The Looky-Loos

The After-Glow

Saturday, December 27, 2008

 





So this is Christmas. I'm going to briefly list my loot. Then I'll tell you about my 'beck and call' girl duties.

I got 3 new collectible tea-pots, I had to take the piccies down b/c it was causing an error. I also got a pair of sweaters for my feet. (aka sweater socks) In addition, I got a stove top grill pan, a must have for a girl that is not allowed to have an actual grill on her apartment balcony. (What do they think I'm going to do? Burn the building down? Yeah, I probably would!) Finally, I got my Sweetpea bath gel, lotion, bubble bath, and perfume. I smell REALLY good!!! Pretty good haul this year, if I do say so myself.

Now, onto the mini-rant. My mother, God bless her, has the unfortunate habit of asking me, and only me, to do much of her bidding when we have a family holiday get together. I am ... unfortunately her 'beck and call' girl. Now, it started out harmless enough, I am the child that spends the most time at her house. Her and my father moved into this house 7 years ago, and I lived there with them for a time. Therefor, it makes sense that I would know where everything is in the house. However, after 7 years of my parents living there, all of my siblings and nieces and nephews know where everything is as well. So, they should be able to assist her as well. (You'd think)

This Christmas holiday, I was given the task of fetching my Grandma M, and bringing her to Mom and Dad's for the festivities. We got to my Mother's house, and I hadn't even gotten my coat off, and she says, "Surry, can you do (something or other) for me?" so I asked her if it couldn't wait two damned minutes while I at least got my damned coat off. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mother, I don't mind doing things for her, I love hanging out with her, but I was the last of her 3 children to arrive at the house. She couldn't have asked my Brother or my Sister to do this deed? OH NO FREAKING WAY, she had to wait until I got there. Needless to day, the whole night got off to a frustrating start. Oh AND both my Brother and Sister were cackling their heads off, as Mom hadn't asked them to do thing one since they'd gotten there. Well there, now I feel much better.

How was everyone else's holiday? Any frustrating family traits for you?

ஜ~§Quote of the Day§~ஜ

Weep not that the world changes - did it keep a stable, changeless state, it were a cause indeed to weep.

William C. Bryant


ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

No matter what their budget is, everyone loves a bargain. What item or object do you love the most that cost you the least?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Tope

PRONUNCIATION:
(tope)

MEANING:
verb tr., intr.: 1. To drink (liquor) habitually and copiously.
noun: 2. A small shark with a long snout (Galeorhinus galeus).
noun: 3. A usually dome-shaped monument built by Buddhists. Also known as a stupa.

ETYMOLOGY:
(for 1) Of uncertain origin, perhaps from obsolete top (to drink) as in "top off".
(for 2) Of unknown origin.
(for 3) From Hindi top, from Prakrit or Pali thupo, from Sanskrit stupa (head).

USAGE:
"There are the tope strategists, who chartered the brand's repositioning and the agency folks who turned out snappy creative, not to mention a cadre of bottlers pushing Sprite in the retail trenches."



ஜ~§What I'm Reading§~ஜ



Tales of Beadle Bard, J K Rowling.


ஜ~§What I'm Watching§~ஜ

Nothin' but re-runs. I did see the movie 'The Women' the other day, it was a pretty great chick-flick.

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ
THE AFTER-GLOW.

IT is a solemn evening, golden-clear--
The Alpine summits flame with rose-lit snow
And headlands purpling on wide seas below,
And clouds and woods and arid rocks appear
Dissolving in the sun's own atmosphere
And vast circumference of light, whose slow
Transfiguration--glow and after-glow--
Turns twilight earth to a more luminous sphere.

Oh heart, I ask, seeing that the orb of day
Has sunk below, yet left to sky and sea
His glory's spiritual after-shine:
I ask if Love, whose sun hath set for thee,
May not touch grief with his memorial ray,
And lend to loss itself a joy divine?

Mathilde Blind


ஜ~§Recipe of the Day§~ஜ




Roast Chicken with Pancetta and Olives

Ingredients:
2 chickens (about 3 1/2 pounds each), backbones cut out and each chicken cut into 12 pieces (see cooks’ note, below)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices pancetta, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine
24 oil-cured black olives

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Toss chicken with oil, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, red-pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon pepper, rubbing mixture into chicken.

Arrange chicken, skin side up, in 1 layer in a 17-by 11-inch 4-sided sheet pan. Scatter garlic and pancetta on top and roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Drizzle wine over chicken and roast 8 minutes more. Scatter olives over chicken and roast until skin is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes.

Cooks' note:
To cut a chicken into 12 pieces, remove wings and cut each breast half into 3 pieces, then separate drumsticks and thighs. Backbones can be used to make chicken stock.

Brightest Blessings,
~S~



2 Things people say ...:

Anonymous said...

That chicken sounds delicious. I am still going to try the Christmas Caiperinas (sp?) I love love love the ones my brother makes without the mint and ginger so these are a new twist that I must simply try!

Anonymous said...

This sounds delicious! I just made a mussels dish with kalamata olives, capers and garlic - very similar to this one - only with tomatoes, too.

I'm printing it and trying it out. Thanks!