There's something about when Christmas and New Year's Day fall on a weekend. I get all discombobulated. And it's especially true when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, at least here in Pasadena.
The Rose Parade happens every New Year's Day, unless that happens to fall on a Sunday. There are lots of churches dotting the route of the parade and, back in 1893, it was decided that the parade not be held on Sundays. Even though it was a fairly simple affair back then, allowing people to get to and from church while the parade was going on was problematic, and it was a concern that the noise of the procession in the street might frighten the tethered horses outside the churches, disrupting services.
Thus, further discombobulation, as the parade happens the day after New Year's Day this year.
We live only a few blocks north of Colorado Boulevard (though the 210 Freeway tears a gash through town that sort of separates us), and there are two things that can be done during the parade: 1) head down to Colorado on foot and hope to get a glimpse of the floats and bands or 2) stay at home and watch the whole thing on the television.
Now, with High Def TV, it's almost a waste of time to go down to the actual parade. The coverage broadcast on the tube is right at the start of the parade. If we go down to Colorado and Lake to view it, there are thousands of people crowding in; the bands have been marching for a couple miles in ever-warming weather (it got up in the 80s today) and are starting to show signs of fatigue and foot blisters; and the flowers on the floats have started wilting or have begun to fall off altogether. Also, to be honest, I like to watch Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards host the parade, even though they're kind of ditzy.
On a more personal note, I went down to City Hall last week and got my city business permit, so I am now officially a businessman. That feels creepy, somehow. Also last week, my promotional Post-It pads arrived from the printers (I got them at half price by ordering through a place in Texas). I've finished an extended version of the opening animation for the new website design, and have spent several hours this weekend working with the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) contract templates, putting together what will be edited down to my own contract forms.
Later this week comes picking a printer to produce my brochures and business cards, then joining up with the Chamber of Commerce and AIGA. After that comes launching the new website design, building a marketing database and my first promotional mailing. So I should be up and running by the end of the month.
This is all getting too legit. More news as things develop.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
You Have Such Presents
I had planned on going out Christmas shopping today. I have been putting most of it off for the last couple weeks.
The decorating has been completed. We shopped for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner last week. There are still a few thing to pick up, but nothing big. We're not spending lots of money on presents this year, either: just enough to keep beneath the tree from looking barren.
It does give the cats room to sit under all the greenery, though. Here's a shot of Patty that I think is really precious: it looks as though she is contemplating the wonders of the holiday, when in reality she's considering how that artificial branch will taste when she chews on it. Marcel, being a dozen years old, has no interest in the season at all. When the boxes of decorations came out, he simply made himself scarce until all the hub-bub was over.
So I was sitting up here in the office this morning, working on the opening animation for the redesign of my website, when chain saws began growling and screaming. It seems the city's finally getting around to dismantling the uprooted tree that's been leaning against the apartment building across the street.
The sound was really irritating, like a mad dentist working on trolls' teeth. When a second and third saw joined in, it got close to approximating what the hounds of hell might sound like if they formed an a cappella jazz group.
Rather than feeling vexed by this, I realized God had sent this unholy cacophony to get me off my butt and out into the stores, where a good American belongs this time of year if he/she hasn't done his/her bit for holiday consumerism. And, although I went out and purchased a laptop for the studio yesterday, that was a business expense and not a financial sacrifice to the joys of the season.
To mitigate the crass commercial narrative of the next part of this entry, I shall insert photos of holiday cheer here and there. And since recipients of the presents I purchased will most likely be reading this before presents are opened, I cannot divulge which stores, exactly, I shopped at. Suffice it to say that it took me about 15 minutes to find a parking space (which I usurped from an Asian woman in a Mercedes with a suicidal look in her eyes).
Once in the first store, it took me approximately 20 minutes to browse and locate the several gifts I had planned to purchase. The actual act of purchasing them was quite another thing altogether.
When I got up to the cashiers at the front of the store, the line looked downright reasonable until I realized that, like Disneyland, this retailer had hidden the line, snaking it through one of the less populous appliance sections. It was another half hour before I actually executed my transaction and moved on to the next venue.
In the second store, it was clear that the their buyers had been overly cautious in their purchasing and stocking decisions, because many of the shelves and racks were stripped absolutely bare. Still, a half hour of browsing netted an approximation of what I had hoped to find. Luckily, I was in the back of the store when I found my last item, because that's where the line started for the cashiers in the front, a good 300 feet down the aisle. Here, too, it was about 30 minutes before making my purchase. The people in this line were very nice, though, and we talked and joked, whiling away the delay.
