Potatoes in the Mist

So I saw the Iron & Wine concert tonight. It was one of the best concerts I've been to. The music was lovely, and the singer was, well, *different* (in a fun way). Apparently he has a Ph.D. and was a music professor before his singing/guitar career took off. At one point he was singing, paused and said, "Oh, shit" (I guess he forgot the words, or fumbled them) and then picked up where he left off. Everyone cheered supportively. One of the things I liked about the concert was, they didn't confuse "loud" with "good." They had interesting, poetic lyrics and beautiful melodies (only one dud in 2 hours).

It feels like a Saturday to me, maybe because both boys are still sleeping. We've gotten an unbelievable amount of snow this winter. Yesterday, the sidewalks were a mess...not stroller-friendly at all. However, they were plowed down to a certain street, so we took E to a diner on that corner. He has been feeling a little under the weather, though the fever and cough seem to have passed, and at this stage he just seems to need a lot of rest. Poor little cub. When we were eating, a mom from my building showed up with her two daughters. The younger girl will be turning one next weekend and she invited us to her birthday party. She perched on her mama's lap and ate avocado and noodles. On Facebook, I mentioned that I like Iron & Wine (a mellow, folk-ish group, if you haven't heard of them) and D's cousin's wife said she wished she had known, because she has tickets to see them this weekend. Then the next day she emailed me and invited me to the concert. So that shou...

E and I went to Barnes & Noble today. He had great fun tearing up and down the aisles. I'm currently reading The Love Goddess's Cooking School by Melissa Senate. It's about a woman who takes over her grandmother's cooking school in Maine and learns to cook in the process. I'm enjoying it.

So...I've been trying not to dwell on this too much, but it's what's on my mind, so I'll write a brief post about it. As you may know, the nursery school admission process in New York is insane...there is even a documentary about it, called Nursery University. I actually had fun (or an okay time, anyway) filling out his applications, but now I'm in the thick of interviews/playdates, and it's not so much fun. So that's why I might not be blogging too much. We applied to 4 schools - we initially chose 2, but then learned that one of them had 16 seats available and 90 applicants (actually less than 16, because some slots are reserved for siblings). So far, E didn't beat the lottery at 1 school. He did beat it at another school, and the remaining 2 didn't have lotteries. So we're going through the interview/playdate nonsense for those 3 schools. 1 school is completely finished, another will be done tomorrow and the last in February. Decision letters ...

I had a nice surprise with my cooking today. I've heard that the best cooking arises from mistakes, but I've always been a by-the-book cook so I never had the chance to find out. Well, today I started cooking a quiche and realized I only had 2 eggs. (The recipe called for 4, but I'd been planning to use 3.) I decided to make it anyway, since I'd already chopped up the leeks. I awaited the results with some trepidation, but I think it's one of my favorite quiches so far. Here's the way I made it: 2 cups leeks, rinsed, chopped 1-2 tbsp butter 1 9-inch frozen pie crust 2 eggs 1/3 c heavy cream 1/3-1/2 c grated Swiss cheese 1/2-1 tbsp flour sprinkling of Parmesan 1 sliced fresh tomato salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 400. Saute the leeks in butter until tender, then spread evenly over the pie crust. Combine the Swiss, Parmesan and flour; sprinkle onto the pie. Beat together the eggs and cream, and pour over all. Press the tomato slices on the top of the pie and s...

So I just saw Blue Valentine , which I have really mixed feelings about. The acting was excellent. I was particularly impressed with Ryan Gosling. He seems to be able to play a wide variety of roles and do it convincingly. My favorite movie of his is Lars and the Real Girl. But...the movie was a real downer. Bleak. It was probably wise to release it in the winter. So...the next thing I see, I would like it to be light and happy. (You know, I'm going to get my wish, because the next movie I watch will probably be Secret Admirer , an '80s flick I just got from Netflix.) I also started reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice, a sort of re-telling of the Sherlock Holmes story where he is a retired beekeeper in the English countryside and has a female sidekick, Mary Russell. I like it so far.

