Chanukah Supper... Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Acorn Squash, Latkas and Applesauce

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

Jackets required...  temps in the high 40’s feeling just a touch below warm...  the brisk breeze reminding that winter’s solstice is nearly upon us...   daylight becoming scarce as the Persephone phase reaches its peak...  but as she journeys back from the underworld the days lengthen and soon spring will be welcomed once again...  the renewal of life.

This mornings sunrise was spectacularly brilliant...   reds...  golds...  oranges...   fuchsias...  and violets gracing the horizon as the sun emerges from her sleep...  tree branches standing naked before the dawn beckoning with their arms to the suns arrival.   

Happy Chanukah to all who celebrate...  lighting the candles...  enjoying crisp potato latkas...  sweet applesauce...  Parmesan chicken (not quite the meal of my grandmother...  but a tasty version of chicken none the less) a half acorn squash bathed in agave nectar and baked till softened...  and a glass of wine to accompany the meal...   followed by coffee for the hubs and chocolates for us both...  a little Chanukah gelt for nourishment! 

In these dark times the lights of Chanukah remind us that miracles are still possible...  believing is seeing!   Stay safe...  mask up...   limit social interactions...  and wash those germy hands!

The Official Cake of 2020

 The official cake of 2020!!! 

Chicken Vegetable Soup with Roasted Pork Meatballs & Apple Cranberry Crisp

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...  

The Big Chill...  that’s the current situation here in the Big Apple...  with temps in the high 30’s through the day and dipping below freezing at night...  no birds chirping or squirrels chasing one another through the trees today...  Mr Sam didn’t ask to go out on the deck...  bright skies belying the bitter cold...  few remaining leaves rising in a flurry of activity only to settle back onto the grass...  ran outside to take out the trash...  maybe 20 seconds...  wind blew the cold right through shirt and pants...  rushing back inside...  grateful for the warmth of a secure virus free home.  

Thought about that for a long while...  how fortunate some of us are while others wait on long lines for a box of food to get them through the week...  eviction hanging over their heads...  all through no fault of their own...  pandemic destroying their lives...  stealing their jobs...  their loved ones health...  never forgetting that a series of unfortunate events could easily change any of our situations tomorrow.  

Supper tonight was fridge clean out day...  a bunch of parsnips getting wrinkly... a few turnips softening... a basket of old apples too mealy for a snack...  a warm soup of onions, garlic, parsnips, turnips, swiss chard, homemade chicken stock, herbs and pork meatballs...  roasted in the oven and added into the bowl...  served with shaved Parmesan and a glass of wine to celebrate the hubs improvement.  Dessert an apple cranberry crisp...  which we ate before a photo was snapped...  ooops 🙃...  don’t like wasting food...  so this meal made me happy.

Today was V day in the UK... shots into the arms of the Brits...  and the US following suit within days...  100 million at risk Americans will be eligible for a vaccine over the next months...  followed by the remaining population.  So close to the finish line...  and yet so many folks contracting the virus each day...   stay safe...   stay alive...  don’t allow the virus to steal your future...  wear a mask...  limit social interactions...  and wash those germy hands!  🥰

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Roasted Salmon & Brown Rice with Chicken, Eggplant and Onions

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

Baby it’s cccccold outside...  high temp today a biting 39°F...  blustery wind keeping the chill on...  bright beautiful blue skies enjoyed from the comfort of the living room...  the suns rays warming the floor boards where Mr Sam found a spot to enjoy an afternoon nap...  the hubs partaking as well snuggled under a blanket on the couch.

The gingerbread house is taking shape...  thus far walls are up and it’s standing on its own...  now to leave it to dry completely before attaching the roof.   It’s been quite a bit of work...  but such fun...  and a great distraction from the awful news on the spread of covid exploding all over the country.

Supper tonite was chicken vegetable soup...  oven roasted salmon with thyme and lemon...  brown rice with eggplant, chicken and bits of pork and onion... cobbled together from Chinese food leftovers...  accompanied by a delightful Cabernet Sauvignon and a smiling hubs sitting at the dinner table...  he even made his way to the basement to visit Mr Sam in the early afternoon...  progress!  

Trying to straighten up the living area a bit to accommodate our holiday decorations...  feeling a bit cluttered these days...  time to have a giant throw out party (one of my favorite activities) and give items away on our neighborhood Buy Nothing Facebook page.   It’s a blessing to give to folks in need...  something we try to do all year...  but especially at holiday time.

