I was off Wednesday w the Mister. We were planning a lunch date somewhere in the East End & then a trip to Construction Junction to try to find a new front door then dinner & Game 7 to finish the night. (Penguins Hockey in case you dont know what Game 7 means but if you dont know what Game 7 is GET OFF MY BLOG! jk...maybe...)
So after perusing some menus online we made our lunch choice - Park Bruges in Highland Park. Had some amazing mussels, frites, poutine and crusty bread. It was a lunch full of delicious win. I got the white wine and Mister got the sausage mussels. Shockingly it was packed at 1:30-2:00 on a Wednesday, but that always makes me happy to see any really good small local place doing great sales on a week day. Service was sketchy timing wise, but it also looked like the 2 girls & the owner or manager that was working got their asses handed to them through lunch, and seeing as I am VERY familiar with how awful that can be I forgive them. Well that and it was terrific food & our server was super nice regardless of the timing issues. We will definitely be back.
We are sitting at lunch and Bossman calls me, which is rare when Im off unless something is horridly wrong, asks me if I want his tickets to Game 7. HELL YES I DO!! But I was much cooler when I answered him. I tell Mister & I think he might have actually screamed a little. See, a few months ago Bossman took all the GMs to see a game in a luxury box on a Sunday. One of my manger's girlfriends went into labor, so obviously he couldnt come into work, my GM for that place was just returning from vacation & was going to the game so I didnt want to ask her to do it and yes, I could have pulled rank and made one of my guys do it but that isnt my style either...so I worked it myself & figured I'd just hold that card until a later date when I wanted to use it. Bossman said that since I took that one for the team I could have the 2 tickets he scored (not his season tickets, other ones). Moral of that story? Sometimes when you just suck it up karma rewards you with awesome gifts!
So I got to go my first real live playoff hockey game. And it was a Game 7. And they lost. But I dont care now & didnt care then. It was amazing. It was a real bummer they were shut out so they never scored a goal...but aside from that it was incredible. The energy was off the hook, the noise made my ears ring, the white out was unreal to look at. It was almost sensory overload. I. LOVED. IT.
I got slightly pissy when our own fans began to boo our power play. Ok, I will admit our power play sucked this series. BUT it wasnt totally the Pens fault. Tampa figured out early on, maybe even during regular season, our PP was a dead spot. They then figured out how to collapse on it, block us from even getting into their end after clearing the puck and overall how to shut down our PP. It was already limping along, we had no serious scorers with all the injuries so yeah, thats a problem. It just didnt help at all that Tampa executed a defense that rendered what little PP we have totally useless. All that aside - what kind of fucked up "fan" kicks their own team when they are down?!? What kind of asshole boos their own team in a Game 7 when they are obviously struggling?!? Thankfully there were far more real fans in the stands so when that crap started it was drowned out by "LETS GO PENS" chants. If you were there and you booed any of our guys for any reason SHAME ON YOU. *angry eyebrows & finger wagging in your general direction* You are NOT a fan. You are an asshole.
I was sad to see our season end. I will miss hockey until October. I cannot wait to see all of our guys healthy and back on the ice. Part of me is wicked happy that we were eliminated now. The very idea of having to listen to some of the douchiest fans in the NHL rag on us for being eliminated by them in the 2nd round was kind of nauseating (looking at you Caps fans) and lets be real, there was no way in hell we were making it out of the 2nd round alive barring a hockey miracle. I love my Penguins, but you just cannot suffer the kind of blows they did this year and make a solid Cup run.
Another note to anyone who was bitching Sid wasnt sent out to "save" us...Are you fucking insane?!?! So in order to win 1 freaking series that we stand little to no chance of turning into a legit Cup run you want them to send him out there to potentially incur further injury? Yeah. Not fucking worth his long-term viability. Have you met Eric Lindros? Have you seen what happens to good players (may be stretching the word good there but you get my point) when they try to play through head injuries? Do you really think that if they HAD sent him out there Tampa wouldnt have done everything they could to send him off on a stretcher? Puh-lease. I dont see the Pens staff or team doctors telling us how to do our jobs so hows about all the arm-chair hockey coaches & neurologists just shut their whore mouths and let them do what they do?
Im proud of the boys & how far they made it even with all the set backs. I want to punch every person who is already talking contracts & who we are getting rid of and who they think was useless during the playoffs right in the mouth because with few exceptions I think they all played their hearts out to give us a great season whether we keep them all or not. Related: I often wonder when I hear all these self proclaimed "experts", both professional & amateur, spouting off about the players, coaches & management decisions what the basis of their opinions is. Im pretty sure all they need is a TV & a mouth/keyboard as qualifications to be a sports talking head, the brain is even optional ~ look at Mark Madden. Whats that old saying? Opinions are like assholes - everyone has them and they all smell like shit. This seems especially true with self proclaimed sports authorities :-) Im going to let Shero & Disco Dan figure out whats best for their team since, ya know, thats what they do for a living and just assume that if they ever come into one of my restaurants they wont tell me how to pick & choose my staff....seems reasonable, huh?
And anyone who bashes Fleury needs smacked. If you cant identify defensive holes versus goalie errors you shouldnt be allowed to talk about hockey to anyone anyway. No, hes not perfect, but he's also not superhuman. When a goalie is hung out to dry with bad defensive decisions what's he supposed to do? He's a goalie, a very important part of our defense, but definitely not the ONLY part of it.
I hope I get to go to another playoff hockey game, maybe next time it will be a win. But win or loose, thank you Pens for another great season and this fan will be cheering for you again in October no matter what the team looks like or who's on it :-)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A kinda long rant...but it has a good point.
I do not get it. At all. What happened to personal accountability? I havent seen it anywhere in forever. I've been looking, too.
I think it is just one of those cycles, they do happen upon occasion, when a lot of other people's drama ends up in my world. It really cant be helped. I employ well over 100 people & my restaurants see thousands of people a week; drama is bound to get all up in my shit every now again no matter how hard I try to dodge the bullets. I get that. Most often I can also deal with it without many complaints...Ive grown quite used to it actually however sad that may be. Long & short it usually just rolls off my back. It has to or I would either be drunk, stoned or institutionalized on a very regular (read DAILY) basis.
But in the last week I have had to deal with some of the most insanely stupid bullshit that all falls back to this one concept ~ when did it become ok to not be held accountable to anyone for anything? When did that sense of entitlement become acceptable? When did it stop being your own damn fault when you do something stupid? In a nutshell - I blame Baby Boomers. The generation above me has bred a generation below me of lazy, entitled, excuse making brats. I know that is a broad generalization, and I also know that from my own experiences there are exceptions to every rule - but unfortunately the rules still exist. And I seem to be dealing with a lot of those rules lately.