So, here I am, back home. The side streets are still piled with debris from the wind storm earlier this month. When I returned home, the downed tree across the street was gone and so was the work crew; they had moved down the block, clearing the secondary streets before the end of the day.
Steve has asked for some time this evening to wrap packages downstairs. Lord knows I have enough up here to keep me busy. Perhaps I'll get that animation finished this evening.
So, Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah and Joyous all the other holidays that never get included. I conclude this entry with an encore of the Russian stop-motion animation I found last year. I just love it: Reminds me that Santa/St. Nick/Cinder Claus/Father Christmas did not always look like a Coca-Cola ad.
The decorating has been completed. We shopped for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner last week. There are still a few thing to pick up, but nothing big. We're not spending lots of money on presents this year, either: just enough to keep beneath the tree from looking barren.
It does give the cats room to sit under all the greenery, though. Here's a shot of Patty that I think is really precious: it looks as though she is contemplating the wonders of the holiday, when in reality she's considering how that artificial branch will taste when she chews on it. Marcel, being a dozen years old, has no interest in the season at all. When the boxes of decorations came out, he simply made himself scarce until all the hub-bub was over.So I was sitting up here in the office this morning, working on the opening animation for the redesign of my website, when chain saws began growling and screaming. It seems the city's finally getting around to dismantling the uprooted tree that's been leaning against the apartment building across the street.
The sound was really irritating, like a mad dentist working on trolls' teeth. When a second and third saw joined in, it got close to approximating what the hounds of hell might sound like if they formed an a cappella jazz group.
Rather than feeling vexed by this, I realized God had sent this unholy cacophony to get me off my butt and out into the stores, where a good American belongs this time of year if he/she hasn't done his/her bit for holiday consumerism. And, although I went out and purchased a laptop for the studio yesterday, that was a business expense and not a financial sacrifice to the joys of the season.
To mitigate the crass commercial narrative of the next part of this entry, I shall insert photos of holiday cheer here and there. And since recipients of the presents I purchased will most likely be reading this before presents are opened, I cannot divulge which stores, exactly, I shopped at. Suffice it to say that it took me about 15 minutes to find a parking space (which I usurped from an Asian woman in a Mercedes with a suicidal look in her eyes). Once in the first store, it took me approximately 20 minutes to browse and locate the several gifts I had planned to purchase. The actual act of purchasing them was quite another thing altogether.
When I got up to the cashiers at the front of the store, the line looked downright reasonable until I realized that, like Disneyland, this retailer had hidden the line, snaking it through one of the less populous appliance sections. It was another half hour before I actually executed my transaction and moved on to the next venue.
In the second store, it was clear that the their buyers had been overly cautious in their purchasing and stocking decisions, because many of the shelves and racks were stripped absolutely bare. Still, a half hour of browsing netted an approximation of what I had hoped to find. Luckily, I was in the back of the store when I found my last item, because that's where the line started for the cashiers in the front, a good 300 feet down the aisle. Here, too, it was about 30 minutes before making my purchase. The people in this line were very nice, though, and we talked and joked, whiling away the delay.So, here I am, back home. The side streets are still piled with debris from the wind storm earlier this month. When I returned home, the downed tree across the street was gone and so was the work crew; they had moved down the block, clearing the secondary streets before the end of the day.
Steve has asked for some time this evening to wrap packages downstairs. Lord knows I have enough up here to keep me busy. Perhaps I'll get that animation finished this evening.
So, Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah and Joyous all the other holidays that never get included. I conclude this entry with an encore of the Russian stop-motion animation I found last year. I just love it: Reminds me that Santa/St. Nick/Cinder Claus/Father Christmas did not always look like a Coca-Cola ad.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Churning Good Cheer
It's raining today: not big gobs of rain, but an off-and-on, drizzle-to-downpour kind of rainy day. Here in California, this is about as close as we get to White Christmas. There was a lot of concern that all the debris still left on the streets (and there's a lot of it)would clog the drainage systems and cause lots of flooding, but nothing has been reported so far today.
So far it's a quiet Monday. I'm doing laundry, prepping the photos for this entry and, at some point, collecting the paperwork to get my business permit this week.
On Saturday last we went to Steve and Roberto's annual Christmas party. Here's a shot of the food line as seen through the dining room window at the front of their home. It's always a lot of fun, but can be tedious depending on how many of our acquaintances attend and how many people are complete strangers.
Steve and Roberto seem to invite everyone, so there are people from their workplaces, people from their church, social acquaintances and folks they just run into in the store and invite. It's an amazing mix of people, and only once did I get caught with someone in conversation who latched on and wouldn't let go.