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Gingerbread Houses and Naughty Cats

 Quarantine activities of the day...   Live from NYC... 

This one’s for you Manuela Roth!  I have been watching you making your gorgeous gingerbread houses for a while now.  Today I said to the hubs...  if she wasn’t in Australia I would order one...  but it’s too far!  

So today I decided to make one...  in your honor Manuela!  It will be only one (not 30) and it won’t be anywhere near as pretty as yours...  but it will be here in NYC...  and that will be enough!  BTW...  my arms ache from rolling out this dough... it is tough stuff...  you must have the arms of a wrestler by now! 

Just as I finished the last of the four walls Mr Sam decided he was curious about what these gigantic cookies were... he took his little paw...  hooked his claws into the edge of the cooling mat...  and crashed them all to the floor...  luckily only two pieces broke and I had enough dough left to make replacements...  lucky for him or we would have had them made out of CAT!  

I now have them drying on the dining room table away from curious claws! 

He is now hiding in the basement...  doesn’t like getting scolded one bit!  And didn’t get any of the gingerbread to eat either!  Naughty boy! 

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Turkey Meat Loaf and Oven Roasted Potatoes with Garden Salad

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

Another gray day...  sun abandoning the Big Apple...  low clouds morphing into drizzle by late afternoon...  heavy rain ensuing by nightfall...   wet leaves plastered onto sidewalks...   collecting in soggy piles blocking catch basins...  squirrels and birds silently enduring the drip drip of another rainy day.  Folks hustling along sidewalks...  shoulders hunched into collars pulled up against the drops...  brightly colored umbrellas... a visual respite from the dull drab surroundings.

Market day...  dashing between the drops...  into the empty store to collect groceries for the weeks meals...  shaking off the rain like a damp puppy...   virtually no one about...  still finding it difficult to locate items in the newly refurbished and reorganized aisles...  returning home... the hubs...  reclining...  leg elevated...  fresh off a call with his kids.  Time to unpack the goodies and prep supper.

Turkey loaf dressed with ketchup and sriracha for a little poke...  oven roasted potatoes...  applesauce...  crisp garden salad with greenhouse tomatoes (December...  still enjoying tomatoes from our harvest...  woo hoo) and a lovely glass of Cabernet Sauvignon...  first glass for the hubs since surgery...  eaten at the kitchen table!!  He even watched the news on the couch for a bit before returning to bed...  progress!!  

New Covid cases rose today by 9853...  almost 10,000 newly reported cases each day...  275,000 souls lost to this virus 🦠 now the number one cause of death in America...  wear your mask...  limit personal interactions only with  your household...  and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Pea Soup, Quinoa Pie & Red Cabbage Slaw

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

🎼 🎶 Blue skies smiling at me...  nothin’ but blue skies do I see 🎶

The thermometer gliding up to 50°F this afternoon under bright skies...  calm winds allowing the mercury to climb...  pausing at a traffic light...  window open...  enjoying the warmth...  hearing throngs of sparrows chirping among branches of a twenty foot bamboo grove...  folks out dog walking...  eyes crinkling behind their masks...  nodding hello as they pass one another...  a group of kids on bicycles zipping by...  amidst a pandemic raging out of control people finding small ways to enjoy their day.  

The hubs got an A+ from the surgeon today...  X-ray showed bones aligned properly and healing progressing well.   After ten days of little movement... the 14 stairs from the 2nd floor bedroom...   a few more to the curb...  a quick walk to the car...  into the elevator and up to the office...  onto the examining table...  back to the elevator...  over to the car...  up the few steps into the house...  and up the 14 stairs to the second floor...  all with crutches and a brace from hip to ankle...  finally back to bed...   exhausted...  after a short nap his energy and appetite returned.  The surgeon will re-examine him one month from now...  following that visit...  12 weeks of rehab...  a long road to recovery.

Tonites supper a comforting bowl of vegetarian pea soup with the remaining quinoa pie and red cabbage slaw.  Pea soup is a favorite...  it’s silky mouthfeel and peppery flavor a home run on a chilly night.  

Covid 🦠 is kicking our collective butts right now...  14 million known cases in the US alone...  200,000 new reported cases just today!   Another 2900 Americans died from covid today...  in the next three months we may lose another 50,000 or more souls to this virus...  c’mon folks...  the simple act of following protocols could save YOUR life or the life of someone you love...  please...  wear a mask...  socialize only with your household...  and wash those germy hands. 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?