come on, ride the train

i would definitely ride the train again. our itinerary was just about perfect:

just before 10pm: we boarded the train. there are no security lines at train stations. we just walked from the building (where we printed out our tickets at an electronic kiosk) and walked to our train car. stan showed us our room and told us wine, cheese, and fruit were being served in the dining car.

patrick toting luggage

10:00pm: train departs. we sip wine in the dining car at a shared table with another passenger. we nibble cheese and grapes. dan gives us healthy refills.

10:45pm: head back to our room. which is mini-mini-mini! we open more wine. we don't even need the cheese that we packed; so we decide to take it to his parents' house. we get into our "jammies" and pull out the bottom bunk.

11:00pm: decide to boycott all things reminding us of india, in light of recent events, and pop in wall-e instead of the darjeeling limited.

12:00pm: i have fallen asleep. patrick pulls down top bunk and i crawl up. a belt-type thing that one can rig from the ceiling to the bunk in place of a bed rail is stuck near my feet. i must tuck feet under this belt to get all the way under blanket. it is uncomfortable, but i am tired and don't understand.

2:00am/4:00am/6:00am: i think i woke up wondering if it was morning. i was definitely wishing i had the more comfortable bottom bunk.

8:00am: i wake up and it is light outside. my watch says 7am, but we changed time zones so it's already 8:00! i promptly move down and make myself fit on bottom bunk. patrick says it's time to get up. i sleepily decide i must get a picture of lake eerie. i get this instead:

9:05am: we wash up and get dressed, tuck the bunk beds away, and we are ready for breakfast. we eat with an older couple at our table. the lady is non-stop-talky-talky. her husband hardly says a word. i understand why -- he slept on the top bunk.

dining car menu for the lake shore limited

9:45am: we head back to our room and realize we have to make our football picks for our football pool, pronto! so patrick pulls out the laptop. i decide to curl my hair. then i make my picks, to patrick's unwelcomed rushing, because we are almost to rochester. i make my picks. we pack up the rest of our things.

10:38am: we're there!

chewy pumpkin goodness

hmph. well i slept in, finished my book, went to mendon ponds park, had a scrumptious turkey- cranberry-and-stuffing sandwich, and i'm footballed out. so, back to blogging i guess.

d. pumpkin pretzels

i adapted a soft-baked pretzel recipe found online to make it more appropriate for my favorite harvest holiday – added pumpkin!

• the first time i made it, the dough was too soft to shape into pretzel shapes, so they became 'pretzel rolls' (at this point, i adapted a williams-sonoma pretzel mix by adding pumpkin and spices, which is an alternative to working from scratch)

• the second time, i made them from scratch. i wanted to be 'healthier' and used wheat flour. spit. gross. bleck. don't do this.

• the third time, i added a little more pumpkin, and a little more cinnamon. MUCH better, chewy pumpkin goodness
  

what you'll need ... for the pretzels:

• 1 package live active yeast
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 1/8 t. salt
• 1 1/2 C. warm water (110 degrees)
• 3 C. all purpose flour
• 1 C. bread flour
• 3/4 can pumpkin pie filling (optional)
  
• cinnamon to taste (optional)
• pumpkin pie spice to taste (optional)

... for just before baking:

• 2 T. baking soda
• 2 C. warm water

... for just after baking

• 2 T. melted butter
• sugar/cinnamon mixture (or coarse kosher salt if you didn't add pumpkin & spices to recipe)

directions:
in a large mixing bowl add yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt. test water with thermometer; when 110 degrees, add to bowl. stir to dissolve. add both types of flour and pumpkin and stir well.

note on flour: try reading this post from amanda; she's a bread-baking expert. read her entire blog if you want to feel both incredibly inadequate in the kitchen and impressed beyond belief at the same time.

place dough on floured surface. knead dough until smooth and elastic; about 8 minutes (to knead, press down on dough with your palm and fold dough over; rotate 1/4 turn and repeat until dough is ready). don't be scared if it's really sticky, that's from the pumpkin, just keep kneading. i worked in a little more flour while kneading; not sure if that's ok to do, but it sure seemed to work.

