
on Black Friday
She's shopping in the night
Stay up til dawn
The money's gone she's done

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for, and I don't stop often enough to acknowledge it. Today was an amazing, perfect day.

The menu:

3 Cheeses served with Assorted Crackers, Grapes, and Fresh Figs
Grilled, Brined Fresh Turkey with Citrus and Herbs
Grandma's Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes with Bananas and Cream
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes & Gravy
Scalloped Corn
Chilled Asparagus Spears
Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Almonds and Parmesan
Aasha's Apple and Cranberry Chutney
Relish Tray
Grandma's Rolls
Apple Crisp
Pumpkin Pie

Preparations

The days leading up to Thanksgiving are always a flurry of activity. Carpets have been steam cleaned. New rugs have been thrown down in the kitchen and bathroom. Rooms have been 27 fling boogied. The Hummell plates on the wall have been washed and rehung. The silver's been polished.

In addition to the cleaning there's food prep to be done. For the first time ever this year, we bought a fresh turkey. This morning we brined it John Kass style.

And of course, it's not really Thanksgiving until Grandma and Grandpa show up. My mom made rolls and chocolate chip cookies. According to my kids, Grandma's chocolate chip cookies are the best EVER, and she always brings a batch when she comes for a visit.

I've got 7 pounds of butter, 2 quarts of cream and lots of fresh herbs. My fridge is full of fresh produce. The menu is set. The timetable has been posted. Bring it!

You Can Dance if You Want To

This afternoon I volunteered at Irving's afternoon dance party. This fall, the school has been focusing on positive behavior, and the dance party was a reward for how well behaved the kids have been. What a great way to end the first trimester!

Drew dressed up a bit, wearing a polo shirt instead of his regular t-shirt, but the shorts stayed. He and his friends had blast dancing to Beat It, The Electric Slide, and many other dance favorites.

Top 10 Reasons Why Oak Park's New Logo-Tagline Fail

Since I've been snarking on Facebook about this logo and other people have been blogging about it, I decided it was time to mention it here. Here's the logo...


...and my top ten reasons why it fails:

10. The Village of Oak Park preaches "shop local," but they outsourced this to Tennessee.
9. Is it a giant diaper pin...or something else?
8. It's a target for sex jokes too numerous to mention.
7. It's completely generic.
6. Ms. Linne's art students at Irving Elementary could do better.
5. We spent $65,000 for this? Really?
4. "Step out of line" has negative connotations.
3. I can see it fitting nicely between the giant razor blades that grace the Harrison Street Arts District.
2. Mixed message alert! The logo is a linear design, yet the tagline is "step out of line."
1. If you have to explain your tagline you're an epic fail.

Clearly, the geniuses who are collecting a paycheck from the Village of Oak Park lack creativity. They are completely out of touch with those who live in this community.

Out of touch village employees + out of touch out of towners = complete lunacy.

Lessons Learned

A friend of mine called with a cooking crisis. She said, “I’m 34 years old and you’d think I would know how to do this by now. You’re such a good cook, I bet you never have cooking disasters.”

Um. Wrong.

Everyone who cooks regularly has cooking disaster stories. You can always learn from your culinary mistakes, and some of the lessons are pretty darn funny. Here are some of the things I’ve learned:

*When you add three times the garlic called for in your sloppy joes, that first bite is a bit of a shocker.

*You can turn salmon purple by poaching it in Merlot.

*You can clean your oven by putting out an oven fire using flour. Once you’ve smothered the fire by scooping a couple of pounds of flour on top of the flames, just walk away for a few hours. Go to lunch. Go grocery shopping. When you return your oven will have cooled down, and you can shop vac the flour straight out of the oven. WAAALAAA!!! Clean oven!!

*When a skillet’s been in the oven at 400° for an hour, it makes that handle screaming hot. Literally.

*Never microwave Cool-Whip to thaw it. Ever.

*Planning for just one-third to one-half of a pound of turkey per person for Thanksgiving is not adequate. When the platter goes around and your hubby’s the last one served, he’ll be left holding an empty platter. He won’t be pleased. It’s best at that point to donate the turkey off your plate as a peace offering.

Name that (Beatles) Tune

Our family's collaborating on a project. We're trying to win every Beatles album that's been remastered by figuring out what 15 Beatles tunes are on an MP3 file that lasts a whole 11 seconds. That means each song snippet is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a second long. Comparing the snippet on the MP3 file with the song on kelsey's iPod helps the process. While Baird and Kelsey are the Beatles geeks in the house, I've been able to make a contribution here and there. But the lyrics are tricky. On a couple of tracks, the songs go by so fast you can hardly catch the words. Are they singing "but I" or "where I"? Hmmmmm. Passionate discussions over lyrics, rhythm and musical key ensue. And of course each one of us thinks he or she is right.
This has been a good exercise in listening to each other with an open mind and compromising where necessary.
So much music, so little time.

Pot Stickers 'n Football

This evening we headed over to M&Bree Kudo's house for a football party with real Chinese food. I really don't care much about the NFL unless the Bears are playing (and they weren't), so I joined Bree, Miss Megan and Mrs. Kudo in the kitchen to watch Chinese home cooking in action. For me, it was such fun to be the observer. I watched as Mrs. Kudo directed the next generation, giving them tips on how to coax each dish to absolute perfection.