Example #1 - A line cook, lets call him Bill, is working the grill station. Its busy, its hectic, it get stressy. He is called a check & misses some stuff. Food is called for pick up, e doesnt have it, gets called out, says it wasnt called. Gets told to fire the food. He continues to bristle about it not being his fault. She tells him to do his job. Bill turns to my Sous Chef, who just happened to be doing some shift coverage that day and was helping out next to Bill on the fry station to get the kitchen out of the weeds, and proceeds to tell him how this isnt his fault WHILE HE STILL HASNT PUT THE DAMN BURGERS ON THE GRILL to which my Sous Chef says Bill she called them, I heard them, it doesnt matter, FIRE THE BURGERS. And Bill finally did.
Fast forward an hour later - rush is over, line is cleaning up & restocking, he asks to go smoke. He goes to smoke, seems calmer when he gets back and gets to work. Sous Chef pulls him aside and tells him that in those situations just get the food on. It doesnt matter whos mistake it was, shut your piehole and fire the food.
About 20 minutes later a fully uniformed cop walks in our door. This is soooooo not awesome. No one likes it when the cops walk into a bar. Ever. He finds my Sous Chef and explains that Bill is his son, and didnt appreciate the way he was being talked to and gets all tight. SC defused the situation by explaining what happened. Yes folks...a 20 year old man called his Daddy because he screwed up at work and was called out on it. I couldnt even imagine how mortified I would be if either of my parents ever called my work or had the nerve to show the fuck up about anything like that ever. Old enough to work old enough to handle my own shit. Even worse - why didnt Daddy tell him to man up, son. He is not doing that kid any favors. At all.
Example #2 - This cook has been having a case of the Mondays for about 3 weeks now and that is frustrating. Having to constantly ride him like a damn horse to get him to do anything is wicked annoying. Hes a good kid, hes just lazy - but thats manageable as long as you dont have a whole staff of those. He comes in at 11am all pouty, mopey and blah. KM gives him his list. Hes been at work for 20 minutes at this point and decides to go have a smoke. KM sticks his head out the back door and tells him to go home and he can smoke all he wants to. Attitude ensues. He ends up going home in the end.
An hour later cooks Mom calls to yell at my KM, tells him she wants to speak to his supervisor because no one talks to her son that way and so on and so forth while he rants in the back ground. KM handles it, tells her who to contact.
Havent heard from Mom yet, dont know if we will. Either way its ridiculous. You cant come to work & not expect to have to work. This is our future. Oiy Vey!
Example #3 - and this one is my favorite. Six months ago guy is at our bar on a Sunday by himself. He has a few beers and some mussels, hes there for about 4 hours and leaves. Guess he got a wicked hangover, told her it was bad seafood. She finds the check & we figure its a hangover. We all have a chuckle about it.
Week later she calls again. She talks to one of my managers and they go back & forth about how its our fault he drank that much. Its an awkward conversation really, how do you address that?
A month later she calls again. At this point I really want to talk to the husband and tell HIM to man up and call her off. We didnt do anything at all wrong outside of serve him. She rants, she raves, she threatens, they give her my email address and tell her to contact me - I never hear from her. Phew...bullet dodged.
Until today when she call and tells me a completely different story. Same tune, different lyrics. We have a ridiculous back & forth about it. Again, I dont really know what to say. I ask a few questions, to clarify the differences in the story, she isnt totally helpful but was in a huge hurry.
Im not sure what it is she would like me to do. I cannot control what her husband decides to do, and I am very sorry that he made a bad decision that led to further problems, but it was his decision, not ours. She want that bartender disciplined? And a refund and some other shit. Me: Stunned. Passing that one off to the boss.
Its infuriating to me. Why is the world such a mess? Because it is being run by a group of people who do nothing but point fingers and place blame taking no responsibility for their own actions.
You cant call my son out for making a mistake at his job, it hurt his feelings. Yes, I can. And I dont care if I hurt his delicate sensibilities.
You arent allowed to make my son work when hes at work, hes delicate and needs special consideration. No, hes not. And no, he doesnt.
Its all your fault that my husband came to your bar, drank more than he should of, got a wicked hangover from it and lied about it to his wife. Um no.Not at all, really.
We cant give kids failing grades when they fail because itll make them feel bad. We cant make sure kids are passing all of their classes in order to be eligible to play sports because itll make them feel like failures. We arent allowed to discipline children in anyway that may actually work because reasoning with a 4 year old monster is better for their self esteem. We cant make adults do their jobs because its not fair to have expectations. If you loose your job because you suck at it you should be able to collect off unemployment for as long as you need to because you cant be expected to actually DO the job you were hired & paid to do so it must be the employers fault you suck. Its ok to expect more and do less.
Actually its not. At least not in my world. In my world I bust my ass for what I have. If I need money I get a fucking job - McDonalds is always hiring and if you dont have a job any income is better than none. I own my bad decisions and the consequences of those actions. In other words Im a grown up and I thank my mom & dad for popping me when I deserved it, holding me accountable when I fucked up, instilling in me a work ethic that allows me to earn my way and for letting me know that I am not some delicate little flower that needs to be coddled and protected. They made me tough enough to survive in a world that isnt always easy and made me smart enough to know how to make my life as cushy as I can. They also didnt raise me to believe that I was any more important than anyone else, that what I do effects everyone around me and to be aware of that when I make decisions, that I am entitled to only what I earn and no one is going to hand me my happiness on a silver platter wrapped in a pretty bow.
Thank you Mom & Dad. As rough as I ever thought you were I could not be happier that I did not turn out a whiny, ego-maniacal tool bag.
I think it is just one of those cycles, they do happen upon occasion, when a lot of other people's drama ends up in my world. It really cant be helped. I employ well over 100 people & my restaurants see thousands of people a week; drama is bound to get all up in my shit every now again no matter how hard I try to dodge the bullets. I get that. Most often I can also deal with it without many complaints...Ive grown quite used to it actually however sad that may be. Long & short it usually just rolls off my back. It has to or I would either be drunk, stoned or institutionalized on a very regular (read DAILY) basis.
But in the last week I have had to deal with some of the most insanely stupid bullshit that all falls back to this one concept ~ when did it become ok to not be held accountable to anyone for anything? When did that sense of entitlement become acceptable? When did it stop being your own damn fault when you do something stupid? In a nutshell - I blame Baby Boomers. The generation above me has bred a generation below me of lazy, entitled, excuse making brats. I know that is a broad generalization, and I also know that from my own experiences there are exceptions to every rule - but unfortunately the rules still exist. And I seem to be dealing with a lot of those rules lately.