grease a large bowl. place dough in bowl then turn dough over so both surfaces are coated. cover with towel and let rise for one hour in a warm spot.

combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan. after the dough has risen, divide into 12 pieces. roll each piece into a rope about 1/2 inch wide. twist into pretzel shape. dip into the baking soda solution (completely! it gets wet!). place on greased cookie sheets and let rise 15-20 minutes.

bake at 450°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (or salt).

makes 12 pretzels. enjoy and share with friends.

extra thankful!

we have heard from tiiu & ed! they are safe and now trying to get home. a reason to give even more thanks today! we don't know any of the terrifying details, nor exactly how they escaped. all we know is that they have only the clothes they were wearing.

-- thank you to everyone for the comments and good thoughts!! --

need good thoughts now – mumbai attacks

perhaps you met tiiu and ed (aka jack nicholson) at our wedding. they are in the taj mahal hotel which is currently under terrorist attack. three hours ago friends spoke to them and they were apparently in a 'safe room' yet that is all they said. breaking news says the hotel is now on fire. please send prayers for all. i'll update as we know more.

Carnage in India; hotel hostages held

Gunmen have targeted nine locations in south Mumbai, including two luxury hotels and a train station. A state spokesman put the death toll in the attacks at 78. Gunmen have taken over the Taj Mahal Hotel and Hotel Oberoi and are holding guests hostage on multiple floors, a Mumbai police spokesman says.

Gunmen have opened fire at a number of sites in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing at least 78 people and injuring about 200 more.

Police said shooting was continuing and that the incidents were co-ordinated terrorist attacks. Gunmen have taken hostages at two luxury hotels.

At least seven sites have been targeted across India's financial capital.

A fire is sweeping through the Taj Palace, Mumbai's most famous hotel which is now surrounded by troops.

i hear the train a comin'

"i hear the train a comin', it's rollin' 'round the bend

and i ain't seen the sunshine since, i don't know when"

- johnny cash



(my mom used to sing this one on her guitar...)

tonight we're hopping the LAKESHORE LIMITED to rochester, new york. we depart union station at 10pm in our mini-bedroom-ette and arrive in rochester about 10am.

we've packed wine, cheese, crackers, the darjeeling limited, and a laptop for the ride. and all i can think about is the satc episode (#73 the big journey) where carrie and samantha head west via locomotive.

happy travels and happy thanksgivings, friends!

winter warriors: week 5

it was 24 degrees when we headed out saturday morning, and a balmy 25 degrees when we returned. saturday not only marked the coldest run of the season, it also marked a personal first - 8 miles.

i moved up a pace group a week ago, which was during a cut-back week to see how i would do. don't get me wrong, i totally loved the pace leaders of my prior group, jessica and amy. jessica is from laguna beach. and being from california obviously means - awesome. and just last week after our wednesday night group run, during the 'social' that followed (in a cute party room at a bar across the street from our starting point), i found out she went to pitzer (that's another school in the claremont colleges consortium)! she's on the chicago endurance sport webpage right now, in the lakers costume.

so that group turned out to be all women, and about my age (the few guys must have switched groups after the first week). my new group is more mixed in gender and age, and a little bit more serious (that's the wrong word, i just mean not as silly-non-serious as jessica and amy. they were like the jessica & amy comedy hour, and they'd yell at each other the whole time). while not as entertaining as running with the girls, this group was so sweet and encouraging to hear i'd never run saturday's distance before and congratulated me even as early as in the last mile. so super sweet. i think i'll stay in this group.

about cold-ness

so i am pretty perplexed as to how it is that i get so friggin' cold (it's my m.o.) nearly all the time, yet during these runs, i am just fine. i guess i warm up really fast when exercising. that, and we just haven't really had bad weather yet. but if any of you have ever worked out with me (or coached me playing soccer, dad), you know i turn beet red nearly instantly. and my face stays red forever after i am done. maybe that has something to do with it? definitely the right gear helps (which is what i always say about winter in chicago in general). but about three minutes after we are done, i turn freezing.

about winter wear in chicago

i am actually warmest and the most comfortable in the dead of winter i think, when it's totally normal to be in big down coats and layered scarves. that look is not as acceptable in the fall or spring. otherwise, i'd be just fine all the time. basically, i hate in-between weather. and i love snow.

