Cooking Up A Batch of 'Hell Yes'

Happy Holidays everyone!

I hope each of you had a joyous Christmas and/or Hanukkah celebrating with loved ones. Part I of my holiday concluded with some hang time with the in-laws and all the sibs, nieces and nephews from the Oz side of the equation. We also enjoyed digging out of snowstorm madness '09 which left a ton of that frozen white water outside our door. It's mighty cold out there and each time I leave the house to take the dog out for a potty break, I visualize flipping head over heels on the ice rink that has newly formed in my driveway. Guess I need to go buy some skates and practice my triple sow cow. Olympics here I come! Or, perhaps the much more likely scenario is broken bones, me in the hospital, laid up in traction. Sigh. Sorry, no blind holiday optimism. Here you will only find stark, dark pessimism. Cheers!!

Part Deux of the festivus for the rest of us will be kicking off in North Dakota. Mr. Oz and I are headed to my parents tomorrow for a 3 night visit. All the clan will gather to ring in the New Year and open up the gifts that Santa couldn't quite deliver on Christmas Eve cuz he was stuck in a snowbank. For some reason, I felt the need to volunteer my cooking prowess (and I use this word sarcastically). I will be making the New Year's Eve feast. In preparation, I've been scouring my cookbooks, online recipe sources and hitting up my foodie friends for suggestions. After much hemming and hawing, I finally landed on my menu -- a four course extraveganza. BTW, what is the deal with the phrase "hemming and hawing?" What does it really mean anyway? I just typed it and had to stop and consider, for a moment, the origin of this phrase. What does it mean to "haw?" Is it like sawing but only with your mind? I need to do some research on that one. But I digress.

Back to the holiday feast . . . I decided to take it up a notch, an extra step if you will, and add in wine pairings. What has gotten in to me? I know, crazy. We will be starting with a lovely salad comprised of roasted butternut squash, endive, apple and blue cheese. Next course will be a french onion soup gratin. Third course is an herb crusted beef tenderloin with port sauce. I'll be making some sort of potato & vegetable side to accompany the beef. We will end with a chocolate mousse cheesecake. Much like the contestents on Top Chef, I don't consider desserts my forte so I will be picking up this cheesecake at the place that knows what they are doing. The Cheesecake Factory, of course. Wine pairings include a light & crips Savignon Blanc to start, a fairly robust Pinot Noir to go with the beef and then a Saracco Moscato 'd Asti with dessert. Sadly, the soup will have to share it's wine pairing with the salad. Poor soup. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride.

All this menu planning has gotten me in a cooking mood. The last few days, I've been trying out all sorts of things. My experimentation is appreciated by Mr. Oz as he gets to eat all of my trials. I'm not so sure he like all the dirty dishes, however. Did I mention Mr. Oz does the dishes? Tonight is roasted potato leek soup from the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook. Nothing beats a warm, creamy soup on a cold winter night.

I'll report the success or failure of my feast in my next post.

Until then, Happy New Year!!

Holiday Shopping

Hi, my name is Lisa and I am addicted to online x-mas shopping.

Over the past few weeks, holiday purchasing online has been among my greatest joy and pleasure. True.

While some may say this form of shopping is impersonal, isolating and does not allow the shopper to fully experience the seasonal sights, sounds and smells (think evergreen trees and baked goods versus sweaty Mall Santas), I counter online shopping is incredibly convenient. Yep, convenience trumps all. Here is my general overview of "traditional" holiday shopping: Slogging through snowbanks and braving the icy cold only to spend countless minutes circling crowded parking lots looking for an open spot. Throwing elbows scrounging for the best deal . . . limited choices because stores only want to keep the best selling items in stock . . . after hours of hunting and searching, pure frustration sets in . . . solution = various gift cards.

Now, let's compare this old way with the evolution of holiday behavior: Comfy, cozy in flannel pajamas . . . relaxing with laptop on the couch with a fire roaring . . . . Amazon.com wishlist searches, researching the perfect gift by entering in facts and personality traits of your gift recipients, personalized & fun gift ideas, free shipping (hooray!!). No need to leave the house, saving money on gas and reaping the benefit of hours I can spend doing other fun stuff like baking cookies, drinking martinis or watching Glee (double hooray!!!). Seriously. Why would anyone choose to purchase their gifts any other way?

Plus, how great is it to come home from work each day to a bounty of packages on one's doorstep?

Here are just a smattering of gift ideas that I may, or may not, have purchased online this season: Who doesn't appreciate a toasty, warm towel when exiting the shower? This is the perfect baby gift when the parents are Sci-Fi, Star Wars geeks!

Hello! Cheese of the month club!! Tasty.

I Recall Central Park In Fall

New York is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Spending a long weekend in the hustle & bustle of Manhattan leaves me exhilarated and exhausted all at the same time. No matter how often I go, I can never quite get over the pace, throngs of people, constant assault of sounds and smells. There is a frenetic rhythm to the city. A hum. I'm drawn into it like a moth to an incandescent light bulb, but my introverted nature screams for quiet. The idyllic setting of Central Park exists in the in-between. On its outer edges, the city spins and spits. Inside the insulated protection of the park, calm takes over. People seem softer, happier, lighter. Outside the Park is all business and motion. Inside, it melts away under an insulated cocoon of flora and fauna. The trees keep the madness at bay.