Theirs is not a huge house, but there seems to be enough room for the hundred or so people who show up every year, even taking into account the seven Christmas trees that they put up (at least one in each room of the house) The first one shown above is in the living room and takes on the red-and-green color theme they use in the room. This second one is the white-and-gold tree in the den.
There is a nice-sized patio off the den, and guest suite on the second floor and, off it, a deck above the garage. Still, there are times when the interior of the house becomes impassable (especially when food is being served and folks are lining up for that). And the food is always fabulous.
The invitation says "light fare," but the party starts with a bottomless serving of hors d'oeuvres (meatballs, cocktail weiner, dips, fresh-made tortilla chips, crudité, Roberto's mom's jalepeño cornbread, and always one other dish that is spicier than hell but looks quite innocent (this year, cream cheese pinwheels with what looked to be pesto, but wasn't).
Here at home, the decorating is almost done. We have, of course, the tree with a couple new ornaments on it, and the usual holiday tchotchkes that come out every year. I did add a garland (shown here) to the entryway this year, which cost all of $30, since I used recycled lights that had been on our previously non-prelit Christmas tree. It took about five hours to lay it out and get everything to come out evenly (12 feet of garland and 14 feet of lights means you have to improvise along the way, plus getting all the plugs where they'll be unobtrusive and easily accessible.
I haven't even started my Christmas shopping, what little of it there will be this year. That is partially because money is tight and partially because, when I look around, we have pretty much all we need; we're very blessed in that way. My only Christmas wish was an interview for the Pasadena City College job, and that was dashed quite effectively, so I'm looking forward to the New Year and focusing on making the studio successful and put myself in demand for my design work.
It's kind of scary, though; how to you know when you're prepared enough? You lay out plans and figure budgets, try not to be too frugal or too extravagant, plan a marketing strategy. It's like planning a big party without RSVPs and fearing no one will show up.
As for Steve, they laid off a good number of workers at his work. Luckily, he's not one of them. It's just until the first of the year, but what a horrible time to put people out of work. The place is closed from Christmas until New Year's Day anyway, and the workers will get paid for that week (since it's the only vacation time they are allowed). This means we'll have the last week of the year together, but I'm sure we'll be spending at least some of that time setting up the books for the studio and creating forms for estimates, quotes, invoices, etc. It will be a nice way to see out the year, though.
That's about it for now. A friend in London posted a link on Facebook to this final video treat; I found it and put it here at my seasonal offering. No Santa or snowmen, but it magically put me in the holiday spirit, and I hope it will do the same for you.
So far it's a quiet Monday. I'm doing laundry, prepping the photos for this entry and, at some point, collecting the paperwork to get my business permit this week.
On Saturday last we went to Steve and Roberto's annual Christmas party. Here's a shot of the food line as seen through the dining room window at the front of their home. It's always a lot of fun, but can be tedious depending on how many of our acquaintances attend and how many people are complete strangers. 
Steve and Roberto seem to invite everyone, so there are people from their workplaces, people from their church, social acquaintances and folks they just run into in the store and invite. It's an amazing mix of people, and only once did I get caught with someone in conversation who latched on and wouldn't let go.Theirs is not a huge house, but there seems to be enough room for the hundred or so people who show up every year, even taking into account the seven Christmas trees that they put up (at least one in each room of the house) The first one shown above is in the living room and takes on the red-and-green color theme they use in the room. This second one is the white-and-gold tree in the den.
There is a nice-sized patio off the den, and guest suite on the second floor and, off it, a deck above the garage. Still, there are times when the interior of the house becomes impassable (especially when food is being served and folks are lining up for that). And the food is always fabulous.The invitation says "light fare," but the party starts with a bottomless serving of hors d'oeuvres (meatballs, cocktail weiner, dips, fresh-made tortilla chips, crudité, Roberto's mom's jalepeño cornbread, and always one other dish that is spicier than hell but looks quite innocent (this year, cream cheese pinwheels with what looked to be pesto, but wasn't).
Here at home, the decorating is almost done. We have, of course, the tree with a couple new ornaments on it, and the usual holiday tchotchkes that come out every year. I did add a garland (shown here) to the entryway this year, which cost all of $30, since I used recycled lights that had been on our previously non-prelit Christmas tree. It took about five hours to lay it out and get everything to come out evenly (12 feet of garland and 14 feet of lights means you have to improvise along the way, plus getting all the plugs where they'll be unobtrusive and easily accessible.
