exceeding the speed limit

Monday, Monday...la la, lalalahhhh

(photo credit Getty Images)

My pal Kelly.  Kelly, Kelly, Kelly.  She had always wanted to go to the outlets at midnight to shop on Thanksgiving night.  Last year I semi-agreed to it, but after cooking for 2 days, running a "turkey trot 10k" having Thanksgiving dinner and too much wine I told her I was sleeping.  Fast forward this year.  I still did the cooking thing, well, part of it, didn't run a 10k, didn't have dinner guests, didn't have too much wine, so guess what I did?  I had long wondered what in the world could be worth staying up all night at the outlets.  Turns out, plenty!

We pulled into the parking lot at 11:30, and there was barely a space to be had.  Throngs of foreigners, bargain hunters, door-buster special seeking whack-os and Kelly and me.  Suddenly feeling energized by the madness and stacks of polar fleece I began thinking this was fun.  It's also like the greeting card I once bought that said "Let's go bowling in Canada sometime so we can say, 'Remember that time we went bowling in Canada?'"  Now we can say, "Remember that time we shopped all night at the outlets and didn't get home until 9:30 a.m.?!"  Although it is said that sometimes getting 50% off means you are spending 50% too much.  True that.  BUT, there were EXTRA incentives for people who were willing to stay up from 3-5 a.m..  Yup, an extra 20% off.  We got to the point of asking flat out if there was extra incentive and if the answer was no, then we'd leave!  Then there was the point where we reached punch-drunk delirium.  There is a store called Lids.  They sell baseball caps.  Why they didn't call it Caps, I don't know.  I looked at Kelly and asked her how much she would pay me if I asked their sales person where the Tupperware lids were.  She bet me breakfast.  Game on.  I walked in and asked some baby faced teen, (the kind of kid who probably just started shaving the 6 hairs on his chin) where their Tupperware lids were.  Completely straight faced.  I got the deer in headlights just got stumped look from baby saIes guy.  I had the shock and awe look of disgust on my face when he said they didn't sell Tupperware.  So I proceeded to ask, "This is a lid store and you only have baseball caps?  Ok, thanks. (sarcastic tone).  Kelly bolted and we both giggled and on we went.  Don't even get me going on when I asked the Samsonite luggage guy where the Silhouette Spinners were and then why don't they have spinner wheels???  And when I asked the guy with three boxes of shoes in his hands if he could get me a size....yeah, he didn't work there.

Off we go.  Tomorrow is December 1.  Whatever you do, whatever you don't, whatever you give up, whatever you take on try to remember the real reason for the season.  It's Christmas, not an issue of Martha Stewart Living.  And I hope you have at least one good, let's go bowling in Canada size laugh along the way!

1000 Layer Crackers=1000 Possibiities

I had a near meltdown while shopping yesterday.  First I got jumped (not robbed, he just cut in front of me and 6 other people) in line at Michael's by some punk with his iPod on buying colored duct tape.  There were no parking spaces open at Santana Row at 11 a.m. on a Sunday. (how come you people aren't in church??)  But, the worst is that there is Christmas "crap" up everywhere and Johnny Mathis singing "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"!    No Johnny, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! And then the mother of all sins, some dip at Trader Joe's has a Thanksgiving size cart full of food and she is just standing there watching the checker while the lines are half the store long of people waiting.  Cardinal rule of Trader Joe's: on the weekend and if they are busy, you bag your own groceries.   Sheesh. 

 

Ok, kind, level headed, tolerant Dawnielle re-entering the building....

Anywhoo, since the holidays are breathing down our backs, here is a little trick to keep up your sleeve....1000 Layer Crackers from Trader Joe's.

I LOVE these crackers.  They even come (environmentally unfriendly) wrapped in their own individual wrappers.  So special.  They are like a cross between a multi-grain cracker and puff pastry and a hint of sugar.  Yum.  The possibilities for topping these babies is endless....perhaps you can try:

Smoked Salmon, cream cheese and dill

Feta & cream cheese with radishes

Goat cheese, persimmons and a balsamic reduction drizzle

Grilled butterflied spicey shrimp and guacamole

Sweet ricotta and raspberries

Tomorrow is one of those lets drive everywhere at mach 10 speed and then act calm and polite with the mom's at school and then drive like a bat out of hell again picking up kids, green beans and shallots...

Stay tuned for Yam Yums....

