Happy Thanksgiving!

Long time, no blog. I need to catch you up on some Washington D.C. eats (when we weren’t hunkering down from Sandy) and some Hawaii eats. Yeah, it’s been a jet-setting last couple of weeks, and I’m happy that I don’t have to see another airport until January 7th when I fly to Kenya. Like you do.

We’re having a mixed family Thanksgiving again with my family and Joe’s second cousin’s family, which is what we did last year and worked so well. Everyone requested another appearance of the Famous Bourbon Slush, and my dad requested the Brie en Croute I made for my birthday party with pumpkin butter and roasted pecans. There will be a few more dishes that I’ll blog later.

Of course, everyone wants to share what they’re thankful for, and naturally, I’m thankful for my family, my health, and all of the opportunities I have, so I wanted to share a few other things for which I am thankful.

I’m so thankful that I am surrounded by so many incredible women ministers, runners, and friends. Every day, I am in awe of the amazing things that these wise, strong, and faithful women are doing in the world. If I can even halfway live into deserving their friendship and guidance, I’ll be doing pretty darn well. From breakfast every other week to collaborative preaching over glasses of wine to sharing 22 miles of Marine Corps Marathon or interpreting dreams over Twitter, I am so blessed to have these women in my life. There are some pretty amazing men in my life as well, but I have to give props to my sisters.

Sorry Vols fans, but I am so thankful that Vanderbilt thoroughly trounced UT this past Saturday. I’m also thankful for the brilliant Twitter sports commentary from the Vanderbilt fans. Go ‘Dores!

 

My ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Particularly after what happened yesterday in the Church of England, I’m thankful to be ordained in a tradition that allows (and occasionally encourages) women leadership. As the only clergywoman in the town where I serve, I do not take this for granted. I’m thankful to serve a congregation that is open and excited about new ideas and that has welcomed Joe and me with open arms. Having been a minister both in the parish and the hospital, I am continually blessed by my occupation. Ministry is filled with so much joy for me, and I’m thankful for a denomination that recognizes my calling to ordained ministry.

I’m thankful for a body that allows me to run marathons, climb mountains, go kayaking, lift weights, do yoga, cuddle our three adorable cats, wear fun high heels, and so much more. I haven’t always loved or appreciated my body, but running has totally transformed that relationship. It’s also pretty difficult to be incarnational, to celebrate the Eucharist, to hold a hand, without a body, so there’s that.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2012 Goals

I used to be anti-New Year’s Resolutions because I thought it was silly that one day was better than any other for setting goals, especially when most of us have spent the last 5-6 weeks overindulging in sweets, heavy food, and alcohol. But then I got really into goal-setting, and I realized that it wasn’t that people set their goals in the heat of the moment but that they weren’t setting goals in a way that was conducive to their achievement. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. It’s the difference between saying that you’re going to lose ten pounds before the summer and just saying that you’re going to lose weight. With that in mind, here are a few of my goals for 2012.

 

1. Train for and run a marathon.

I’m registered for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati on May 6th. My real goal is to achieve the above without getting injured, dying, or hating running. If I can do that, I might decide to do another one in the fall.

2. Do more leisure reading.

I’m finished with graduate school when I really only had time for leisure reading on breaks or during the summer, and my to-read list is getting ridiculous. I used to consistently read before going to bed, and I would like to get back into doing that. Joe gave me Tina Fey’s Bossypants for Christmas, and I recently purchased The Paris Wife. I’m not going to be shooting for a number of books to read in the next year, but you can follow me on Goodreads!

3. Work on the house

We’ve lived here for 2.5 years now, and there are quite a few things we’ve been neglecting – closets that have never been organized and rooms that don’t feel quite “finished”. We’re at the point that we’ve graduated from some of our starter electronics and furniture but haven’t gotten rid of the old stuff yet. Extra IKEA bookcases anyone? So this year I would like to de-clutter and re-organize, namely the bedrooms, bathrooms, and their closets. In an ideal world, it would also be the year that we replace the kitchen floor and countertops, but that’s a stretch goal.

4. Make meal plans and stick to them.

Now that I work a normal person schedule (plus some), I don’t go grocery shopping on Thursday mornings anymore. It’s also been all too tempting to pick up take-out after a long tough day or when I hit the gym after work. If I don’t have food in the house, and I’m feeling lazy, guess what happens. I would like to work towards eating out no more than 3 times a week. We like eating out, but we’ve spent way too much money on mediocre food lately. Hopefully this will also lead to more blogging than I did in 2011!

5. Get down to my happy weight and stay there.

I was within five pounds in early December. It doesn’t seem like much, but on my 5’2” frame, every little bit helps. It would seem like training for a marathon would take care of this, but I get ravenously hungry when I’m training. Now I know that smaller, more frequent meals on long run days are better for me than just eating everything in sight, I will try to curb the run-ger. Eating at home and cutting out extraneous alcoholic beverages throughout the week will also help.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2012!