I haven't even started my Christmas shopping, what little of it there will be this year. That is partially because money is tight and partially because, when I look around, we have pretty much all we need; we're very blessed in that way. My only Christmas wish was an interview for the Pasadena City College job, and that was dashed quite effectively, so I'm looking forward to the New Year and focusing on making the studio successful and put myself in demand for my design work.It's kind of scary, though; how to you know when you're prepared enough? You lay out plans and figure budgets, try not to be too frugal or too extravagant, plan a marketing strategy. It's like planning a big party without RSVPs and fearing no one will show up.
As for Steve, they laid off a good number of workers at his work. Luckily, he's not one of them. It's just until the first of the year, but what a horrible time to put people out of work. The place is closed from Christmas until New Year's Day anyway, and the workers will get paid for that week (since it's the only vacation time they are allowed). This means we'll have the last week of the year together, but I'm sure we'll be spending at least some of that time setting up the books for the studio and creating forms for estimates, quotes, invoices, etc. It will be a nice way to see out the year, though.
That's about it for now. A friend in London posted a link on Facebook to this final video treat; I found it and put it here at my seasonal offering. No Santa or snowmen, but it magically put me in the holiday spirit, and I hope it will do the same for you.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Everyone Knows It's Windy
Yes, the holidays are here. In Pasadena, they came in with a blast, literally.
Last Wednesday afternoon, I received a letter from Pasadena City College thanking me for my application and saying that they had found other candidates more closely matching their needs, etc., etc. Kept on file for etc., etc. Within a few hours of reading the letter, a great wind came up from the north, blowing 45 to 55 mph, with gusts up to 85 and 95 mph: Hurricane forces bearing down on our town full of old, noble trees.
By the morning, there were hundreds of trees up rooted and tumbled upon buildings and vehicles; tens of thousands of branches, some of monstrous sizes, ripped off and strewn in the streets, making normal traffic impossible. Roofs were blown clean of tiles, temporary structures like the tents in the Christmas tree lots were twisted and tossed hither and yon.
Hither and yon: sounds like an acupuncture clinic.
Now, whether receiving the letter and the winds were linked is anyone's guess. I've got a huge ego and I'm still pondering what sort of omen this might infer. One thing's for certain, though; while I will continue to look for employment, I am going solo as a designer, which means a shitload of work in the next few weeks to gear up for launching the studio at the beginning of the new year.
I just got back from the bank, having taken the funds from a CD that matured today and moved them into an active account in order to fund my new business endeavor. I have to spend as much of the launch cash as I can by the end of the month in order to make my taxes go away for 2011. This can be done.
But also other activities await: reworking the website to reflect my new logo and look, filing for business permits, joining the chamber of commerce, printing cards and brochures, purchasing color swatch books, and joining the AIGA.
I've started a Facebook page for the studio and have to remember to begin taking pictures to put up there. I'm going to concentrate or sharing pictures of local public graphics that I really like, as well as updates on what's happening with the launch of the studio and tracking its progress. Here's a photo I took at Andy's Diner on Colorado Boulevard (a place where we usually go to have Saturday breakfast before starting the specific chores for the day. I can guarantee you there is no Photoshopping involved here, just a weird grouping of objects in the right light.
We got the tree put up this last weekend, but we have yet to finish putting on the ornaments, and we haven't begun to put out the other decorations in the room. I think this will be our nightly busywork this week.
So I leave you with the first entry in my holiday video offerings: this was the favorite from last year's collection, so I use it to kick off the blogging for this month of months, this year when Hannukah, Christmas and Kwanza are all piled on top of each other.
Last Wednesday afternoon, I received a letter from Pasadena City College thanking me for my application and saying that they had found other candidates more closely matching their needs, etc., etc. Kept on file for etc., etc. Within a few hours of reading the letter, a great wind came up from the north, blowing 45 to 55 mph, with gusts up to 85 and 95 mph: Hurricane forces bearing down on our town full of old, noble trees.By the morning, there were hundreds of trees up rooted and tumbled upon buildings and vehicles; tens of thousands of branches, some of monstrous sizes, ripped off and strewn in the streets, making normal traffic impossible. Roofs were blown clean of tiles, temporary structures like the tents in the Christmas tree lots were twisted and tossed hither and yon.
Hither and yon: sounds like an acupuncture clinic.
Now, whether receiving the letter and the winds were linked is anyone's guess. I've got a huge ego and I'm still pondering what sort of omen this might infer. One thing's for certain, though; while I will continue to look for employment, I am going solo as a designer, which means a shitload of work in the next few weeks to gear up for launching the studio at the beginning of the new year.
I just got back from the bank, having taken the funds from a CD that matured today and moved them into an active account in order to fund my new business endeavor. I have to spend as much of the launch cash as I can by the end of the month in order to make my taxes go away for 2011. This can be done.
