suzilightning

yesterday i scratched this itch and had a 4 piece all white meat serving of chicken mcnuggets. i really wasn't craving them but after 3 hours of running errands the mcd's place was right next to the vet's office where i was picking up some medicine for the allie cat. they really weren't bad. definitely all white meat, not greasy with a crispy crust that had quite a bit of spice from black pepper. don't think i'll have anymore anytime soon, though but for 1.06 and some quick protein. not bad.

we exchanged our presents last night and got nv pol roger 1988 cuvee sir winston churchill dishtowels and an oven mitt with wine bottles on them 2 cork place mats with the same pictures a bodum french press coffee maker - which i just made my morning coffee with

I read that last summer. There are some interesting things in there. oh, oh... read that about a year ago...definitely good for thought

i buy only laura's beef which does not use the ground up stuff that can cause a problem. since we eat so many other things this is a small part of our life and i am willing to pay more for the guarantee of no hormones, etc.

i would rather order a few small plates - appetizers- and really enjoy them rather than eat one large plate of something - i'm with sue on that one. different drummer? more like full precussion section - just like john which is why i love him so much....

don't know about lou but since i eat out for lunch and many times by myself, usually the bar is more fun. i think of dining rooms as a formal space - someplace for dinner and usually with johnnybird - though i did drag him and my friend michelle to eat at the bar at american grill - lunch each time. when i eat at the bar i can enter into a conversation if i wish or just sit and read(ask tammy at thirsty moose).

it's your anniversary have a freaking wonderful good time and ENJOY. you will be so into each other who cares what the environment is like. he can take you out to a "fancy" place for valentines day or your birthday. if you are lucky the kids will be asleep when you get home(truism #1 let sleeping children alone) but if not make sure you have a good bottle of wine on ice for later.

johnnybird and i will be exchanging our christmas presents. i have a bottle of DVX to go in the fridge, organic free range duck breasts we picked up in poughkeepsie, something with smoked salmon for john for starters, maybe some bacon wrapped shrimp, too. hate to be out on amateur night - don't miss having to work it at all

Which of these books do you like the best? They look fascinating. (I hate these threads. I get a twitch on the mouse button to go to Amazon.) fifi - twitch and check your local library's card catalog. if they don't have it ask for an interlibrary loan and if you really like it then buy it. i do it all the time at present no food reading except for old copies of food mags from work which, after i finish reading, go back to the library for sale. in the last month did read cosmopolitan by toby cecchini and thought it was a brilliant book. also read rob walsh's book and think him in some ways superior to steingarten. his essay on soul food in prison (angola) really tied into the food in prison and as punishment thread. tangentially just started "under the peacock fan" about 4 women who followed their husbands/siblings to india under the raj. they had to adapt full georgian/victorian sensibilities to a new land and deal with holding banquets/durbars/at homes, etc. and all associated food/drink working with an interesting palate of foods

hmmm change restaurant to library and you have what i deal with everyday. when does out of control, loud, intrusive behavior that impacts the majority of patrons become a "suggestion" that a parent(that is assuming the parent is in the building) a) quiet the child down or b) take them outside till they calm down or c) get what they want and leave? funny, with all the talk of christmas i remember the year i turned 6, 1960. my nana had died that summer and pop couldn't handle christmas dinner at home. after prezzies pop, my mom, the sister(age 5), and i got dressed up and went to riverhead to have christmas dinner at the Hotel Perkins. we were expected to behave in a particular manner and we did. that was the christmas ritual for another4 years or so till pop could face christmas dinner at home again. from the time all of us were in 7th grade we were expected to eat in restaurants(ok maybe not boloud) but nice restaurants with tablecloths and china and deport ourselves in a respectable manner. johnnybird, who grew up in a higher socioeconomic bracket than i did(make that several brackets), had to be taught how to behave in a fine dining situation since he had been left with babysitters until he was old enough to go out with his dad - then he was too busy hanging out with his friends to bother to go to restaurants.

gave: fudgy bourbon brownies banana nut bread pineapple cheese spread black forest mousse pie got: trader joe's gift card bottle of nicholas feuillete rose recipe cards cheese tray with cheeses and crackers should get when johnnybird and i celebrate - 1990 sir winston churchill will give when johnnybird and i clebrate - 25 year old mcclellan scotch

probably repeating myself but... white cheddar popcorn and hot cocoa just got back from the mil's and two days of cooking - could not care less if i ate anything - drinking on the other hand...