Christmas Joy

I survived and even enjoyed my first Christmas Eve and Day as clergy! The weather was perfect, and there weren’t even any disasters for my first year. Joe insisted on taking my picture before I headed off to my first service because he thought I looked pretty. Note the coffee mug in hand.

The church looked gorgeous. The music was perfect. And I received wine, chocolate, and sticky buns from several parishioners. I was completely unprepared for how generous everyone would be. It was much appreciated. My normal role is to read the gospel lesson, which on Christmas is, of course, the nativity story. It was a very special moment for me to read the nativity story for the congregation.

The hardest transition was waking up the next morning to go into the hospital to do two services. They weren’t as well-attended as I would’ve hoped, but there was a higher percentage of staff than usually attend and my homily was well-received. One of the nice things about doing those services is having some freedom and getting to do what I want, like read Luke’s nativity story from the King James version. Saying the shepherds were “sore afraid” rather than “terrified” just feels right. After four services in 20 hours, I was ready to get home, hang out with Joe, and open some presents.

I got a lot of GU Chomps. Training for the Flying Pig Marathon starts just after the first of the year. That many Chomps will probably last me for five marathon training cycles. I will never go hungry on a run again.

By far, this was the best present given or received this Christmas. Joe and I had been pondering upgrading the cat condo but never pulled the trigger. While we were at Costco for some last minute shopping, we saw some that were a really great deal. The only problem was fitting a 6’ tall cat condo into my Ford Focus. Not happening. My introvert of a husband announced that he was going to wander the parking lot and ask people with trucks or SUVs if they wouldn’t mind hauling it a couple of miles home for us. Sure enough, the first couple that he asked was more than happy to help us out and wouldn’t even let us give them a little cash for their trouble. I couldn’t believe it! The cats were thrilled with their Christmas present and have been playing King of the Mountain with the top compartment ever since.

Joe took care of the turkey that Vanderbilt gave us by injecting it with a Cajun marinade and doing a BBQ dry rub on the outside. I made blue cheese mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, and my mom/grandma’s cranberry salad. I did not photograph a darn thing. Not even the leftovers. A fellow working-on-Christmas chaplain came over for dinner, and we were having too much darn fun drinking wine and chatting. So it was and continues to be a good Christmas.

Merry Christmas

And happy holidays from Cook, Pray, Love – brought to you by Instagram.

Christmas tree at Children’s Hospital.

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angel gave the sign. (Christina Rosetti)

Our moderately pathetic Christmas tree

He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy. (Cecil F. Alexander)

Christmas card display

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth (Joseph Mohr)

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding

I’d never actually made bread pudding before this savory version, even though a sweet, boozy bread pudding studded with raisins is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It’s rare that I have leftover bread of any kind, so it felt strange to buy a baguette with the explicit purpose of letting it get stale. Definitely worth it though.

Being a mostly meatless type, I offered to bring a vegetarian entrée to Thanksgiving, letting our marvelous hostess off the hook. While it isn’t even close to vegan or low-calorie, I think I would much prefer this to a Tofurkey. Everyone knows that the sides are the best part of Thanksgiving anyway. And the kale and squash at least gives the illusion of getting in some real vegetables.

My one tip would be to use the sharpest, best cheddar cheese you can find/afford. I skimped on that, and it just wasn’t as good as I know that it could’ve been. Another bonus: this can be made in advance and is probably even best made in advance. I spent nearly a week taking the leftovers for lunch, and it only got better as the flavors melded. Perfect for when your Thanksgiving morning is routinely taken up by running a 5K with your family.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding
source: Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 2 POUNDS PEELED SEEDED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 6 CUPS)
• 3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED
• KOSHER SALT
• FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 7 LARGE EGGS
• 2 1/4 CUPS HALF AND HALF
• 6 TABLESPOONS DRY WHITE WINE (OR HARD CIDER)
• 2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH THYME (OR 1 TABLESPOON DRIED)
• 1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH SAGE (OR 1/2 TABLESPOON DRIED)
• 1 TABLESPOON DIJON MUSTARD
• 1 DAY-OLD BAGUETTE (DO NOT REMOVE CRUST), CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 8 CUPS)
• 1 CUP CHOPPED SHALLOTS (ABOUT 4 LARGE)
• 2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
• 1/4 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES (OPTIONAL)
• 2 BUNCHES TUSCAN KALE (ABOUT 1 POUND), RIBS REMOVED, KALE COARSELY CHOPPED (CAN BE SUBSTITUTED WITH SPINACH)`
• 8 OUNCES EXTRA-SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, COARSELY GRATED