But also other activities await: reworking the website to reflect my new logo and look, filing for business permits, joining the chamber of commerce, printing cards and brochures, purchasing color swatch books, and joining the AIGA.
I've started a Facebook page for the studio and have to remember to begin taking pictures to put up there. I'm going to concentrate or sharing pictures of local public graphics that I really like, as well as updates on what's happening with the launch of the studio and tracking its progress. Here's a photo I took at Andy's Diner on Colorado Boulevard (a place where we usually go to have Saturday breakfast before starting the specific chores for the day. I can guarantee you there is no Photoshopping involved here, just a weird grouping of objects in the right light.We got the tree put up this last weekend, but we have yet to finish putting on the ornaments, and we haven't begun to put out the other decorations in the room. I think this will be our nightly busywork this week.
So I leave you with the first entry in my holiday video offerings: this was the favorite from last year's collection, so I use it to kick off the blogging for this month of months, this year when Hannukah, Christmas and Kwanza are all piled on top of each other.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Holiday Review
I'm writing a review of the Thanksgiving meal I've been harping about for the past two blog entries.
The upshot: dry brining the turkey was an excellent idea. You do have to start about a week early, and the turkey takes up valuable refrigerator space during that time, but the results were superb: just in the process of carving the turkey, a good cup of clear fragrant juices oozed from the bird, and even the topmost breast meat was tender and moist.
I have yet to find a recipe for candied yams that satisfies me. I think I may have to look at boiling and mashing them, at least slightly, next year: baking alone doesn't seem to be doing it. Still, with brown sugar and pecans and butter, they weren't that bad, just a little crunchy.
The green bean casserole, at least as extolled by the Campbell's soup website, is way too slimy and salty for my taste. And mixing it all in the casserole dish doesn't cut it for me, either. The recipe will definitely get a major tweak for next year.
The cornbread stuffing worked really well, especially with apples and blueberries added in.
I need turkey gravy-making classes. It came out thin, without much taste, but without lumps. Then again, I was definitely burning out on my cooking vibe by that time, so lack of focus may have had a lot to do with it.
All in all, it was a great meal for two. I kind of like spending the holiday with just us. No compromise on who had control of the TV remote; no folks crowding the kitchen, telling how cooking that this way would make it so much better; no minor thoughts of when everyone was going to start leaving while in your postprandial trypyophan haze. And I was a really good cook and stripped the carcass after the meal instead of just shoving it into the fridge.
Now I have admit that Steve and I did go out shopping on Black Friday, but did not buy any presents. In fact, we only bought underwear, four pairs a piece. It was rather what cousin Robin calls a "ninja run": in and out with very little diversion.
Returning home after our consumer adventure in the underwear aisle there was, of course, the Friday leftovers replay (where we heated up the backup jar of turkey gravy from the store). Saturdays are traditionally our "date night" and we went out for seafood to take a break from the turkey.
On Sunday, I paid homage to dad by making turkey a la king. This was a tradition in our house when I was a kid (he made it, as well as clam chowder on Christmas and New Year's eves).
I checked with my sister Kittie, who seems to have ended up the repository of family traditions and recipes, and she did not have a recipe for the a la king, but said, "When in doubt, go to 'The Joy of Cooking,' because that's what mom or dad would have done."
I did, and found a great recipe for chicken a la king which I adapted into the version I remember from my youth (the results of which are depicted here). It was a great way to tie up the holiday weekend.
We didn't get to putting up the tree, but we did get all the laundry done (including the several sets of sheets that had been passed over in previous weeks).
Now all I have to do is dust off the Christmas carols CDs (much to Steve's chagrin). We picked up some egg nog over the weekend, so we're ready to roll.
The upshot: dry brining the turkey was an excellent idea. You do have to start about a week early, and the turkey takes up valuable refrigerator space during that time, but the results were superb: just in the process of carving the turkey, a good cup of clear fragrant juices oozed from the bird, and even the topmost breast meat was tender and moist.I have yet to find a recipe for candied yams that satisfies me. I think I may have to look at boiling and mashing them, at least slightly, next year: baking alone doesn't seem to be doing it. Still, with brown sugar and pecans and butter, they weren't that bad, just a little crunchy.
The green bean casserole, at least as extolled by the Campbell's soup website, is way too slimy and salty for my taste. And mixing it all in the casserole dish doesn't cut it for me, either. The recipe will definitely get a major tweak for next year.
The cornbread stuffing worked really well, especially with apples and blueberries added in.