Example #1 - A line cook, lets call him Bill, is working the grill station. Its busy, its hectic, it get stressy. He is called a check & misses some stuff. Food is called for pick up, e doesnt have it, gets called out, says it wasnt called. Gets told to fire the food. He continues to bristle about it not being his fault. She tells him to do his job. Bill turns to my Sous Chef, who just happened to be doing some shift coverage that day and was helping out next to Bill on the fry station to get the kitchen out of the weeds, and proceeds to tell him how this isnt his fault WHILE HE STILL HASNT PUT THE DAMN BURGERS ON THE GRILL to which my Sous Chef says Bill she called them, I heard them, it doesnt matter, FIRE THE BURGERS. And Bill finally did.
Fast forward an hour later - rush is over, line is cleaning up & restocking, he asks to go smoke. He goes to smoke, seems calmer when he gets back and gets to work. Sous Chef pulls him aside and tells him that in those situations just get the food on. It doesnt matter whos mistake it was, shut your piehole and fire the food.
About 20 minutes later a fully uniformed cop walks in our door. This is soooooo not awesome. No one likes it when the cops walk into a bar. Ever. He finds my Sous Chef and explains that Bill is his son, and didnt appreciate the way he was being talked to and gets all tight. SC defused the situation by explaining what happened. Yes folks...a 20 year old man called his Daddy because he screwed up at work and was called out on it. I couldnt even imagine how mortified I would be if either of my parents ever called my work or had the nerve to show the fuck up about anything like that ever. Old enough to work old enough to handle my own shit. Even worse - why didnt Daddy tell him to man up, son. He is not doing that kid any favors. At all.
Example #2 - This cook has been having a case of the Mondays for about 3 weeks now and that is frustrating. Having to constantly ride him like a damn horse to get him to do anything is wicked annoying. Hes a good kid, hes just lazy - but thats manageable as long as you dont have a whole staff of those. He comes in at 11am all pouty, mopey and blah. KM gives him his list. Hes been at work for 20 minutes at this point and decides to go have a smoke. KM sticks his head out the back door and tells him to go home and he can smoke all he wants to. Attitude ensues. He ends up going home in the end.
An hour later cooks Mom calls to yell at my KM, tells him she wants to speak to his supervisor because no one talks to her son that way and so on and so forth while he rants in the back ground. KM handles it, tells her who to contact.
Havent heard from Mom yet, dont know if we will. Either way its ridiculous. You cant come to work & not expect to have to work. This is our future. Oiy Vey!
Example #3 - and this one is my favorite. Six months ago guy is at our bar on a Sunday by himself. He has a few beers and some mussels, hes there for about 4 hours and leaves. Guess he got a wicked hangover, told her it was bad seafood. She finds the check & we figure its a hangover. We all have a chuckle about it.
Week later she calls again. She talks to one of my managers and they go back & forth about how its our fault he drank that much. Its an awkward conversation really, how do you address that?
A month later she calls again. At this point I really want to talk to the husband and tell HIM to man up and call her off. We didnt do anything at all wrong outside of serve him. She rants, she raves, she threatens, they give her my email address and tell her to contact me - I never hear from her. Phew...bullet dodged.
Until today when she call and tells me a completely different story. Same tune, different lyrics. We have a ridiculous back & forth about it. Again, I dont really know what to say. I ask a few questions, to clarify the differences in the story, she isnt totally helpful but was in a huge hurry.
Im not sure what it is she would like me to do. I cannot control what her husband decides to do, and I am very sorry that he made a bad decision that led to further problems, but it was his decision, not ours. She want that bartender disciplined? And a refund and some other shit. Me: Stunned. Passing that one off to the boss.
Its infuriating to me. Why is the world such a mess? Because it is being run by a group of people who do nothing but point fingers and place blame taking no responsibility for their own actions.
You cant call my son out for making a mistake at his job, it hurt his feelings. Yes, I can. And I dont care if I hurt his delicate sensibilities.
You arent allowed to make my son work when hes at work, hes delicate and needs special consideration. No, hes not. And no, he doesnt.
Its all your fault that my husband came to your bar, drank more than he should of, got a wicked hangover from it and lied about it to his wife. Um no.Not at all, really.
We cant give kids failing grades when they fail because itll make them feel bad. We cant make sure kids are passing all of their classes in order to be eligible to play sports because itll make them feel like failures. We arent allowed to discipline children in anyway that may actually work because reasoning with a 4 year old monster is better for their self esteem. We cant make adults do their jobs because its not fair to have expectations. If you loose your job because you suck at it you should be able to collect off unemployment for as long as you need to because you cant be expected to actually DO the job you were hired & paid to do so it must be the employers fault you suck. Its ok to expect more and do less.
Actually its not. At least not in my world. In my world I bust my ass for what I have. If I need money I get a fucking job - McDonalds is always hiring and if you dont have a job any income is better than none. I own my bad decisions and the consequences of those actions. In other words Im a grown up and I thank my mom & dad for popping me when I deserved it, holding me accountable when I fucked up, instilling in me a work ethic that allows me to earn my way and for letting me know that I am not some delicate little flower that needs to be coddled and protected. They made me tough enough to survive in a world that isnt always easy and made me smart enough to know how to make my life as cushy as I can. They also didnt raise me to believe that I was any more important than anyone else, that what I do effects everyone around me and to be aware of that when I make decisions, that I am entitled to only what I earn and no one is going to hand me my happiness on a silver platter wrapped in a pretty bow.
Thank you Mom & Dad. As rough as I ever thought you were I could not be happier that I did not turn out a whiny, ego-maniacal tool bag.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Zombie Jesus Day...
...has come & gone. I think thats supposed to mean that SPRING has SPRUNG. If today was any indication I think it definitely has. Got to ride with the windows out of the Jeep & the music turned up wicked loud. The Gods of Rag Tops have spoken - the time for toplessness is now :-)
The kielbasa? Came out awesome! Personally I think I could have added a smidgen more salt but overall it was excellent. It smelled & tasted just like Popops from all those years ago. Dad agreed. I made enough to feed a small army of ravenous goats so I gifted a bunch to a few friends at work, all rave reviews there too. Looks like I have acquired a new holiday tradition for the family...good thing I think sausage stuffing is a good time. Somewhat related: there is no way to talk about sausage stuffing without making about a bazillion sex jokes...and for some reason they are always funny- yeah...Im 12.
The Mister got to experience his first foray into charcuterie & he can be my sous chef anytime. After a minor blow up of "would you shut the hell up and listen to what I am trying to tell you" hollered over "well I dont know what Im doing and you wont explain it" (Guess who was saying which & you'll win the prize!) we both quit yelling and the stuffing began. All told 4+ hours from grinding the meat to stuffed sausage. Definitely a project easier accomplished by 2. I gave most of it away but did save a coil so I can toss it on the smoker next time I smoke some meat...and that should be oh so yum.