I just finished a book that I really enjoyed reading - The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller. I usually like her books, but I avoided this one because I thought it was about 9/11. Turns out I wasn't entirely correct - it's more like a whisper of 9/11, and in a fairly original way. I recommend it if you've liked her other books, or if you just like a quiet, thoughtful, contemplative book with interesting characters. I tried a new restaurant today, the Tipsy Parson. For dessert I had a bourbon pecan sundae. I was grateful to be sharing it with D and our friend - it was enormous - but it was quite good. It tasted like they poured a shot of bourbon into it, but the waitress told us afterward, it was part of the gelato.

So D and I had dinner, avec bebe, at Otto (a Mario Batali pizza joint) which is somehow both trendy and kid-friendly. I had a bellini (Prosecco and blood orange juice, which sounds creepy, but is tasty) and a balsamic onion/goat cheese pizza. Plus some brussels sprouts with "vin cotto" as an appetizer. (I don't know what vin cotto is, but the sprouts were yummy.) Then we got home, D was reading E a story, and I started wondering which authors I have read all of. (I believe that ending a sentence with a preposition is OK.) Here are the writers: Sara Faith Alterman (totally random) Kate Atkinson Jane Austen Anjali Bannerjee Melissa Banks Emily Barr Brunonia Barry Christina Bartolomeo Jennifer Belle Elizabeth Berg Sarah Bilston Hester Browne Lily Burana Julie Buxbaum Katherine Center Jennifer Chiaverini Megan Crane Katie Crouch Lynda Curnyn Laura Dave Robertson Davies Jill A. Davis Sarah Dessen Sarah Dunn Jeffrey Eugenides Suzanne Finnamore Emily Giffin Jane Green Ethan Hawk...

The real purpose of this post is to let you know that salsa and mac and cheese really do go well together. I made some Annie's mac and cheese (from the box) and mixed in some Paul Newman salsa (my second favorite after Trader Joe's roasted garlic salsa). Really good. Also, I can't wait to see The King's Speech . It's important to get your Colin Firth fix.

So we arrived in Massachusetts today. My mother caught me up on the goings-on. Sadly, her ex-coworker's husband died of a heart attack in a motel room, and a cousin of mine (whom I didn't know very well) died of pancreatic cancer. So she gave me the bad news first, and then during dinner (an onion and cheese pie with salad), she tells me my sister has a new boyfriend! I think the good news should come first. No one has met him yet; he's about my sister's age, an engineer, and has 3 children from a prior marriage. In other news, my oldest nephew (he's 18; he was born when I was a senior in high school) has got into all the colleges he has heard from. He is still waiting to hear from two. So, no one has rejected him yet. I am proud of him. Also, he played a football game in Gillette Stadium. Since I live in New York and am not a sports fan, my mother explained that the Patriots play there. So my nephew has played in the same place Tom Brady does, and it was televised....

So we're headed to New England on Wednesday, taking the wee one on the train. Coloring books are a wonderful invention. I was a shameless slacker with Christmas shopping this year. I made two gifts, bought some others, and have one remaining to buy! I'm planning to get it in Massachusetts. Am reading An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor. One of those leisurely Irish sagas. I am enjoying it. It is set in northern Ireland, which is a little unusual, but in the 1960s (no unrest then, I think). The cool thing about discovering a series is that you then have a whole bunch of "new" books to read. Also on my pile: Skippy Dies (I don't like the title, but it's been recommended), Matched (one of those dystopia books I keep reading despite myself, but this one seems gentle), The False Friend, and a nonfiction book about the "silk road" (an ancient trade route through Europe, Asia, Afghanistan, etc.; totally not something I would usually read, but it lo...

This is a pink cardigan I'm knitting. It's almost done. Usually, for better or worse, I'm a yarn snob and I insist on using wool instead of acrylic, but this time I broke my rules. I'm glad I did...this acrylic yarn is very soft and fluffy.

Wow, I can't believe it is almost the new year. I'm in that reflective mode that marks the end of an old year. 2010 had some ups and downs. I made some mistakes, but nothing too serious. I learned some things. Overall, I am optimistic about 2011. What are your thoughts as we approach a new year? And...I'll throw it in this post because otherwise I might forget. The best books I read in 2010: Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler. I love pretty much everything she writes. The Epicure's Lament by Kate Christensen. Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. Disturbing but illuminating look at the life of Lewis Carroll. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin. Another favorite author of mine. The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. I love this series. The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg. Insignificant Others by Stephen McCauley. The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch. Hothouse Flower by Margot Berwin. About a woman's quest to collect...