I need turkey gravy-making classes. It came out thin, without much taste, but without lumps. Then again, I was definitely burning out on my cooking vibe by that time, so lack of focus may have had a lot to do with it.
All in all, it was a great meal for two. I kind of like spending the holiday with just us. No compromise on who had control of the TV remote; no folks crowding the kitchen, telling how cooking that this way would make it so much better; no minor thoughts of when everyone was going to start leaving while in your postprandial trypyophan haze. And I was a really good cook and stripped the carcass after the meal instead of just shoving it into the fridge.
Now I have admit that Steve and I did go out shopping on Black Friday, but did not buy any presents. In fact, we only bought underwear, four pairs a piece. It was rather what cousin Robin calls a "ninja run": in and out with very little diversion.
Returning home after our consumer adventure in the underwear aisle there was, of course, the Friday leftovers replay (where we heated up the backup jar of turkey gravy from the store). Saturdays are traditionally our "date night" and we went out for seafood to take a break from the turkey.
On Sunday, I paid homage to dad by making turkey a la king. This was a tradition in our house when I was a kid (he made it, as well as clam chowder on Christmas and New Year's eves).I checked with my sister Kittie, who seems to have ended up the repository of family traditions and recipes, and she did not have a recipe for the a la king, but said, "When in doubt, go to 'The Joy of Cooking,' because that's what mom or dad would have done."
I did, and found a great recipe for chicken a la king which I adapted into the version I remember from my youth (the results of which are depicted here). It was a great way to tie up the holiday weekend.
We didn't get to putting up the tree, but we did get all the laundry done (including the several sets of sheets that had been passed over in previous weeks).
Now all I have to do is dust off the Christmas carols CDs (much to Steve's chagrin). We picked up some egg nog over the weekend, so we're ready to roll.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Turkey To Come
The making of the Thanksgiving feast has overtaken me.
This is the first time I've cooked the whole thing (in my younger days, I was in charge of making the mashed potatoes) and I've gotten immersed in searching for recipes and planning out the whole thing so that, hopefully, everything will hit the table at the same time.
As for the turkey, I'm trying a new technique that's all the rage this year: dry brining. It consists of rubbing the turkey (thawed and dried) with kosher salt and seasonings, then curing it in a large zip-lock bag for three days before cooking. At the end of the first day you rub the turkey through the bag, working the salt and spices into the bird; the end of the second day (shown in video above), you rub the bird again and put it back in the refrigerator breast side down; the end of the third day, you remove the turkey from the bag and let it sit for eight hours (or more) in the refrigerator to dry. Then you cook it normally. I'll tell you how it turns out.
I'm determined to be so organized that I won't forget anything, so I went out today and picked up a platter for the turkey (even at only 9 1/2 pounds, we still don't have a platter large enough), and skewers to hold in the stuffing while cooking (the recipe calls for inverting the turkey for the first 30 minutes in a 425° oven, then turning it breast side up for another 2 hours at 325°, basting, etc.).
One thing I've realized is that I'm really picky about recipes. Looking for a candied yams recipe, I ended up taking three different versions and coming up with my own hybrid. I'll let you know how that turns out, too.
Then there's green bean casserole with crunchy onions, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and biscuits. I'm cutting corners some, using a packaged mix for the stuffing (but spiffing it up with ingredients of my own), and instant potatoes (I don't have enough pots to boil fresh ones and get everything else cooked), but I'm making the gravy from scratch. Also cutting corners, I purchased a baked pumpkin pie and a can of heavy whipping cream rather than attempting to do them myself.
One more run to the store tomorrow for extra milk (just in case) and egg nog. Also, Rice Krispies, since I have a huge bag of mini-marshmallows and I'm only using a cup of them on the yams, so Rice Krispie treats over the weekend are in order (either that or let them go stale and throw them out in a couple weeks).
So, I've got five pages of recipes, schedules and timelines printed out and sitting in the kitchen. The roasting pan just fits into the oven with enough room left over to squeeze in the yams and casserole. I'm starting at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, and the meal should hit the table about 3:15 p.m. (hopefully in tastefully presented dinnerware and not hurled in hysterical fistfuls from the kitchen).
I'll let you know how that turns out, too.
But, one thing's for sure: I'm thankful. There's so much to be thankful for, so much bounty in my life. Sure, I got things I like to bitch or whine about (you longtime readers know them by heart), but I look around and all I see are blessings in my life. Here's hoping you have the same experience for your Thanksgiving.
And, if you're lucky, we'll get enough holiday spirit together to put up the Christmas tree this weekend. If such is the case, I'm sure I'll have my annual tree picture posted in the near future.