I also made cinnamon cake that was indistinguishable from any my Nana used to make. This would make me the first of our clan who is able to make this recipe without completely balling it up. I think I am going to try to turn it into cinnamon rolls at some point. Would def have to tweak out the quantity a bit, but that buttery eggy bread w some cinnamon & some raisins with a cream cheese frosting? Oh HELL yeah. If I pull this off with any success Ill post the recipe. Only difference between mine & Nanas is hers is made with Oleo - totally how she has it written in the recipe, margarine for those of us born after 1950 - and I use butter. Margarine is NOT food and I do not cook with things that arent food.
It was a great day with the family, really. Still odd to see my sister & her kids hanging out with her new boyfriend. My BIL was a bit of a douche...but its still weird. I actually defended him to my mom. She called him an asshole because he wouldnt give Sister what she wanted as far as weekend visitation. Why the hell should he?!? He wasnt the best husband ever, but as much as I love my sister shes a total asshole. She cant help it really, its just who she is, but hes done with her so why does he have to acquiesce to her every request? Oh yeah...he DOESNT. Mom thought I was being harsh, I call it realistic. He had no choice but to deal with her when they were together, not quite the same now. I know its evil but seeing her get a bit of her vindictive medicine amuses me. A lot. I know, I know...y'all probably think Im mean for taking pleasure in her annoyance, but
Capped the evening by almost yelling at Gram (Moms Mom). I dont even know wtf we were talking about over cake & all of a sudden shes all "Blame Obama" and Im all "what?!?!" I kind of forgot that Gram likes to sit and watch Fox News All. Damn. Day. And believes every damn word those talking head idiots spit out. It pisses me off. Even when its rhetoric being spouted by my 85 year old grandmother. I still dont get how you can blame any one individual for the shit show that is our government. That is and was a group effort. The problem isnt political parties. Its politicians. And until the masses can see that its going to be more of the same. She looked at me like I was an anarchist. Maybe I am...but at least I dont believe everything I hear on TV. Thank god she doenst get the internet. Lord knows what kind of crap shed believe if she could read some of that shit.
Tonight: Cheese Burgers & Potato Salad and if I have my way a Pens win into round #2 of the Playoffs! The return of Matt Cooke & moar hockey!
The kielbasa? Came out awesome! Personally I think I could have added a smidgen more salt but overall it was excellent. It smelled & tasted just like Popops from all those years ago. Dad agreed. I made enough to feed a small army of ravenous goats so I gifted a bunch to a few friends at work, all rave reviews there too. Looks like I have acquired a new holiday tradition for the family...good thing I think sausage stuffing is a good time. Somewhat related: there is no way to talk about sausage stuffing without making about a bazillion sex jokes...and for some reason they are always funny- yeah...Im 12.
The Mister got to experience his first foray into charcuterie & he can be my sous chef anytime. After a minor blow up of "would you shut the hell up and listen to what I am trying to tell you" hollered over "well I dont know what Im doing and you wont explain it" (Guess who was saying which & you'll win the prize!) we both quit yelling and the stuffing began. All told 4+ hours from grinding the meat to stuffed sausage. Definitely a project easier accomplished by 2. I gave most of it away but did save a coil so I can toss it on the smoker next time I smoke some meat...and that should be oh so yum.
I also made cinnamon cake that was indistinguishable from any my Nana used to make. This would make me the first of our clan who is able to make this recipe without completely balling it up. I think I am going to try to turn it into cinnamon rolls at some point. Would def have to tweak out the quantity a bit, but that buttery eggy bread w some cinnamon & some raisins with a cream cheese frosting? Oh HELL yeah. If I pull this off with any success Ill post the recipe. Only difference between mine & Nanas is hers is made with Oleo - totally how she has it written in the recipe, margarine for those of us born after 1950 - and I use butter. Margarine is NOT food and I do not cook with things that arent food.
It was a great day with the family, really. Still odd to see my sister & her kids hanging out with her new boyfriend. My BIL was a bit of a douche...but its still weird. I actually defended him to my mom. She called him an asshole because he wouldnt give Sister what she wanted as far as weekend visitation. Why the hell should he?!? He wasnt the best husband ever, but as much as I love my sister shes a total asshole. She cant help it really, its just who she is, but hes done with her so why does he have to acquiesce to her every request? Oh yeah...he DOESNT. Mom thought I was being harsh, I call it realistic. He had no choice but to deal with her when they were together, not quite the same now. I know its evil but seeing her get a bit of her vindictive medicine amuses me. A lot. I know, I know...y'all probably think Im mean for taking pleasure in her annoyance, but
Capped the evening by almost yelling at Gram (Moms Mom). I dont even know wtf we were talking about over cake & all of a sudden shes all "Blame Obama" and Im all "what?!?!" I kind of forgot that Gram likes to sit and watch Fox News All. Damn. Day. And believes every damn word those talking head idiots spit out. It pisses me off. Even when its rhetoric being spouted by my 85 year old grandmother. I still dont get how you can blame any one individual for the shit show that is our government. That is and was a group effort. The problem isnt political parties. Its politicians. And until the masses can see that its going to be more of the same. She looked at me like I was an anarchist. Maybe I am...but at least I dont believe everything I hear on TV. Thank god she doenst get the internet. Lord knows what kind of crap shed believe if she could read some of that shit.
Tonight: Cheese Burgers & Potato Salad and if I have my way a Pens win into round #2 of the Playoffs! The return of Matt Cooke & moar hockey!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Delicious Food & Fond Memories
Oh I have made some deliciousness to send out into the world in the last couple days and will be heading home today to create some more!
So next month we are doing a special feature menu centered around Belgium and I want the cheese boards to be the real deal. I spent yesterday making up a country style pate with pistachios and orange & fennel chicken terrine. Love them both. Ive been on a pate buying kick lately for home, but just havent found one that I am over the moon about. I compare them to my own and am always kind of disappointed in the flat flavor. Ive gotten it from Crested Duck at Pittsburgh Public Market, D'Artagnan from Market District and they were both good, but fell kind of flat for me. Honestly I think its because when they are made the folks forget that anything served cold has to taste over seasoned when hot to taste right when chilled. If you cook off a sample piece it should taste salty almost when its eaten so when pressed & chilled its right. Either way I had a how to make & press pate lesson with my production guy, unmoled those puppies today and they are PERFECT. This makes me happy.
The terrines are something I like a lot. They are a bit "old school" as far as when they were popular, but when they are made well they are simply divine. They are generally made with a relatively universal meat - like chicken, turkey, even pork - and are garnished with so many different things. Personally I love a dried cherry & cashew terrine, or a spinach & feta. More or less they are a shaped & seasoned forcemeat that is poached very slowly, chilled & served cold. The one I made yesterday was fresh fennel braised in fresh squeezed orange juice with some orange zest. I generally am not a fan of fennel, but these came out absolutely perfect. The terrines are really nice as a luncheon dish, accoutrement for a cheese board or on finger sandwiches with some flavored mayo.