tday potluck "people photos" for slyman

since she usually obliges to my requests for"photos, please!" ... i will return the favor at sarah lyman's request. here are some people photos:

candid shot as people arrived. what is patrick doing? nice sneakers.

katherine sandwich!

so really, how many guys does it take to cook a turkey?

nkotb forever!

what's your name again?

adam is really, really good at carving a turkey!

patrick was cranking out vodka poms all night

shots, really? you can dress us up like adults ... but you can't make us behave like them!

ok, this is a very boring "candid" video of dinner time. really, nothing happens:

introducing the newest mini-cooper

i know that she is suddenly incredibly busy, but my former co-worker/big sis in the workplace, danielle, has been know to occasionally check up on this here blog. i hope that D happens to catch this post since it is all about her and her super big year!

me & D, circa 2006

earlier this year danielle married the man of her dreams, terry eastwood (a firefighter, to boot!), on the serene tahoe lakefront. congrats mrs. eastwood!

and later in the year, the couple were joined by COOPER JAMES! (leslie, check out his nugget!?)

little cj arrived 17 days early! is he cute or what?

it is so exciting seeing D as a mother! she will be a really, really awesome mom!

first post on winter warriors

it is 32 degrees outside.

it feels like 25 degrees.

the sun is going to set at 4:26pm.

and at 6:30pm i will lose my mind and run OUTSIDE in the dark cold. what has this city done to me?

a pre t-day potluck

i'll start by posting the menu, and some of the recipes. there were a dozen people total for dinner; we were then joined by +2 (lara's friends) for post-feast cocktails.

nicole's signature butternut squash dip:

Yield

4 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash
• 1 small Walla Walla or other sweet onion, trimmed and quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or whole sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Brush cut sides of squash halves, cut sides of onion quarters, and garlic cloves with oil. Arrange squash halves, cut sides down, on a jelly-roll pan; arrange onion quarters and garlic cloves on pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Peel squash. Squeeze garlic cloves to extract pulp.

Place squash, onion, and garlic pulp in a food processor; process until smooth. Add crème fraîche and remaining ingredients; process to combine. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 35 (28% from fat)

Diane Morgan, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

amy's orange and almond salad:

amy's awesome "GBC:"

adam & elaine's cheesey cheesey potatoes:

Sure! Let me know if you are able to read this…sometimes the format doesn’t come out right when you copy and past from the internet…

2 cup French-fried onion rings
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 7.6 oz package butter & herbed mashed potato mix
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
4 cup frozen hash browns
4 ounce cream cheese
1 stick butter
2 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring the water to a boil and add the hash browns. Cook for 5 minutes and drain. In a separate pot, prepare the mashed potato mix according to the package directions. Soften the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave. In a large bowl, mix together the hash browns, mashed potatoes butter, cream cheese, jack cheese, sour cream, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Sprinkle the onion rings over the casserole and bake for about 5-8 minutes longer until onions are golden brown.

Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes-1 hour

jankovich turkey bacon stuffing:

1 Whole loaf of White Bread Toasted and cut into squares

Sautee the following:

• 2 cups onions finely chopped (about 1 onion)
• 2 cups celery finely chopped
• 1 lb turkey bacon chopped
• 4-8 Tbsp butter

After sautéing stir in the following:

• ¾ Tsp Salt
• ½ Tsp pepper
• ¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 Tsp Ground cloves

Add the mixture to the toasted bread and mix together

Slowly Stir in 1 Cup Chicken Broth

Add one egg (Optional)

And mix together.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Add the mixture into a shallow buttered baking dish.

Cover and bake the dressing at 350 for 25-40 minutes.

For a crispy top layer, uncover for the last 15 minutes.

nana's cranberry ice (recipe from holly - that's holly when she says "i")

(so we didn't actually have this at our dinner, but katherine definitely tried to make it!)

2 1/2 c. water

1 qt. water

2 c. sugar

1 lb. cranberries (I think I use frozen)

Boil together for 5 min: 2 1/2 c. water and sugar. Take off heat and cool.