So I saw Black Swan today, and the theater was packed (at 2:30 pm on a Tuesday afternoon). It was really good. It was also not what I expected. I thought it would be a ridiculous, fun ballet movie, with a little catty rivalry thrown in for kicks. Wrong. It was very intense, one of the most gripping movies I've seen in a long time. There were a few campy moments, but I think they were thrown in for comic relief. It reminded me a bit of Rosemary's Baby - the mounting sense of paranoia, are they ganging up on her, or is it really in her head? But it was really its own creation. One thing I thought was really cool about it was that there was no mundanity. In real life, the mundane is inevitable, but all these characters avoided it.

I'm sharing this because I'm pretty sure it's going to be awesome. It's in my crock pot right now. 6 c sliced apples 1 1/2 c flour 1 c brown sugar 1 1/2 t cinnamon 1/4 t nutmeg 3/4 c butter 1/4 t ginger Grease crock pot. Line bottom with apple slices. Combine the other ingredients in a bowl, and cover apples with mixture. Cover and cook on low until apples are tender. (From Roxanne)

So I survived E's first preschool interview. It was very different from most interviews I've experienced. At first, the director just told us about the school at an exhaustive level of detail. She was clearly very passionate about it and very involved. When we toured the classrooms, the children knew her by name and came running up to her. They were all cute and spirited, yet well-behaved. The teachers seemed to have a lot of control over the class, but without yelling or losing their cool. No one was neglected and everyone seemed happy. One thing was interesting. I think the director was very observant. At one point, she asked which hand E uses for various activities. She said, "You use your left, which one does he use?" That startled and impressed me. I'm not sure how she could tell I was a lefty, I didn't write anything in front of her. Anyway, I told her my mom thinks E is a righty, but when she asked me more questions, I realized he uses both hands for mo...

I seem to have blog block, but I don't want this little page to feel neglected. So, bits: 1) Went home for Thanksgiving. It was very nice aside from the allergy attack I always get around the family dogs. I love animals but am allergic to most of them. Fortunately, my mother doesn't have one (we stayed at her place). The food was delicious; we had vegetarian shepherd's pie, which I made, plus mac & cheese, roasted butternut squash, hummus pizza and sundry other goodies. My sister's peanut butter cookies are always a smash hit. 2) Books. I just finished the first two books in the Someday Quilts mystery series. They have almost tempted me to make a quilt, but it seems more complicated and time-consuming than knitting. Maybe someday. I like the series, the first book was stronger than the second, but I have a feeling the third one will be great (I picked it up accidentally when I was looking for the second one, and was impressed). 3) Knitting. Here is a picture of a sc...

It's kind of scary. I've always prided myself on having a good memory, but it's starting to slip. A Facebook friend posted the video for Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey." I used to like this song, but I had completely forgotten it. And today, I was walking past a building with D and E and said, "That used to be an expensive grocery store, what was it called?" and D said, "Balducci's." In our relationship, I have always been the "memory one." But after thinking about it, I decided not to worry. Who wants to remember everything, anyway? It's more relaxing this way.

I'm getting into the holiday spirit this year. I bought my niece's birthday presents (her birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year). It was funny, the cashier said, "I can tell your favorite color is purple," and I said, "Actually, it's for my niece." But it's true, purple is becoming my favorite color. For once, I'm not too stressed about gifts. I made some, figured out what I will buy for others, and only have one question mark. I'll enlist D's help picking something out for that person. I'm looking forward to the food, too...pumpkin pie, vegetarian shepherd's pie, and squash. What are you looking forward to on Thanksgiving or Christmas?

You know, I think Facebook is killing Blogger. Most of the people who were blogging when I started have stopped. But I am going to try to hang in here. So, in honor of all you bloggers who may or may not be reading, here is a recipe: Black Bean Chili (from Vegetarian Times ) 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 bunch scallions 10-oz bag frozen sweet corn salt to taste roasted garlic salsa (I highly recommend Trader Joe's brand. It is good enough to eat out of the jar.) Combine the beans, scallions and salsa in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the cover, add the salt and corn, and cook until heated through. You can sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack on top if you want. Very easy and very good. Right now I'm reading my first Aunt Dimity book. It's a mystery series, set in England, and quite cozy. I like it, although it is slightly slow-paced.