just got back from the holidays with johnnybird's family in poughkeepsie. his dad and stepmother #2/mother-in-law #3 live out in millbrook and mother/mil#1 in po-town. after 20+ years of going by quattro's and saying "we should stop thereeeeeeeeeee" as we breezed by, john did stop. seems he went to high school with the owners daughter(met her), her son went to school with a brother in law and mrs. quattro's sister-in-law(the late josephine finelli) was one of johnnybird's mom's best friends. it is a freakin small world but wonderful. since everything is freerange and mostly organic we bought the following .97 lb domestic ground turkey - 2.42 2 duck breasts(frozen) - about 15.00- 7.99/lb 1 fresh, free range capon, about 12 lbs - about $32.00 to know that if you don't actually hunt and prepare the meat you eat from scratch you can get quality product - as the commercial says - priceless i will be sending john up with lists to fill the void in what i can find here in northern nj to bring home in the winter esp. - there were various preparations of venison, duck(breast and leg - please take note o! exhaulted owner) but it ain't cheap), ostrich and turkey frozen, fresh free range chickens and capons - they also offered wild turkey and phesant as well as various smoked versions of the above. we are going to have the duck breast for our christmas dinner(new years eve) and much smoked salmon so if johnnybird doesn't like it i can feed him my salmon and i get the duck breast

haven't got all the menu down yet but pretty sure of the following smoked salmon baby greens chocolate mousse mumm dvx and maybe a bottle of 90 sir winston that should find it's way into my stocking i know johnnybird will want fish but i really want beef(uh, oh - maybe it's craving time?). steak diane, perhaps. would REALLY like lamb but am not allowed to cook it in the house. sigh....

po-town has such a large, not so underground (il)legal immigrant population as does newburgh across the river. down near main there are several good groceries and, if iremember rightly, there is at least one tortilla factory tucked away - maybe over near dutchess county jail? there is also a Yono right off the throughway exit at as you head for 84 - it's been there at least 15 years. on salt point turnpike in poughkeepsie is one of the better french restaurants - le pavillion

ok- am going up to do the xmas thing in poughkeepsie and want to visit a friend in catskill. will try to get here tuesday. i hear they really hav cleaned warren street up since the time i was up there(1980-1982) since i really like good mexican can't wait

black forest mousse pie keebler chocolate pie shell chocolate pot du creme - made lactose free with chocolate chips, eggs, and strong coffee comstock light cherry pie filling with most of the cherries plucked out of the red goo developed it from stuff johnnybird already liked as self defense from the mil bringing one of her purchased desserts - usually loaded with cream and milk

wow i'm from the east end and don't remember pindar ever having a sparkler. course my favorite from that area - and i can't get it anywhere in northern nj- is from pugilese. it is a sparkling pinot noir which is amazing

i can get the zardetto, argyle and dvx perhaps we can have a handoff on rt. 84 at the border of ny/ct next tuesday when we head for poughkeepsie or maybe we'll have to have a sparkler function and all bring a case or two to swap

yum - pomegranates. just got some coupons for them in last week's papers. if HIMSELF ever gets home or 630 latest(i'm HUNGRY) venison birds(ground venison with herbs and spices baked in the oven) with a hunter's sauce spiked with red wine and the leftover jellied cranberry sauce melted into it - interesting the cranberry sauce does something to the hunter and i think will work really well with the vension. i tasted with my impecibly clean finger - had to make sure it napped a spoon garlic mashed potatoes fresh green beans and yellow squash batons with evoo and kosher salt the last of the vanilla soymilk rice pudding i've been baking most of the afternoon - fudgy bourbon brownies,banana nut bread, cranberry orange coffee cake for parties and gifts and just want my dinner.

an american grill - just for the pleasure of lou's comments and the vegetable strudel thirsty moose(jefferson) - for chicken wings and buffalo or ostrich burgers warehouse grill (jefferson)- for the martinis and turkey burgers krogh's(sparta) - for a burger and a homebrew plaza bistro(sparta) - for just about anything zoe's by the lake - ditto my house of course happy holidays to all

right now i am drinking Opera - about $8 light and just a tiny bit sweet Argyle - about $10 - jason hit it on the head Roederer Estate - just bought a bottle for the mil Mumm DVX - a bit pricier, i got it for $38 a bottle but it is in my cellar for a semispecial occasion, johnnybird bought a bottle for me for our anniversary and it is exquisite Frexinet Carta Nevada - about $8. i use this more in the summer as a base for my white sangrias Rondel Brut Extreme - about $7. this is the other "everyday" sparkler i asked for a bottle of Nicholas Feuillatte Rose as my "big" present from the inlaws - it's about 30; Cuvee Sir Winston Chruchill from the bird boy

ohhhh a man after my own heart but the last time i bought it winebow, the distributor, was charging about $12 per bottle you might like to try bel castel prosecco if you can find it, tommy(katie loeb turned me onto this pour)

wow- when we were kids we always got to open one present christmas eve as well - it was the new nightgown our mom had made us. we watched channel 3 out of hartford where they would have bulletins from NORAD tracking santa on radar(our uncle at that time was in the air force). we were allowed to open our stockings but not disturb our grandparents or mom before 7am. pop always did the cooking - usually eggs and bacon. i remember one year we saw a mouse running along the baseboard - pop wouldn't set a trap - he said everything had a right to enjoy christmas. the next day was another matter. when johnnybird and i married and moved to texas(marital advise - move as far away from both families the first year you are married) we started our own traditions. beginning 1 december we set aside 1/2 hour every day to open our advent calendar and any cards we receive that day. the tree is turned on and we put holiday music on the tape deck. we still do this. since we are the ones furthest away we always travel we don't celebrate our holiday till we are home - usually new year's eve.

after how much wine, tommy?