Fall is the absolutely best time to see the Park. It might arguably be the best time to visit NYC. Great walking around town weather. SOHO shopping, West Village stroll. Fine dining, the perfect bagel to start the day, a lusciously long pour of Prosecco to cap off the night. Subway rides. Scouring Canal Street for the best deals. Cocktails made the old-fashioned way. Trying to hail the Cash Cab and win big. Chelsea Market. Walking the Highline. Soaking in the ambiance and history. Gramercy Park desserts. The Natural History Museum. Coffee shops. And, of course, Central Park in Fall.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

I admit to having a small problem . . . a slight obsessive, compulsive disorder whereby I startle at odd moments gripped by the fear that I have left a hot iron plugged in at home or the front door unlocked or accidentally forgot to put on my antiperspirant after showering. I've had these strange attacks at random. Once I had nearly completed the 25 minute drive to work when I was overcome by the sense that I had not closed the garage door upon exiting. I debated for a couple of minutes on whether or not to go back home. Finally, faced with the knowing assurance that I would wrestle with hopeless uncertainty all day, I drove back home only to find the garage sealed off tighter than drum.

What is this all about? Why do I have these compulsions? Is it normal? Am I normal?

An off shoot of the issue describe above is my frightening habit of occasionally "zoning out" when driving. Entranced in some daydream, pondering a nebulous situation at work or simply drifting into the lyrics of a song playing on the radio, I sink into my own head and drive completely on auto pilot. Now, mind you, I am awake. My eyes are open. I am functioning at the wheel. But, I go so far into my own thoughts that one quick alteration in my visual field or a sound can snap me back into a jarred state. In that split second, my fight or flight response system kicks in and over-rides my conscious, rationale, logical mind. In this momentary panic, I've been known to jump medians and perform u-turns thinking that I was inadvertently driving the wrong way on a freeway off-ramp. Seriously. I've done this. And, it scared me so bad I nearly crapped my pants.

Again, I ask, is this totally and utterly insane? Have others out there experienced this strange phenomenon of being totally awake and performing tasks but, somehow, not being fully present. Is it lack of sleep? Stress? Old age? Am I in the early stages of dementia?

OK, so just to set everyone's mind at ease for fear that I may be a danger to you and your loved ones on the road. I'm 99% fine. I've only experienced this strange moments a couple of times and I've been able to control my little urges to change 3 lanes of traffic, jump police squad cars and run red lights. It's not quite as disastrous as you might believe it to be. But, it does make me wonder what causes this behavior. My husband says I'm "in my head" too much and I need to focus. But, I like my head. My head is a happy and productive place to be. Well, most of the time it is.

And I bet when you started reading this post you thought I was going to blog about my dog again. Ozy is my OTHER obsessive, compulsive habit.

New York State of Mind

Sadly, I do not have the Ozy photo shoot proofs yet. I keep checking my email to see if they have arrived. Of course, the photos will be shared assuming I will not be violating any copyright laws in the process. Scribble, let me know if that looks to be a problem as your are all the keeper of the halls of justice and what not.

Super excited to report an upcoming trip and looking for suggestions on places to go and things to do. My friend Poodle and I have decided to exit the Twin Cities (stage left) and hit the Big Apple. We leave next Thursday for a 4 day, 3 night stay in NYC. Our plan is simple really -- enjoy the Fall ambiance, do a little shopping and check out some fantastic restaurants. I hope all the walking we have planned will cancel out the eating as we will be cutting a culinary swathe through Manhattan for schnizzle.

We are staying at a boutique hotel in Gramercy Park which seems to be a pretty good location and launching off point. Thus far, we have three places on our radar as 'musts.' These include Hearth, Gramercy Tavern and the Pegu Club. Aside from that, what other ideas come to mind? I think is is safe to say that both Poodle and I are fond of art, music and history (aka museums). Fine dining, tasty cocktails, window shopping, celebrity sightings and just kickin it also top the list of common interests. We are not really into the nightclub scene, sporting events, NASCAR and stinky cab rides. The Museum of the City of New York might be kinda cool as the city definitely boasts an interesting past. A stroll through Central Park, a visit to the NY Public Library or the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Broadway show? Hmmm. So many possibilities.

You Ought To Be In Pictures

My magnificent furry baby, Ozy, had his first official and professional photo shoot this evening. Sara Beth Photography specializes in animals. Her work is absolutely amazing and truly captures the personality of each pet she photographs. She's running a holiday special which includes an in-studio photo shoot, $50 print credit and 25 holiday gift cards. Ozy was pretty well behaved, but he could probably use a few pointers from Tyra Banks and her America's Top Model crew. The good thing is, unlike other supermodels, he was VERY motivated by food. The word "treat" grabbed his attention.

