Month: November 2013

Things I Don’t Get

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There are some things in life I just don’t understand.2013-10-27 17.58.09

Example: Going to the movies on a first date. Now, it’s been a long time since I went on a first date, but I remember thinking, how am I going to get to know you if we’re watching a movie?

Example: Fascination with fancy cars. My criteria: is the vehicle reliable? Safe? Does it have a usable trunk? Does the heat work? Everything else is just gravy. As a former co-worker once said: I drive it, I don’t live in it.

Example: Turkey dinners held during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. (see previous post)

Example: Visiting someone and having the host/hostess turn on the television set. (This is not to be confused with going to someone’s home for the express purpose of watching a movie or sporting event together.) I frankly find it to be a rude habit. How can we converse while battling the television for attention? If your program is more important to you than our friendship, then perhaps we should reexamine our relationship.

Example: Shopping. I loathe shopping. Of any kind. If there were a way I could economically order groceries on-line, I would. Today is Black Friday. The thought of all those people jam-cramming into the malls (mauls!) and other retail establishments gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don’t understand why anyone would want to do it.

What kinds of situations do you encounter that you don’t understand?

 

 

 

 

Turkey and the Trimmings

TV Stevie (my husband) and I have been discussing this a lot lately: why are there so many “Thanksgiving Dinner” events leading up to Thanksgiving?

TV Stevie and I have both been invited to Thanksgiving Dinner events last week and this week. We just don’t understand it.

When I was in school, the cafeteria always served turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce the day before Thanksgiving break.

When X-Chromo and Y-Chromo were in school, one of their teachers always had the children prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for their parents — served the week of Thanksgiving. It was a lovely event, don’t get me wrong, but doesn’t overloading on traditional Thanksgiving foods before the holiday diminish the anticipation and enjoyment of the feast?

 

 

Cooking from My Pantry

Now that my husband and I are pretty much empty nesters, I’ve refined my meal planning to suit our lifestyle. TV Stevie often works late. I come home from the day job and immediately immerse myself in writing, revisions, editing, etc., so elaborate meals aren’t on the agenda. We also live in a city that gets a lot of snow in the winter–under 100 inches is considered a mild winter–so I keep the pantry and refrigerator stocked.

Last night, I made one of my “pantry” meals: spaghetti beans. It’s so simple to make, it’s almost a joke. Spaghetti beans is one of TV Stevie’s favorite meals (I’m not particularly fond of it, but I’ll eat it). In fact, he’s the one who named the dish. It’s my version of a recipe I found in a healthy-eating cookbook.

put 1-2 Tbs of olive oil in a 10″ or larger skillet on medium heat

add 3 or more cloves of minced garlic (I keep a jar of minced garlic in my fridge, so I use 2-3 teaspoons)

Stir for about a minute, then add:

2 cans (14.5-15 oz each) of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained (You can use any kind of canned white beans you’d like)

1 can (14.5-15 oz) petite diced tomatoes (I use the ones with olive oil, garlic, and other seasonings.)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil (I keep a tube of Gourmet Garden basil paste in my fridge and use this. It’s as good as fresh basil and lasts a lot longer)

Mix well and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, giving it a stir once in a while.

While this is cooking, throw together a green salad to serve on the side.

After 7 or so minutes:

Add 1 Tbs lemon juice (I use RealLemon)

Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I keep this in the freezer).

Mix well and cook for another minute or so.

That’s it. All of the ingredients are things I keep on hand anyway. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s healthy.

spaghetti beans (deleted 5fc5db47e1e15907152422bb2878b499)