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3. Whisk eggs in large bowl. Continue whisking as you add half and half, wine, thyme, sage, mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add baguette cubes to the egg mixture, and gently fold them into the mixture to coat each side. Let the baguette pieces soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté until soft and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (the kale will still be a little crunchy).
5. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to the dish, spreading evenly. Spoon half of kale over the bread layer. Spoon half of squash over the kale layer, and sprinkle it with half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread pudding.
6. Cover bread pudding with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set, about 20 minutes longer.
7. Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Thanksgiving

Allegedly, this is a food blog, and yet I haven’t said a word about Thanksgiving. Last year, Joe and I opted for vacation in Sonoma and the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had at Madrona Manor. This year, I was hoping for a big family shindig. I joke that when Joe has a bit too much to drink, he gets very hospitable, which is partly how we ended up combining families this year. We discovered a little over a year ago that Joe’s paternal grandmother’s sister and two of his father’s cousins live in Nashville. We’ve become close to one of the cousins, Mary, and Joe proposed that we combine Thanksgivings. My parents are currently trying to sell their house, so they were relieved that Mary offered to host. Mary’s deck offered a great family photo opportunity!

Joe and I provided our “famous” bourbon slush. Every time I make it, I think a double batch looks like far too much, but then it’s obliterated. I also cut the sugar in half. It was still plenty sweet, but we could taste the bourbon better.

We really had a wonderful time. It was everything that Thanksgiving should be – lots of family and food and football, for those who wanted it. There were 10 of us in total, and we all got cozy around this beautiful table.

And the food, of course! From 12 o’clock – a little bit of “happy” (free-range, organic) turkey with gravy, stuffing, some really fantastic green beans, the butternut squash, kale, and cheddar bread pudding I made (which will have its own post), sweet potatoes, a deviled egg, and my mom’s cranberry salad in the middle.

There was chocolate chip bourbon pecan pie for dessert, as well as cheesecakes shipped from Junior’s in Brooklyn.

I have so, so, so much to be thankful for this year. I’m thrilled with my life, my jobs, my husband, my family, my health, living in a great city, etc. And I know I don’t deserve any of it. It’s all grace.

Hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

I hope you all had a lovely New Year’s Eve and start to 2011. I made these cookies to take to a party celebrating Erin’s engagement! Little did she know that it was going to happen until that night. On New Year’s Day, Joe and I had signed up to run the Resolution Run 5K. I needed a race to keep me motivated, even though I knew I probably wouldn’t PR with the staying up late and the drinking more than usual. Add to that drizzle and hills and headwind, and it wasn’t my fastest race, though I’m still pretty happy with how I did. Official chip time: 29:40. My dad ran too, and my mom volunteered. That’s the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the background!

 

Some of my friends joke about how crazy my family is since we’re always running on holidays when other people are sleeping in or eating big breakfasts or watching parades, but that’s just how we roll! I spent the rest of the day writing my sermon for my ordination exams. Yep, I’m heading back to Texas for the week to take my ordination exams, visit my niece, and attend my friend’s ordination to the priesthood. I’m kind of nervous and scared but also excited because I’ll get to really see how much I’ve learned over the past two and a half years in divinity school.

I’ve been travelling a lot, and once I’m back from this trip, I’m looking forward to being home for a while. I miss hanging with my husband and cats, and I know once I get back that the craziness of my last semester of graduate school is going to start up again. Where did my Christmas break go? I promise once I return that I’ll get back to making real food again and not just desserts!

At least I got some fun baking in. These were the perfect New Year’s treat. The buttery shortbread topped with the peppermint bark was really delicious. I had some problems cutting them, which I think had to do with them being too cold since I chilled it overnight. At room temperature (after chilling to set the chocolate), they’re much softer and easier to cut. This wasn’t too peppermint-y for me, and I actually liked the addition of the peppermints. They look so festive too!

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies
source: Epicurious as seen on Bakin’ and Eggs

Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) finely chopped red-and-white striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes
2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with a long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both short sides of pan.

Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake cookie base until light golden brown, slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on wire rack and immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, spread chocolate over top of cookie in a thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

Stir white chocolate in a medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from water and use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Grab the paper overhang and lift from pan. Transfer to work surface and using a large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

You did know that it’s still Christmas right? That whole 12 days of Christmas thing just starts on December 25th and goes until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Since I figured it was my last non-working Christmas, Joe and I convinced my parents to go to Colorado, which wasn’t hard to do because a) they love Colorado and b) my brother took a job in Denver in August. Joe’s sister also lives in the mountains, and we have other family there too. So we celebrated Christmas in Nashville a little early.

Vanderbilt gives the faculty and staff a turkey, so I roasted it according to this method, which has always turned out perfectly. We also had my mom’s cranberries (lower right corner), roasted brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert, I served the cranberry swirl cheesecake.