Cook cranberries in 1 qt. water until soft. DO NOT drain!

When syrup is cool, squeeze cranberries through a fruit press into the syrup. Pour into 2 large bowls. When set, break up and beat with a mixer until fluffy. Beat again the next day. The more beatings the better (kinda sounds dirty, doesn't it)

OK, so's here's some options since no one has fruit presses anymore...I'm not even sure what it is. So, the next best option is a fine seive. Pour the cranberries and juice in there and smoosh them through with the back of a big spoon. The whole point is to get the cranberry flavor but not the skins. If you don't own a fine seive, buy a chinois mousselin, its a conical shaped seive perfect for this purpose (but a fine seive will work fine). So now you have the berries smooshed and moxed with the syrup. If you happen to own an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in now and let the maker do the work! But I don't think you own one, so you have to do it the old way...freeze in 2 bowls, it will all fit in one, but it is way too hard to beat that way, so put it in 2. Use an electric beater/mixer to beat it. It should be bright pink and ice-y when you are done! Yummy...I don't get any this year since I will be at my other grandma's house. Oh, if you make it, send a picture to Nana, she will be so proud =)

pre-thanksgiving thanksgiving!

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!!

and we are set to celebrate a little early this year with a potluck at our place this upcoming weekend. (hey, didn't we celebrate halloween early, too?)

it sounds like we will have some scrumptious food and some good friends coming over. i am looking forward to next weekend tremendously --- just have to get through this busy week first.

miss lara is in town ... patrick is in minneapolis through friday... and i scoot out to tampa mid-week. by next weekend, all should be in the same place at the same time. hooray for pre-thanksgiving!!

we weren't at grant park, but it was still a hub-bub

last night we got lots of phone calls and texts asking if we were at grant park.

the grant park rally had been in the news around these parts for quite awhile. tickets became available, then immediately not available. there were 65,000 free tickets. so ... if one did not have a ticket, one could go to butler field, north of the set-up at grant park and hang out there. but it was a different section of the park.

as the excitement around here mounted, it was a struggle deciding whether to join all the people who would gather at the park, and around the park. to be a part of history.

we weren't sure what it would be like for the people who did not have tickets (the ones with tickets are the ones you saw on tv during the speech) ... how long we might be standing. what we'd even be able to hear. or if we'd be able to even see a tv. or how well the crowds would be managed. we definitely wanted to be able to watch the election unfold. and unfortunately, we still had our jobs to get back to early this morning.

i scoped it out after work, and the park was buzzing. lots of vendors selling obama t-shirts and "i was there" buttons. getting caught up in the rush, i bought a "victory" button. what am i going to do with that button? i don't wear buttons. maybe my bulletin board. but i was glad i went to see it, to at least kind of touch the place that would be the center of the nation and the world's attention as our next president was announced.

however, we opted to watch the election at a local pizza place and brewery, named piece, at their election party. the place was packed. it was loud. there were candidate face masks for all. and buttons (yay, more buttons). there were CHEERS for every blue state, BOOS for every red (obv. we're in illinois). there was a lot of pride and cheering for grant park and for chicago (hello chicago! -- great opening line to an acceptance speech!)

me in my mask this morning at my desk at work.

should i just keep it on all day?

we still felt like we were a part of the rally. kind of. an extended rally. you know, just a little further away, with tables and chairs, and pizza and beer. there was a part of me that wanted to ditch msnbc, cnn, etc. and hop the blue line to get down there. will we wish we had? i don't know.

ultimately, i think that no matter where you were last night, or where we were last night...

we were all a part of history.

big rally in grant park today

... happy election day. voted last week and waited TWO hours in line, yow-za!! hope everyone got their absentee ballots in on time and moved through quick lines. i'm not going to the rally or anything, but it should be really huge. our office is closing shop around 3:00 today so that we can escape downtown early and work from home instead.

t. tower over time

i really wanted to post something today so that my halloween costume wouldn't be my most recent post. since i don't have any pics of grant park handy ... here is another chicago "landmark" (the trump tower elapsed over time; sorry the pics are from different angles):

may 2007

both october 2007

october 2008