Hey, what are you doing for turkey day, anyway?  Oh yeah, I'm counting my blessings....are you?

I'm Dreaming of a White Kitchen

Download 12 White Christmas

Forget White Christmas'.  I'm dreaming of a white kitchen.  No upper cabinets, I'm only 5'3" and can't reach half of the precious plates and half sets of Riedel wine glasses that I have.  Windows with lots of light, please.  Since it's a recession and soap stone is a little pricey (and not altogether practical) I'll *settle* for honed black granite and a large island with a hand oiled walnut butcher block top.  While we're at it, Santa Baby, side by side Sub Zero refrigerator and freezers would be great.   Please don't forget the glass subway tiles, pot filler, reclaimed antique pine flooring and double farm sinks.  A large space for recycling that doesn't show, and Santa, a kiss under the mistletoe won't be all mama will give up if there is a custom spice rack for exotic spices like Paradise Seeds from West Africa and Madagascar Vanilla or Aleppo chilies from Turkey and and salts like Bolivian pink salt, from around the world that all have matching glass bottles in alphabetical and color order.  I'm getting flush.  Can you imagine what I would be able to do with six burners and a griddle in middle????  While you're elves are making the spice rack, perhaps they could take a shot at a wrap around bookcase for all of my cookbooks and a lounge chair for me to dream up dinner schemes.

Screeching brakes*****************I realized Santa wasn't "real" when I was seven.  Architects have slightly recognizable handwriting, and, yup, my dad is an architect. That, combined with putting out HIS favorite cookie, was a dead ringer to this 2nd grader that Santa was not coming down our chimney.  I win mother of the year for ruining that childhood truth for my 12 1/2 year old THIS year.  She actually thought the Easter Bunny was a bit of a stretch (and a scary thought that a ginormous fake fur rabbit ala the mall bunny would be hopping around the 'hood with baskets), but Santa, he's real.  Makes it all around the world to every house in one night.  Gotta believe to receive!   (Gotta get her head checked :)

Here are some really fabulous, realistic, kitchen finds for the foodie on your Christmas list!  Forget Oprah's favorite things...

 

A subscription to one of the best cooking mags out there, Fine Cooking.  I've never made anything from this magazine that didn't turn out awesome.  Yes, Cooks is fantastic, too, but I'm a picture girl and there are some fine food photos for ya, too.  $29.95 for one year (6 issues).

My girls fell in love with the mini chopper while visiting my sister this summer.  Slightly easier to clean than it's grown up counterpart.  A Sur la Table exclusive, these cute Cuisinart mini-choppers are just $39.95.  They also have the hand immersion blender and hand held mixer in four fun colors.  Guess what my girls are getting this Christmas?  Mama's gonna start a little cooking hope chest for them for when they go bye-bye and have their own places to make messes cook.

 

 Got a doodler?  Love, love these chalkboard frames ($6.95) and placemats ($15.95) from Papersource.  I was so inspired by the bedroom in 500 Days of Summer.  Yes, I am too old for that movie, albeit clever.  If I don't ever end up with a proper bedroom set for Mac, I will, in fact, draw his headboard and book cases in chalk.  These reclaimed chalkboard coasters ($35) are "green", great and an inspired alternative to the "stem gem" wine glass tags from Uncommongoods.com.

And finally, some good books for cooks and even those who just like pictures, from Amazon.com!! (and a dvd).  I really don't know why more publishers don't do audio versions of their cookbooks by the chef.  Brilliant idea #687 for someone to steal and make money.  Seriously, how do you think cooking shows on tv started?  I can do anything someone tells me!  Julia Child.  The beloved first TV chef.  Now available on DVD, The French Chef.  These are classics.  Most shows were done in one take without editing and there were a lot of practical jokes on the set, hence, Julia laughing all the time and looking buzzed.  But, she wasn't!

I love watching Iron Chef, and had big hopes for Nate Applebaum from San Francisco's A16.  Yes, he's super cocky, tatts in lieu of sleeves, and probably fibs too much, but his food was inspired.  He got kicked off, so I'm gonna hit the city and have lunch at A16 instead of watching.  Or maybe I'll just cook from the A 16 Food and Wine Cookbook.

Ad Hoc!  Truth be told, I really use cookbooks for inspiration and flavor combining, not really so much for recipes.  Ad Hoc is Thomas Keller's latest restaurant in Yountville, CA.  It's namesake for "for this purpose", which was only supposed to be temporary, but got such great reviews they decided to stay open permanently.  An upscale, California- family style eatery, not to be underestimated by thinking family style means Buca de Beppo.  You can take me to The French Laundry (kicking and screaming, nooooooo!  ha ha), but let's just say I can relate more to the Ad Hoc approach.