Then we opened presents! This year’s theme was owls and running. I got some nice running gear for the cold weather, and Joe got me this beautiful owl sculpture I had been eyeing at a store in Franklin. Owls are kind of my thing since my college mascot was an owl, and I love that they stand for wisdom. I know they’re becoming kind of trendy right now, but I also have a collection of owl pins that were my grandmother’s so I think they’re very classic.

We spent the actual Christmas Day skiing at Copper Mountain, but we kept Joe’s family’s tradition of Chinese food on Christmas Eve and attended Christmas Eve service at the beautiful Episcopal church in Breckenridge. I hadn’t skied in probably ten years, so it took a few runs to get back into the groove. Once I reminded myself how to do it, I picked up right where I left off. Isn’t muscle memory amazing?

Now, as we look to 2011, it’s traditionally a time to make resolutions or goals for the upcoming year. 2011 is going to be a big year for me. I will graduate with my MDiv degree, likely be ordained to the diaconate, and hopefully find a place to do ministry. I’m wary of making goals for the year that are relevant to my life as a student right now but might not be sustainable once I’m working (hopefully) full-time. Here are a few that I want to accomplish:

• Keep running consistently and get back into strength-training. I’ve signed up for a half marathon in April, and this one I’m actually going to train for, so ideally it will be a little faster than the one I accidentally ran in September. I fell off the lifting wagon when I started running regularly and then when I hurt my ribs. I feel and look better when I lift regularly, so I’d like to aim for twice a week.
• Stop eating chickens, turkeys, cows, lambs, pigs, and anything else with legs. I’ve been phasing meat out of my diet for the past few months, and I managed to make this past trip while eating minimal meat, so January 1st is going to be the line in the sand for me.
• Blog more regularly, which will necessitate cooking at home more consistently. This past semester was hard because I was at work or class frequently until 7 pm. It was too easy to pick up something or throw together an un-blog-worthy meal. I’d like to aim for an average of 3x a week.

What are your goals or resolutions for the new year? Do you make resolutions?

Holiday Wish List

Happy New Year! I know you think that I'm a month early, but I actually mean happy new liturgical year. This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent, which kicks off another cycle of the liturgical year. In my denomination, we really try to hold back on Christmas. Advent is a time of anticipation, both of Christ's birth and of the second coming. We don't sing Christmas carols until Christmas Eve, and the greenery doesn't go up in the church until the week before.

However, I don't have that kind of discipline in my own home. Yes, I have an Advent calendar, but it's right next to the poinsettia. The Christmas tree (fake this year, BOO!) is up, and I'll start wrapping a few presents soon. As much as I try not to buy into the consumerist aspect of the holiday season, it is fun to dream of what Santa might bring, and I enjoy picking out and buying gifts for other people. As long as it doesn't get too out of control, giving gifts is certainly a way of showing you care about someone.

Here are a few things that are on my wish list this year:

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An electronic kitchen scale is a necessity for accurately weighing flour and other ingredients for baked goods. Volume measurements can add flour leading to dense breads and cookies. Using weight measurements is an easy way to determine accuracy, and with the use of ratios, you can even free yourself from the confines of recipes.

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When we were in Sonoma (blog posts to come!), we visited Kendall-Jackson, where the guy working the tasting room had us try a wine out of the bottle and the same wine poured through the Vinturi wine aerator. In a simple step, the aerator developed the bouquet and flavors of the wine. The same guy said that when he goes to a restaurant with a bottle of wine, he always takes his Vinturi and his own glassware!

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Speaking of glassware, when we registered for wine glasses when we got married, we only got one kind. No different glasses for red and white wines for us. But then, when we were in Sonoma, we had a lovely pinot noir in a pristine Riedel pinot noir glass, and there really was a difference! Since we purchased some very nice wines in California, including a few we are going to try to cellar, the glassware to enjoy them to their fullest would be a welcome gift.

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I don't want to cook all the time, and one of Joe's and my favorite ways of relaxing is to head out on the town to explore new restaurants and hangouts. We like it even more if we don't have to pay full price! And if you read this before Thursday evening, you can head over to Eat.Drink.Smile to win one. Go ahead and enter, even if you're not from Nashville because then you can give it to me!

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We're well into the realm of fantasy on this one, but a girl can dream. I think that this is a basic enough DSLR that I could actually figure out how to use it, and my point-and-shoot is getting a little beaten up. I do love the portability of my point-and-shoot, but I crave the pictures that people with DSLRs take.

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In lieu of the fancy camera, a portable lighting kit like this one would be really helpful for getting decent pictures on dark winter nights. And it's only about $450 cheaper.

There you have it, my dream/wish/gift list for the holiday season for a cook, blogger, and Nashville foodie.

What's on your holiday wish list this year?