Also made a beer brined roasted half chicken that is going to be served with a dried cherry stock reduction sauce. This dish w that sauce may get me into my restaurants to eat multiple times when Im off work in May. Brined the chickens for about 36 hours in a Belgian beer brine, spritzed them with some extra virgin olive oil and then dusted with herbs de provence & cracked black pepper. The brine makes them so tender & the skin crisped up beautifully. The sauce for this is one of my absolute favorites veal stock reduction sauces made with a cherry lambic & dried cherries, oh so perfect for this chicken dish. I cant wait to eat it fully assembled.
Loving that I am having a close to flawless cooking week :-)
Tonight I am adventuring into the wide & wonderful world of sausage making. My Popop (Dad's Dad) was a foreman for Armour for years & used to make, every Christmas & Easter, a special fresh Kielbasa with my Nana that was a family favorite. He didnt use any curing salts so it was gray, but it was rich & loaded with garlic and spices. It is one of those food memories that I will never ever forget. I remember watching him make it, getting yelled at by my Nana to get my fingers away from the manual meat grinder, the smell of it simmering on the stove when I walked into their house that meant HOLIDAYS, the amazement of watching him stuff the natural casings with ease and wondering if I could do that too (for the record every time I tried back then it was an amusing FAIL, but I never gave up); it didnt start out as one of my favorites, but I always ate it and as I got older I learned to love it ~ the gray color was a turn off for me, once I got over it it was wonderful!
Fast forward to now - I'm no longer a kid, my Popop has been gone for close to a decade now, my Nana, thanks to a fall, is just starting her new life in an assisted living home and the huge family gatherings of my past are no more. I actually miss having the 30 of us all together for the holidays like we used to, but it just doesnt happen that way anymore. My uncle & his family moved to Florida. My Aunt & her family have decided their status & their McMansion make them too good to spend the holidays at home with their family so they are skiing, beaching or golfing for every major holiday. I can honestly say I dont think Ive actually spoken to my Aunt in about 5 years, not due to some huge falling out - we just live on different planets and she happens to think my planet is a scary scary place.
Since Popop passed my Dad has tried, valiantly, to recreate what Popop used to make. Now in traditional old school methods there are no recipes to follow ~ you ask Nana now and she says "oh you need a bowl of fresh ground pork the size of my favorite ceramic mixing bowl I got as a wedding gift, you need the marjoram from the 4 plants in the yard to dry over the winter (thats a measurement in her world) and enough garlic so you can smell it"...so yeah not very helpful. But I get it. Thats the way I cook. I cook from taste, not from a book or recipe. If Ive eaten it there is a really good chance I can recreate it next to perfectly within 2, at the max 3, shots at it. Its a pretty awesome skill if I do say so myself. Dad's attempts have been pretty disastrous, really. He kept trying to make it lean. Lean & sausage are not ever meant to go together. He also isnt a fan of seasoning, so his 2 or 3 attempts have been dry, hard & bland....sounds delicious, huh?
So this year I have decided to try to resurrect this tradition and am going to try to make Popop's Kielbasa for Easter. Ive got the goods at home (sans the marjoram dried from the plants in Nana's yard, some dried from Penzy's will have to do) and plan to spend my evening with The Mister grinding 20 pounds of pork butt & salt pork, seasoning it up & stuffing it into yards of natural casings. If I am lucky I will be able to make the neat coils of kielbasa he used to make and neatly wrap in butcher paper to take to Mom & Dad's on Sunday. I miss my Pops...he was a ornery old man but he was our ornery old man & I hope I can do it justice. At the very least I know Ill be able to get it closer than Dad did :-)
I will have to let you know how this turns out - if it is a success I am also going to try to make Nana's Cinnamon Cake on Saturday. it isnt really a cake as much as it is a sweet egg bread, similar to a Challah with raisins actually, but instead of braiding its loafed up and topped with this cinnamon crust that kind of reminds me of that sweet cinnamony stuff on top of the sun dried tomato bread at Panera. Its one of those recipes that you have to follow to the letter or it doesnt come out right. Mom has been making it for years and its pretty good, but she goes back & forth between undercooking, which makes it wicked heavy and doughy, or overcooking, which makes it dry & hard. Its not a recipe I have ever struggled with & Mom is up to her eyeballs dealing with 2 Nanas in 2 different assisted living joints that both want her undivided attention ~ not jealous of her at all.
Hope you all have a great holiday however you plan to spend it. I plan to spend mine in a food & beer induced coma :-) Happy Weekend!!!
So next month we are doing a special feature menu centered around Belgium and I want the cheese boards to be the real deal. I spent yesterday making up a country style pate with pistachios and orange & fennel chicken terrine. Love them both. Ive been on a pate buying kick lately for home, but just havent found one that I am over the moon about. I compare them to my own and am always kind of disappointed in the flat flavor. Ive gotten it from Crested Duck at Pittsburgh Public Market, D'Artagnan from Market District and they were both good, but fell kind of flat for me. Honestly I think its because when they are made the folks forget that anything served cold has to taste over seasoned when hot to taste right when chilled. If you cook off a sample piece it should taste salty almost when its eaten so when pressed & chilled its right. Either way I had a how to make & press pate lesson with my production guy, unmoled those puppies today and they are PERFECT. This makes me happy.
The terrines are something I like a lot. They are a bit "old school" as far as when they were popular, but when they are made well they are simply divine. They are generally made with a relatively universal meat - like chicken, turkey, even pork - and are garnished with so many different things. Personally I love a dried cherry & cashew terrine, or a spinach & feta. More or less they are a shaped & seasoned forcemeat that is poached very slowly, chilled & served cold. The one I made yesterday was fresh fennel braised in fresh squeezed orange juice with some orange zest. I generally am not a fan of fennel, but these came out absolutely perfect. The terrines are really nice as a luncheon dish, accoutrement for a cheese board or on finger sandwiches with some flavored mayo.
Also made a beer brined roasted half chicken that is going to be served with a dried cherry stock reduction sauce. This dish w that sauce may get me into my restaurants to eat multiple times when Im off work in May. Brined the chickens for about 36 hours in a Belgian beer brine, spritzed them with some extra virgin olive oil and then dusted with herbs de provence & cracked black pepper. The brine makes them so tender & the skin crisped up beautifully. The sauce for this is one of my absolute favorites veal stock reduction sauces made with a cherry lambic & dried cherries, oh so perfect for this chicken dish. I cant wait to eat it fully assembled.