I should have the proofs in a week. I'm particulary excited to see how the photos turn out of Ozy wearing a red, winter scarf. Red, after all, is his signature color.

Bevy of Bitchy Comments

Lots of topics to cover. Been awhile.

1) Swine Flu (aka H1N1 virus). This is certainly NOT one of my Bests, but you can't shake a cat by its tail these days without running into a news story talking about the dreaded strain of flu. A couple weeks back, I was taken ill with some sort of bad bug. I'm not sayin it was H1N1. I have no idea. I didn't go to the doctor, primarily for fear that I would find out I had it and would then subconsciously allow my negative, paranoid thoughts to slow down the healing process. I'm superstitious like that. Anyway, the Oz household was stricken down into a violent pit of sickness. Aches and coughs, chills and no thrills.

While I'm not a medical doctor, CDC authority or the like, I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg on this nasty virus (and the associated media coverage, fear mongering, marketing push for those ugly face masks, etc.). Many schools are reporting outbreaks and are shutting down. Years from now, I wonder if/how we will look back on these dark days and be able to pinpoint our children's idiocy on these few weeks of missed school due to the Swine Flu. I'm just sayin. When I was a kid, we might have had the random and infrequent snow DAY. Never did we have the Swing Flu WEEKS. It's like another summer vacation for these kids. I say put the face masks on, load up on vitamins and zinc tablets and get some book learnin kiddos. It's good for your immunity. It's good for America.

2) Conferences. The week after I recovered from my flu-like symptoms, I traveled to California for a work-related conference. I have very mixed feelings about these types of events. On one hand, I appreciate hearing what some of my peers and colleagues are doing -- new ideas, inspiring examples of great work, thought provoking tidbits. On the other hand, I find it to be mostly a big waste of time when over half the content is simply regurgitated blather from last year's snooze fest. It can be somewhat laughable to hear these presenters boast about their cutting edge [insert: methods, technology, trends, programs, brilliance] when, in fact, it is nothing but old, tired, dried up, yesterday's news. Seriously. Tell me something new and interesting before I scream people.

This is the scene. Big screen. Stage. Powerpoint. Lots of round tables to seat the dwindling and rather unenthusiastic conference goers. Sigh.



OK, now at the risk of sounding terribly crabby, I see the problem as one of old guard versus new upstarts. The folks who plan these events, the ones that find the topics and speakers, tend to be the stalwarts of the Old Guard, the 20, 30+ year veterans who's hey day has passed by. To this group e-mail communication is still a baffling and enigmatic operation, social networking sites are just something those "crazy kids" are into, and Twitter is oh, so cutting edge. Give me a break. There is better, faster, cooler, more relevant stuff happening out there and maybe in 5 years we'll see someone stand up at one of these conferences and predict its arrival after its already come and gone. It makes me crazy. What we need is an UNconference. Something radically different. Let's bring in speakers who don't do what we do each and everyday. New blood. Shake it up. Who's with me?

I also hate all the sales pitch b.s. I have to wade through. It's just a big solicitation forum. This time I did the clever thing and "forgot" my business cards at home. Oops. Sorry. I can't give you my card. How about I just take your card and I call YOU if I'm interested. P.S. Don't wait by the phone or hold your breath.

3) Staycation and Home Decorating. Upon returning from the conference, I took a week to stay home. That's right. My very own staycation. I just needed a break from it all, time to take a few deep breathes and inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Ahhhhhh. Because one can only do so much sleeping and reading, I took on a few home projects. My living room was in need of an extreme home makeover and I don't have the luxury of Ty Pennington coming over and blaring into his bullhorn. I had to make due. A couple trips to Home Depot and I had a quart of paint (Behr, Oyster) and sundry supplies. In one afternoon, a small wall went from a crimson color to a creamy shade of pearl white. Then my inner Genevieve kicked in and I did something incredibly zany -- I posted my couch and chair for sale on Craig's List. In a matter of minutes, I had a hit. Someone was interested! YEAH! I was emboldened to hit the Pottery Barn and order the furniture I had been secretly coveting for quite some time.

This change up represents a wave of tiny transformations I've been experiencing lately. I don't know how it happened or when it started, but I've moved from a red wine lover to a white wine appreciator. What? How? I know. My last vino selections fall in the camp of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and not the usual Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. Similarly, my living room palette is sliding away from the dark shades and into a spectrum of neutral hues -- ivory, natural, chocolate brown, oat. Am I turning over a new leaf? Has my body been inhabited by Nate Burkus? I'm not sure. What is next? Will I lose the taste for red meat? Become a vegan? Go totally organic? Move to a commune and raise my own goats? I can't really say.

4) Preview. I'm tired. Need rest. However, I have much more I'd like to share. I'd like to post on the sometimes controversial topic of animal neutering, the always painful theme of divorce (no, not mine), horror films, cider and window treatments. I'm sure the anticipation will rage inside you for a full minute or two.

P.S. Don't wait by your PC. Don't hold your breath. It's been over a month between my last post and this one so I can't really tell you when I'll get to these subjects.