Five Spice Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage
Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic and Sesame Oil
Homemade Pot Stickers and Dipping Sauce

SNAP!

I came home from work last night to BIG DRAMA - there's an uncaught mouse in our house. Let me be clear here: I hate mice. As in, I have a profound, dibilitating fear of mice. They are not cute. They are creepy home invaders with whom I do not enjoy sharing space. There was once a dead mouse in front of our dryer. Erin found me on top of the washer screaming.

On a diffferent occasion, I was unloading groceries when I spotted a mouse caught in a trap, and its tail was STILL MOVING. I completely freaked out. I called Baird at work to tell him. In that cold, uncaring way that only a husband can muster he asked, "Do you really expect me to leave work at one in the afternoon and take care of this?" Well, when you put it that way...

I did, however, call in a favor from a neighbor and asked her teenage son to please dispose of that little piece of snap.

Every morning after the kids leave for school, I spend some time in silence. No music. No TV. It helps me focus and think about what needs to be accomplished. So today, I got the kids off to school, tidied up the back room and kitchen, grabbed my coffee and headed to the living room to sip in silence. Suddenly, a loud SNAP! broke the quiet. My stomach lurched. Snap, that SNAP can only mean one thing! I so didn't want to go into the kitchen and see a dirty gray hairball caught up in the trap. So, I managed, for about an hour, to find ways to avoid the kitchen.

I finally gathered up the courage to check it out. Oh snap! That SNAP was a rodent's way of telling me he's a smart little critter. As in, he cleaned the peanut butter right off the trap and avoided getting caught. That means he's still at large. Oh. Snap.

Lovin' My Job

I own my own business for lots of reasons. I love the flexible hours. I like being my own boss. Almost 5 years ago, when I was considering what I could do to contribute financially to our household income, it occurred to me that I should look at what I love to do, and try to make money at it. I'm a foodie with a passion to help and inspire others, and so when I investigated starting my own Pampered Chef business it seemed like a good fit. I could sell a product line I already loved, and I could incorporate my passion for good food that's easy to make.

Tonight I headed down to Orland Park to inspire my host and her friends. We had a wonderful time putting together a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad.

Of course I'm selling kitchen tools, but that's only part of my job. I'm also a part-time trouble shooter. I've rescued failed jello that was due to be eaten at a funeral luncheon. I've given pointers on making a better stock for chicken soup. I've helped with birthday cakes and appetizers for baby showers. I've inspired carnivorous parents to cook for their vegetarian children.

Far and away the best part of my job is the people I've had the privilege of meeting. More than anything else, I've remained friends with many of those who have hosted parties in their home. Tonight was no exception. I met T.C. through a mutual friend, but I already know that even after her Cooking Show closes, we'll keep in touch, and that's truly the best part. Did I mention how much I love my job?

Micro Thanksgiving

Mel and I have been trying to get together for our annual fall cooking session for awhile now, but we've been thwarted twice by the flu bug. The third time's a charm, and I had the privilege of hanging out in Mel's kitchen all morning. This annual ritual is what gets me in the mood for Thanksgiving. We chat about our menus, try out recipes, swap cooking and baking tips and share kitchen tools. Then we eat and watch the movie Pieces of April.

So, when you add this...

...and this...
...with the culinary brilliance of this chef...

...the results are gorgeous, and the taste is amazing!

I've never had an entire meal named for me, so this was a first!

Mel named this "Tee's Micro Thanksgiving," and it included:

Maple Rosemary Glazed Cornish Game Hen
Tiny Sour Cream and Chive Potato Tower
Pan Roasted Cremini Mushrooms
Chili Dusted Butternut Batons

Bacon Cider Brussels Sprouts
Fresh Cranberry Vanilla Sauce

Mel's ability to turn classic food into exciting new flavor profiles that look like art is truly a gift. Each item on my plate stood well on its own, but when blended together...well, each bite was a little taste of culinary heaven.

This sweet potato dish was inspired from the recipe at GW Fins restaurant in New Orleans, and it was my contribution to the meal. It's so sweet and rich it can almost be called dessert. We enjoyed every bite while watching Pieces of April, a must-see for anyone who's cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

Here's the recipe for the sweet potatoes:

5 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1.5 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 pint cream
1/2 vanilla bean split and scraped
2/3 cup honey

2 oz. light brown sugar
1/8 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tbs. salt
1-2 Tbs. bourbon
Butter to taste

Bring the water and salt to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate pot, combine the cream, honey, banana, brown sugar, vanilla bean and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Scrape vanilla bean and puree until smooth. Add sweet potatoes and smash gently, leaving some chunks. Stir in bourbon and butter. Serve warm.

Pierced

Kelsey's been waiting for the fall soccer season to end so she could get her ear pierced. Tonight she and I went over to Clare's for the occasion. I signed all the necessary waivers and consent forms, and in a matter of just a few moments, Kelsey had her first piercing.

Happy 21st

Our nephew S turned 21 this past week so we celebrated at Dave & Buster's in Addison this afternoon. His sister N and Drew took a cute picture that I couldn't resist sharing. Cousins sure are a lot of fun!