Loving that I am having a close to flawless cooking week :-)
Tonight I am adventuring into the wide & wonderful world of sausage making. My Popop (Dad's Dad) was a foreman for Armour for years & used to make, every Christmas & Easter, a special fresh Kielbasa with my Nana that was a family favorite. He didnt use any curing salts so it was gray, but it was rich & loaded with garlic and spices. It is one of those food memories that I will never ever forget. I remember watching him make it, getting yelled at by my Nana to get my fingers away from the manual meat grinder, the smell of it simmering on the stove when I walked into their house that meant HOLIDAYS, the amazement of watching him stuff the natural casings with ease and wondering if I could do that too (for the record every time I tried back then it was an amusing FAIL, but I never gave up); it didnt start out as one of my favorites, but I always ate it and as I got older I learned to love it ~ the gray color was a turn off for me, once I got over it it was wonderful!
Fast forward to now - I'm no longer a kid, my Popop has been gone for close to a decade now, my Nana, thanks to a fall, is just starting her new life in an assisted living home and the huge family gatherings of my past are no more. I actually miss having the 30 of us all together for the holidays like we used to, but it just doesnt happen that way anymore. My uncle & his family moved to Florida. My Aunt & her family have decided their status & their McMansion make them too good to spend the holidays at home with their family so they are skiing, beaching or golfing for every major holiday. I can honestly say I dont think Ive actually spoken to my Aunt in about 5 years, not due to some huge falling out - we just live on different planets and she happens to think my planet is a scary scary place.
Since Popop passed my Dad has tried, valiantly, to recreate what Popop used to make. Now in traditional old school methods there are no recipes to follow ~ you ask Nana now and she says "oh you need a bowl of fresh ground pork the size of my favorite ceramic mixing bowl I got as a wedding gift, you need the marjoram from the 4 plants in the yard to dry over the winter (thats a measurement in her world) and enough garlic so you can smell it"...so yeah not very helpful. But I get it. Thats the way I cook. I cook from taste, not from a book or recipe. If Ive eaten it there is a really good chance I can recreate it next to perfectly within 2, at the max 3, shots at it. Its a pretty awesome skill if I do say so myself. Dad's attempts have been pretty disastrous, really. He kept trying to make it lean. Lean & sausage are not ever meant to go together. He also isnt a fan of seasoning, so his 2 or 3 attempts have been dry, hard & bland....sounds delicious, huh?
So this year I have decided to try to resurrect this tradition and am going to try to make Popop's Kielbasa for Easter. Ive got the goods at home (sans the marjoram dried from the plants in Nana's yard, some dried from Penzy's will have to do) and plan to spend my evening with The Mister grinding 20 pounds of pork butt & salt pork, seasoning it up & stuffing it into yards of natural casings. If I am lucky I will be able to make the neat coils of kielbasa he used to make and neatly wrap in butcher paper to take to Mom & Dad's on Sunday. I miss my Pops...he was a ornery old man but he was our ornery old man & I hope I can do it justice. At the very least I know Ill be able to get it closer than Dad did :-)
I will have to let you know how this turns out - if it is a success I am also going to try to make Nana's Cinnamon Cake on Saturday. it isnt really a cake as much as it is a sweet egg bread, similar to a Challah with raisins actually, but instead of braiding its loafed up and topped with this cinnamon crust that kind of reminds me of that sweet cinnamony stuff on top of the sun dried tomato bread at Panera. Its one of those recipes that you have to follow to the letter or it doesnt come out right. Mom has been making it for years and its pretty good, but she goes back & forth between undercooking, which makes it wicked heavy and doughy, or overcooking, which makes it dry & hard. Its not a recipe I have ever struggled with & Mom is up to her eyeballs dealing with 2 Nanas in 2 different assisted living joints that both want her undivided attention ~ not jealous of her at all.
Hope you all have a great holiday however you plan to spend it. I plan to spend mine in a food & beer induced coma :-) Happy Weekend!!!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
To Beer or Not to Beer?
Got into an interesting conversation on Twitter last night started by Craft Pittsburgh Magazine.
(shameless plug: I write the Cooking with Beer feature for this fantabulous new Craft Beer magazine that is available at a lot of great bars in & around the area. If you're into beer & into Pittsburgh grab one. Its a great read & my recipes are pretty awesome)
It all started with this Tweet:
Would you let your teen drink #craftbeer as a way to learn respect for alcohol, before they're pressured into binge drinking by peers? 14 hours ago · reply · retweet · favorite
It was a lively and interesting conversation with a couple people with some different opinions. But it stuck in my head, as some things will do upon occasion. I will preface with this as well: I do not now nor do I ever plan to have children. I also am not telling anyone how to raise theirs ~ it's quite frankly none of my damn business what anyone chooses to do with or to their kids. That being said I am an intelligent human being who is also entitled to have an opinion about whatever I would like to.
I'm a pretty decent arguer. I dont get personal (most of the time) and can argue my points intelligently and thankfully those that were participating in this back & forth were as well. What it came down to was 2 very different perspective on the topic of introducing kids to alcohol early.
If the parents take the initiative to make responsible alcohol consumption a part of their growing up you de-taboo it, make it less of a "big deal" when they get into peer pressure situations and therefore greatly reduce the chances of your kid having issues with the teenage binge drinking that we all know occurs. If you teach them about things like Craft Beer, teach them to appreciate it and respect it, you will, by default, teach them to be responsible about it. Appreciation + Knowledge = Responsibility. I know this isnt a fail safe way of looking at it at all; some people will abuse alcohol no matter the amount of education or knowledge you try to impart - but I would also assume that as a parent who knows their child that you would also know if your child has tendencies toward that kind of addictive behavior. This theory is based up on a "normal" parenting situation; the parents drink responsibly and not in excess and they would want to impart these same values in their kids.
The comparisons offered here were mostly food related. You develop your pallet throughout your life based on what you are exposed to and what you experience. This is true for food, beer, wine, liquor and the earlier you start the more developed the pallet will be. Some said this was an invalid argument, but it isnt. If you teach a child from toddler age that there is more to food than peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and American cheese you will teach them to eat real food and develop life-long eating habits that revolve around a balanced diet ~ not McDonalds. The same can be said for alcohol. If you teach from their teen years responsible consumption you will create life-long habits about drinking behaviors and the taste for quality over quantity.
The opposing argument was less about the social responsibility of earlier education, we were all pretty much in agreement about that, and more to the end that teenagers couldnt appreciate the nuances of craft beer specifically without the binge drinking of their youth. That in order to appreciate the best you had to experience the worst. This is flawed logic to me. I didnt have to drink Mad Dog to appreciate the aroma & flavor of a delicious Bordeaux; I dont have to drink Old English to appreciate an Orval. I can refer back to my boss' kids. All three were taught about beer at a very early age, it wasnt taboo, they were allowed to try it and find out what they liked and what they didnt. Two of them are in college now and neither is particularly interested in Frat Boy Keggers. Yes...they will still go because thats what college kids do...but they cant stomach drinking flat Coors Light from a warm keg in any kind of excess. They have an appreciation for & have developed a pallet for good beer. With this comes better control, better decision making and removes the desire to drink until they black out on some shitty Macro.