This is the first time I've cooked the whole thing (in my younger days, I was in charge of making the mashed potatoes) and I've gotten immersed in searching for recipes and planning out the whole thing so that, hopefully, everything will hit the table at the same time.
As for the turkey, I'm trying a new technique that's all the rage this year: dry brining. It consists of rubbing the turkey (thawed and dried) with kosher salt and seasonings, then curing it in a large zip-lock bag for three days before cooking. At the end of the first day you rub the turkey through the bag, working the salt and spices into the bird; the end of the second day (shown in video above), you rub the bird again and put it back in the refrigerator breast side down; the end of the third day, you remove the turkey from the bag and let it sit for eight hours (or more) in the refrigerator to dry. Then you cook it normally. I'll tell you how it turns out.
I'm determined to be so organized that I won't forget anything, so I went out today and picked up a platter for the turkey (even at only 9 1/2 pounds, we still don't have a platter large enough), and skewers to hold in the stuffing while cooking (the recipe calls for inverting the turkey for the first 30 minutes in a 425° oven, then turning it breast side up for another 2 hours at 325°, basting, etc.).
One thing I've realized is that I'm really picky about recipes. Looking for a candied yams recipe, I ended up taking three different versions and coming up with my own hybrid. I'll let you know how that turns out, too.
Then there's green bean casserole with crunchy onions, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and biscuits. I'm cutting corners some, using a packaged mix for the stuffing (but spiffing it up with ingredients of my own), and instant potatoes (I don't have enough pots to boil fresh ones and get everything else cooked), but I'm making the gravy from scratch. Also cutting corners, I purchased a baked pumpkin pie and a can of heavy whipping cream rather than attempting to do them myself.
One more run to the store tomorrow for extra milk (just in case) and egg nog. Also, Rice Krispies, since I have a huge bag of mini-marshmallows and I'm only using a cup of them on the yams, so Rice Krispie treats over the weekend are in order (either that or let them go stale and throw them out in a couple weeks).
So, I've got five pages of recipes, schedules and timelines printed out and sitting in the kitchen. The roasting pan just fits into the oven with enough room left over to squeeze in the yams and casserole. I'm starting at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, and the meal should hit the table about 3:15 p.m. (hopefully in tastefully presented dinnerware and not hurled in hysterical fistfuls from the kitchen).
I'll let you know how that turns out, too.
But, one thing's for sure: I'm thankful. There's so much to be thankful for, so much bounty in my life. Sure, I got things I like to bitch or whine about (you longtime readers know them by heart), but I look around and all I see are blessings in my life. Here's hoping you have the same experience for your Thanksgiving.
And, if you're lucky, we'll get enough holiday spirit together to put up the Christmas tree this weekend. If such is the case, I'm sure I'll have my annual tree picture posted in the near future.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Here Come the Holidays
Been a week or so since I've dropped in to write a post. Nothing much going on. The weather has finally settled into fall, and we've actually had several storms drop rain every week or so. (This is major news in Southern California: only here does a storm that drops less than an inch of rain get "team coverage" on the nightly news.) The temperatures are in the 60s and 70s, and it gets cool enough at night that we can use the comforter on the bed rather than sleeping under just a sheet or light blanket.
I browsed YouTube for some sort of Thanksgiving cartoon or short to place here for your entertainment, but nothing inspiring was found. And nothing worth picture-taking has occurred since the last entry, so no new photos are available for sharing.
I'm still checking in with Pasadena City College, still waiting for the selection committee to review the applications and select interview candidates for the job over there. The rest of the job market has gone into another dry period: If you don't have three to five years of experience in web design with an ad agency or in-house marketing department, no one wants to speak to you, unless you can translate the Bible into JavaScript; then there's a chance you might get an interview. And all the postings are for positions that are doing the work of two people, designer and developer.
For Thanksgiving this year, we've decided to forgo having it at a restaurant in lieu of cooking it at home, which means me cooking it at home. I've never done this solo before, so it should be an interesting experience. I can't see how it would be much different from any other meal where you have numerous dishes that all have to be ready at the same time; just takes some cyphering and one or two accurate timers, that's all.
The smallest turkey we could find at the store was nine pounds, three ounces. Luckily, it fits into the freezer. I'm adding to that stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, green bean casserole and biscuits (and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, of course). So far, it's just the two of us, although there's enough to invite a couple other people over if the occasion arises.
But I refuse to become a pawn in the corporate machinations of Black Friday, which is becoming Gray Thursday Evening/Black Friday this year. Yes, corporate big box stores are opening Thursday evening so that shoppers, still high on their L-tryptophan load, can start spending as soon as electronically possible.