Teens Cook:  How to Cook What You Want to Eat  I can't tell you how annoyed I get when I look for cookbooks for kids.  It's either they can do it all by themselves (i.e. spaghetti sauce on an English muffin with cheese) or parents are doing the cutting and stove top stuff.  As long as I'm there, I'll even let my 6 year old make eggs.  Claire goes on Epicurious.com all the time and makes great recipes.  Kids will eat gourmet - especially if they own it!  Here's a book where they can take on a bit more of what they are interested in eating.

The New Portuguese Table.  I want to go to Spain and Portugal so bad I can taste it!  Ok, I can't taste it, but maybe with the help of this book I can bring a little Portuguese village into my home!

Channel your inner June Cleaver?

"Jitterbug" apron from Anthropologie ($32.00) . I don't wear aprons.  I have several stained sweaters to prove that.  If I did, tho, I'd wear a little ditty like this.  Maybe some pearls.  Nothing else????  Never mind.  Don't want to scare anyone. :P

Mama mia!   Mi piace molto!  I can feel the crossover from good gifts for other people to me...:)  Love these glasses.  $18 at Anthropologie.com.

There's an app for that.

And finally, the iPhone 3GS.  For cooks you say?  Absolutely!   I love my Epicurious app.  Not only can I search for recipes there, but also make a list for all of the items I need for it from the store.  No time to wait in line?  Chipotle has an on phone ordering app.  You choose the location you want to pick it up, then create your menu item/toppings.  Starbucks is also working on their app and soon you'll be able to phone in your drink order and pay via your phone!  Don't know how long to cook steak?  Try the Weber's On The.. app for grilling tips and recipes.  There's even a Mixologist drink app for 7900 drink recipes and Pair It! food and wine pairing guide.  And, if you don't feel like cooking, you can make a reservation and get points through Open Table, but check out Zagat '09 before you go for the best recommendations.  I want a new iPhone so I can surf even faster! 

Enough already.  I'll work on my actual food and wine list for next week!  Gee, all because I was thinking about a kitchen.  Happy shopping.

As American as Apple Pie

We had one of those big event kind of weeks.  First, our friends Judy and Andre from South Africa became, *proud moment*, Americans.  We had never been to a swearing in ceremony where someone we knew became a US citizen.  Rolled in 2 minutes after 10:00 to find a PACKED theatre that closely resembled a functional version of the United Nations.  Fifty two nations represented, all with eager eyes of the very reality that they too could live the American dream.  You can call me corny, but tears welled up in my eyes as they played a video of immigrants coming to America - and despite the poignant, but cheesy, "Proud to be an American" song playing in the background.  We take so much for granted living here!

Then on Friday we celebrated Mark getting his second Master's degree in Engineering.  Kelly even ate steak.  (and she made a fantastic fondue appi, but I didn't want to double dip that category...will post later).  Working a full time job is one thing, but finishing a second master's is another.  Lot's of weekends and late nights.  Doug will be thrilled to have his buddy back!

So, now, some apple pie! 

I love this pie dough recipe.  It has never let me down!  (yay vodka).  An acceptable alternative?  Trader Joe's frozen pie crust.  It's made with real butter and the taste is more natural than Pillsbury.

Apple Pie

6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1 TBSP all purpose flour

1-2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP butter, in cut into tiny cubes

1/2 tsp. salt

cream/sugar for top crust.

Preheat oven to 425.

Roll out bottom layer of pie crust and line a 9" pie pan with it. Layer apples and dot with butter.  Roll out top layer and place over the top of apples.  Trim excess (if necessary).  Crimp sides together.

Place apples in large bowl and toss with lemon juice (this will help prevent browning).  Mix all dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add dry mixture to apples.  Slice a hole in the top to vent.  If you are fancy Nancy, you can make a design on top ;).  Brush top of pie with cream.  Sprinkle sugar over top of that.

Place pie on lowest rack of your oven.  I usually put a cookie sheet under the pie, in case of sugar boiling over.  Bake pie at 425 for 15 minutes.  Take pie out of over, cover edges with foil and continue baking at 375 on the middle rack for another 45 minutes, or until evenly browned and apples are tender.