In the opinion of my opposed debaters development of the pallet & a more nuanced education about alcohol and the social responsibility of teaching about safe alcohol consumption were 2 totally different subjects; in my mind they are not. One in turn breeds the other. If you teach about flavor, aroma, quality and the nuances of any alcohol, craft beer for this particular argument, you will teach respect for the beverage and its effects on an individual, respect for the beverage will equate to more responsible choices which will lead to less binge drinking by teenagers.
I never got into this part on twitter because, well, 1) I was tired and it was late, 2) I honestly grew tired of the illogical place the discussion was headed - debates are only fun to me when both sides are argued logically and 3) hard to express a full opinion in 140 characters; But I can equate this argument to sex education. Is it better to teach abstinence ~ cross your fingers and hope like hell your kids listen to you and do what you know you yourself probably didnt no matter what your parents told you or to teach them about honest sex education and give them the tools to make sure they are safe and understand the risks & consequences involved with doing what you know they are going to do anyway?
Yes...it would be lovely if it was as easy as telling them "no sex until you're married" and "no drinking until you're 21"...but be realistic. Did you do that? Did you wait until you were married to have sex? Did you not let a sip of alcohol pass your lips before your 21st birthday? For a few folks yes, both of those statements may be true...but for most of us, myself included, they are both so totally false they hurt. So knowing that, knowing that no matter what you say to your kids they are going to go on thinking they are invincible, you as the adult have NO idea what you're talking about and they know what is best for themselves (and you know that's what they're thinking...its what we all thought when we were 13-18) would you blindly hope they are smart enough to figure it out on their own or do you arm them as best you can to make sure they are equipped to make the most intelligent decisions a teenager can make?
To me it seems smarter to arm them, to give them as much info as you can going out there so they can make smart, educated decisions. I know thats what my parents did to the best of their ability. I know that I was able to make better decisions because of it. I also know that I was painfully aware of the consequences of the decisions I made from my teen years forward because they told me & after some minor trial and error, nothing too serious mind you, I learned they were right.
I know it isnt a black & white issue at all and everyone must make the best decisions they can for their families and their children based upon what they believe and the individuals involved. I just happen to think that making rules in absolutes, like no drinking until you're 21 and no sex until you are married, is an invitation to any rebellious teenager to do the exact opposite and that turning those topics into a discussion would be a more effective way of letting them make better decisions on their own without even realizing its what you wanted for them in the first place.
So, dear reader, is it best that I dont plan to reproduce & release upon this world a drunk-ass sex fiend or is my line of reasoning sound?
(shameless plug: I write the Cooking with Beer feature for this fantabulous new Craft Beer magazine that is available at a lot of great bars in & around the area. If you're into beer & into Pittsburgh grab one. Its a great read & my recipes are pretty awesome)
It all started with this Tweet:
Would you let your teen drink #craftbeer as a way to learn respect for alcohol, before they're pressured into binge drinking by peers? 14 hours ago · reply · retweet · favorite
It was a lively and interesting conversation with a couple people with some different opinions. But it stuck in my head, as some things will do upon occasion. I will preface with this as well: I do not now nor do I ever plan to have children. I also am not telling anyone how to raise theirs ~ it's quite frankly none of my damn business what anyone chooses to do with or to their kids. That being said I am an intelligent human being who is also entitled to have an opinion about whatever I would like to.
I'm a pretty decent arguer. I dont get personal (most of the time) and can argue my points intelligently and thankfully those that were participating in this back & forth were as well. What it came down to was 2 very different perspective on the topic of introducing kids to alcohol early.
If the parents take the initiative to make responsible alcohol consumption a part of their growing up you de-taboo it, make it less of a "big deal" when they get into peer pressure situations and therefore greatly reduce the chances of your kid having issues with the teenage binge drinking that we all know occurs. If you teach them about things like Craft Beer, teach them to appreciate it and respect it, you will, by default, teach them to be responsible about it. Appreciation + Knowledge = Responsibility. I know this isnt a fail safe way of looking at it at all; some people will abuse alcohol no matter the amount of education or knowledge you try to impart - but I would also assume that as a parent who knows their child that you would also know if your child has tendencies toward that kind of addictive behavior. This theory is based up on a "normal" parenting situation; the parents drink responsibly and not in excess and they would want to impart these same values in their kids.
The comparisons offered here were mostly food related. You develop your pallet throughout your life based on what you are exposed to and what you experience. This is true for food, beer, wine, liquor and the earlier you start the more developed the pallet will be. Some said this was an invalid argument, but it isnt. If you teach a child from toddler age that there is more to food than peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and American cheese you will teach them to eat real food and develop life-long eating habits that revolve around a balanced diet ~ not McDonalds. The same can be said for alcohol. If you teach from their teen years responsible consumption you will create life-long habits about drinking behaviors and the taste for quality over quantity.
The opposing argument was less about the social responsibility of earlier education, we were all pretty much in agreement about that, and more to the end that teenagers couldnt appreciate the nuances of craft beer specifically without the binge drinking of their youth. That in order to appreciate the best you had to experience the worst. This is flawed logic to me. I didnt have to drink Mad Dog to appreciate the aroma & flavor of a delicious Bordeaux; I dont have to drink Old English to appreciate an Orval. I can refer back to my boss' kids. All three were taught about beer at a very early age, it wasnt taboo, they were allowed to try it and find out what they liked and what they didnt. Two of them are in college now and neither is particularly interested in Frat Boy Keggers. Yes...they will still go because thats what college kids do...but they cant stomach drinking flat Coors Light from a warm keg in any kind of excess. They have an appreciation for & have developed a pallet for good beer. With this comes better control, better decision making and removes the desire to drink until they black out on some shitty Macro.
In the opinion of my opposed debaters development of the pallet & a more nuanced education about alcohol and the social responsibility of teaching about safe alcohol consumption were 2 totally different subjects; in my mind they are not. One in turn breeds the other. If you teach about flavor, aroma, quality and the nuances of any alcohol, craft beer for this particular argument, you will teach respect for the beverage and its effects on an individual, respect for the beverage will equate to more responsible choices which will lead to less binge drinking by teenagers.
I never got into this part on twitter because, well, 1) I was tired and it was late, 2) I honestly grew tired of the illogical place the discussion was headed - debates are only fun to me when both sides are argued logically and 3) hard to express a full opinion in 140 characters; But I can equate this argument to sex education. Is it better to teach abstinence ~ cross your fingers and hope like hell your kids listen to you and do what you know you yourself probably didnt no matter what your parents told you or to teach them about honest sex education and give them the tools to make sure they are safe and understand the risks & consequences involved with doing what you know they are going to do anyway?