It's odd that we have a nationwide protest in Occupy (your town here), the people protesting corporate power and greed, and yet there is a muddle-headed, malleable middle class willing to abandon their families on the most sacred of secular U.S. holidays to fork over their hard-earned cash (or credit) to feed these soulless, amoral entities whenever marketed to do so. (Well, they're people, too, right? The corporations, I mean, not those faceless consumers-units upon which they feed.) There is protesting and rioting in the streets of most major American cities and those in power don't really seem to understand the import of that. I'm astonished.
In any case, we've decided to move our banking over to a local credit union (it is presently with a monster corporate bank that has frozen our equity line of credit for no other reason than they wanted to. My personal line of credit is still available … at a whopping 17% interest). I have a CD maturing in December, and plan to use that the open the new accounts, then close out everything with the old bank.
Maybe Thanksgiving weekend would be a good time to put up the Christmas decorations at home. I'm hoping that the pre-lighted tree we got last year will make the process a whole lot easier. Getting that holiday chore out of the way would be a good idea, and perhaps leave time in the weeks ahead to add one or two new pieces to the decorations (a garland for the entry stairs would be nice, if the price is right).
As far as the future goes, next month will be the determining point: If I start up a studio of my own instead of getting a job, then I'm going to need to make my major purchases before the 31st in order to get all the tax breaks I can. It's not a whole giant pile of money I'll need to spend, but it's enough to make my income taxes for this last year go away.
So, come on PCC: make with the interview next month so I can know where I stand by Christmas Day. And if I do go into business for myself, there will be one amazing shopping spree the week after Christmas.
I browsed YouTube for some sort of Thanksgiving cartoon or short to place here for your entertainment, but nothing inspiring was found. And nothing worth picture-taking has occurred since the last entry, so no new photos are available for sharing.
I'm still checking in with Pasadena City College, still waiting for the selection committee to review the applications and select interview candidates for the job over there. The rest of the job market has gone into another dry period: If you don't have three to five years of experience in web design with an ad agency or in-house marketing department, no one wants to speak to you, unless you can translate the Bible into JavaScript; then there's a chance you might get an interview. And all the postings are for positions that are doing the work of two people, designer and developer.
For Thanksgiving this year, we've decided to forgo having it at a restaurant in lieu of cooking it at home, which means me cooking it at home. I've never done this solo before, so it should be an interesting experience. I can't see how it would be much different from any other meal where you have numerous dishes that all have to be ready at the same time; just takes some cyphering and one or two accurate timers, that's all.
The smallest turkey we could find at the store was nine pounds, three ounces. Luckily, it fits into the freezer. I'm adding to that stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, green bean casserole and biscuits (and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, of course). So far, it's just the two of us, although there's enough to invite a couple other people over if the occasion arises.
But I refuse to become a pawn in the corporate machinations of Black Friday, which is becoming Gray Thursday Evening/Black Friday this year. Yes, corporate big box stores are opening Thursday evening so that shoppers, still high on their L-tryptophan load, can start spending as soon as electronically possible.
It's odd that we have a nationwide protest in Occupy (your town here), the people protesting corporate power and greed, and yet there is a muddle-headed, malleable middle class willing to abandon their families on the most sacred of secular U.S. holidays to fork over their hard-earned cash (or credit) to feed these soulless, amoral entities whenever marketed to do so. (Well, they're people, too, right? The corporations, I mean, not those faceless consumers-units upon which they feed.) There is protesting and rioting in the streets of most major American cities and those in power don't really seem to understand the import of that. I'm astonished.
In any case, we've decided to move our banking over to a local credit union (it is presently with a monster corporate bank that has frozen our equity line of credit for no other reason than they wanted to. My personal line of credit is still available … at a whopping 17% interest). I have a CD maturing in December, and plan to use that the open the new accounts, then close out everything with the old bank.
Maybe Thanksgiving weekend would be a good time to put up the Christmas decorations at home. I'm hoping that the pre-lighted tree we got last year will make the process a whole lot easier. Getting that holiday chore out of the way would be a good idea, and perhaps leave time in the weeks ahead to add one or two new pieces to the decorations (a garland for the entry stairs would be nice, if the price is right).
As far as the future goes, next month will be the determining point: If I start up a studio of my own instead of getting a job, then I'm going to need to make my major purchases before the 31st in order to get all the tax breaks I can. It's not a whole giant pile of money I'll need to spend, but it's enough to make my income taxes for this last year go away.
So, come on PCC: make with the interview next month so I can know where I stand by Christmas Day. And if I do go into business for myself, there will be one amazing shopping spree the week after Christmas.
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