Yes...it would be lovely if it was as easy as telling them "no sex until you're married" and "no drinking until you're 21"...but be realistic. Did you do that? Did you wait until you were married to have sex? Did you not let a sip of alcohol pass your lips before your 21st birthday? For a few folks yes, both of those statements may be true...but for most of us, myself included, they are both so totally false they hurt. So knowing that, knowing that no matter what you say to your kids they are going to go on thinking they are invincible, you as the adult have NO idea what you're talking about and they know what is best for themselves (and you know that's what they're thinking...its what we all thought when we were 13-18) would you blindly hope they are smart enough to figure it out on their own or do you arm them as best you can to make sure they are equipped to make the most intelligent decisions a teenager can make?
To me it seems smarter to arm them, to give them as much info as you can going out there so they can make smart, educated decisions. I know thats what my parents did to the best of their ability. I know that I was able to make better decisions because of it. I also know that I was painfully aware of the consequences of the decisions I made from my teen years forward because they told me & after some minor trial and error, nothing too serious mind you, I learned they were right.
I know it isnt a black & white issue at all and everyone must make the best decisions they can for their families and their children based upon what they believe and the individuals involved. I just happen to think that making rules in absolutes, like no drinking until you're 21 and no sex until you are married, is an invitation to any rebellious teenager to do the exact opposite and that turning those topics into a discussion would be a more effective way of letting them make better decisions on their own without even realizing its what you wanted for them in the first place.
So, dear reader, is it best that I dont plan to reproduce & release upon this world a drunk-ass sex fiend or is my line of reasoning sound?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
**Blows the Dust Off Her Blog**
Well hello there the few of you that may still adventure over here to my little corner of the internets! Its been awhile. Too long really. I could make a bunch of excuses, but really whats the point? Bottom line...I havent been writing. Its not for lack of things to say, more lack of time or desire to do it.
So whats new...
I quit smoking...again. This time I went ahead and got the drugs. Zyban to be more specific. As much as I hate to admit it...its worked. As of this morning I am 9 days smoke-free. I havent cheated even once. The majority of the issues I have had with quitting have not been physically driven this time, they have all been in my head. The end of last week I was wrestling with the WANT to smoke. Not need. Not going to kill someone if I dont get my precious nicotine. Just the very simple I WANT one. Thankfully at those moments of indecision and/or weakness I have been at home where there is no one to enable me at all so I didnt give in to it. I really do feel like this time I am really done with it.
To any smokers out there looking to quit I would definitely recommend giving Zyban a try. It has less severe side effects than Chantix, is covered by most health plans in that it is technically an anti-depressant and honestly worked - at least for me. I started taking it on a Saturday, I smoked for the first week, until the following Sunday morning when I had my last cigarette at 10am. It is odd. Every other time I have tried to quit unassisted smoking becomes an obsession. Every though is punctuated by "I want a smoke". Its like being poked in the forehead with a pencil. I had no tolerance for that...obviously...because I was never successful. The difference with the drug - I dont think about it. It turns off the doohickies in my melon that crave the nicotine - seriously, it just shuts them the fuck up totally. It then becomes just me breaking the habits. The in the car cigarette, the after food cigarette, the I dont want to look at this computer for another minute cigarette, the holy shit that person just pissed me off cigarette...you get the point. All that's left is the WANT. I can control the want. There are a lot of things I want, doesnt mean I get them all.
So with this non-smoking comes the diet & exercise thing too. I signed up for a CSA so I can have fresh veggies delivered to my house once a week to inspire healthier cooking at home, going to get out and play more. I dont care if I'm ever skinny, I came to terms with not being a beanpole decades ago, but I would like to be healthier. As would the Mister...so mission You're In Your Mid-Thirties & Cant Continue to Treat Your Body Like You're In Your Twenties (YIYMTCCTYBLYIYT for short ;-P) is underway. I cant call it a diet though, if I were to do that I would be forced by the demons in my head to go out and devour gallons of Hagen Daas and pounds of chocolate.
Lots more going on, as usual, but I'll save those things for the other posts I plan to start writing more frequently. Ive still been running my restaurants, playing in my kitchen, redoing parts of my house, starting all my gardening for the spring, playing with my puppies & living. Hope you all have been doing the same!
Cheers!!
So whats new...
I quit smoking...again. This time I went ahead and got the drugs. Zyban to be more specific. As much as I hate to admit it...its worked. As of this morning I am 9 days smoke-free. I havent cheated even once. The majority of the issues I have had with quitting have not been physically driven this time, they have all been in my head. The end of last week I was wrestling with the WANT to smoke. Not need. Not going to kill someone if I dont get my precious nicotine. Just the very simple I WANT one. Thankfully at those moments of indecision and/or weakness I have been at home where there is no one to enable me at all so I didnt give in to it. I really do feel like this time I am really done with it.
To any smokers out there looking to quit I would definitely recommend giving Zyban a try. It has less severe side effects than Chantix, is covered by most health plans in that it is technically an anti-depressant and honestly worked - at least for me. I started taking it on a Saturday, I smoked for the first week, until the following Sunday morning when I had my last cigarette at 10am. It is odd. Every other time I have tried to quit unassisted smoking becomes an obsession. Every though is punctuated by "I want a smoke". Its like being poked in the forehead with a pencil. I had no tolerance for that...obviously...because I was never successful. The difference with the drug - I dont think about it. It turns off the doohickies in my melon that crave the nicotine - seriously, it just shuts them the fuck up totally. It then becomes just me breaking the habits. The in the car cigarette, the after food cigarette, the I dont want to look at this computer for another minute cigarette, the holy shit that person just pissed me off cigarette...you get the point. All that's left is the WANT. I can control the want. There are a lot of things I want, doesnt mean I get them all.
So with this non-smoking comes the diet & exercise thing too. I signed up for a CSA so I can have fresh veggies delivered to my house once a week to inspire healthier cooking at home, going to get out and play more. I dont care if I'm ever skinny, I came to terms with not being a beanpole decades ago, but I would like to be healthier. As would the Mister...so mission You're In Your Mid-Thirties & Cant Continue to Treat Your Body Like You're In Your Twenties (YIYMTCCTYBLYIYT for short ;-P) is underway. I cant call it a diet though, if I were to do that I would be forced by the demons in my head to go out and devour gallons of Hagen Daas and pounds of chocolate.
Lots more going on, as usual, but I'll save those things for the other posts I plan to start writing more frequently. Ive still been running my restaurants, playing in my kitchen, redoing parts of my house, starting all my gardening for the spring, playing with my puppies & living. Hope you all have been doing the same!
Cheers!!
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