This morning I was struck with the thought that all three of the female children in our family experienced a trauma: sister K's first born passed away and sister S's husband died in his prime. I began to ponder about the sons of my parents: C went to jail and J lost a child in divorce.
Then I began to wonder how all those events shaped us as individuals. I recently listened to someone on NPR say we may all change significantly during our time on earth--an average of 3 times, if I remember correctly.
Though I don't see us as completely malleable creatures. I believe we're born with a personality that our environment influences. And depending on the strength of our personality, each person we spend significant time with helps us to see things differently--perhaps changing our social or political views and practices.
But, can we look back and see when or how we changed? Or are the effects so subtle even the people who've known us for years would be unable to say for sure?
A Carolyn Hax column from this year suggested that we become different people depending on who we decide to spend our lives with. A reader wrote in concerned about a friend's post marriage behavior. Here's part of CH's response:
"Relationship living involves at least some compromise somewhere, unless you manage to pair yourself with the person who has the exact same peer group, taste in television, bedtime reading habits, politics, drinking/eating/smoking habits, energy for going out, contentment with staying home, financial priorities, preferred form of exercise, approach to family and whatever else.
And so being apart from the person you’re compromising with on a daily basis usually means you plump out into a fuller version of yourself, even temporarily, in their absence.".
This rings true for me, as I've known people who lost a spouse whose friends and family remarked on how much they changed afterwards.
Today is a good day to raise a glass to all who have changed/influenced me for the better and may there be many more.
I never know what my brain will choose to ponder in the shower . . .
Who are you now?
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Kim
I will never forget the first time I met Kim. It was 1992, opening day of the new school year for my girls. Our family had arrived in Salem nearly a year before, the day before Halloween, 1991. Before we knew it, it was time to come back after our summer break. I was outside, with the rest of the parents, near the Salem Heights Elementary parking lot at a table set-up for parents to meet-up and collect information about school activities. Small talk buzzed throughout the area, then our eyes met. A connection! Despite ten months in Salem, I was eager to meet possible kindred spirits.
Kim and I shared our arrivals to town. She said she hoped to find a part-time job that allowed her to be home when her kids were home. I told her I'd found such a job I loved. Our conversation continued a short while from there. A few weeks later, I spotted her at the school where I worked. She'd been hired as a one on one for a young child in a neighboring classroom. I was surprised and pleased to see she had listened and acted upon what I'd told her.
Eventually, after being a one on one and subbing around the district, she became the second KG assistant. She was kind, loyal and efficient. And now, 20+ yrs later, both of us have gone through teachers & changes over the years. We've bonded with the teachers, watched them move on and in Gwen's case, mourned a wonderful teacher passing.
Now we've begun a year that has challenged both of us on many fronts. Our principal has taken advantage of the district homogenizing the description of our position. Instead of kindergarten being our focus, we've been scheduled to assist in 5th, 4th & 1st grades. Moving to a different location every 30 minutes. Instead of focusing on the development of the skills of the youngest, we're being deployed into other classrooms to assist with a new curriculum.
All of us working in kindergarten are frustrated. Partly because "change is hard", but mostly because we both believe the district's focus ought to center on the youngest. It's the reason (we heard) for the district's full day KG investment. Sadly, it'll also be the reason Kim will leave sooner than she planned. I'll miss her: her obvious love of the children, her attention to detail, how she never fails to remember to help us all everyday.
Now that I think on it, this will be the most selfish thing she's ever done. I only say that because she's never selfish, but her action is completely understandable in this situation. Not only is she old enough and situated well enough to retire, but she's no longer enjoying her days. We've experienced changes we don't agree with before, but this latest change has made the least sense and caused the greatest upheaval to all of those involved.
I'll miss her every day. So glad she has my phone number!
Kim and I shared our arrivals to town. She said she hoped to find a part-time job that allowed her to be home when her kids were home. I told her I'd found such a job I loved. Our conversation continued a short while from there. A few weeks later, I spotted her at the school where I worked. She'd been hired as a one on one for a young child in a neighboring classroom. I was surprised and pleased to see she had listened and acted upon what I'd told her.
Eventually, after being a one on one and subbing around the district, she became the second KG assistant. She was kind, loyal and efficient. And now, 20+ yrs later, both of us have gone through teachers & changes over the years. We've bonded with the teachers, watched them move on and in Gwen's case, mourned a wonderful teacher passing.
Now we've begun a year that has challenged both of us on many fronts. Our principal has taken advantage of the district homogenizing the description of our position. Instead of kindergarten being our focus, we've been scheduled to assist in 5th, 4th & 1st grades. Moving to a different location every 30 minutes. Instead of focusing on the development of the skills of the youngest, we're being deployed into other classrooms to assist with a new curriculum.
All of us working in kindergarten are frustrated. Partly because "change is hard", but mostly because we both believe the district's focus ought to center on the youngest. It's the reason (we heard) for the district's full day KG investment. Sadly, it'll also be the reason Kim will leave sooner than she planned. I'll miss her: her obvious love of the children, her attention to detail, how she never fails to remember to help us all everyday.
Now that I think on it, this will be the most selfish thing she's ever done. I only say that because she's never selfish, but her action is completely understandable in this situation. Not only is she old enough and situated well enough to retire, but she's no longer enjoying her days. We've experienced changes we don't agree with before, but this latest change has made the least sense and caused the greatest upheaval to all of those involved.
I'll miss her every day. So glad she has my phone number!
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Replacing Our Dryer or How We Spent Our Saturday Evening
N spent Sat. trying to revive/repair our dryer. After several hours, we decided it was time to replace it. (I deleted the curmudgeonly remarks about how appliances don't last like they used to.) Home Depot & Lowe's both had sales. We drove to Home Depot first. The back area of store was empty of employees. Irritated and unwilling to seek out help, we went to Lowe's. An easy decision when we remembered how the Salem Lowe's appliance employees have gone the extra mile for us in the past.
Despite both employees being busy, we received excellent customer service. They were out of the model we wanted, but called (& called & called) Albany to have one put on hold for us. "It's a gorgeous new store!" We made the drive down, happy to know we'd have a dryer in time to do some laundry on Sunday. It is a beautiful store. However, once we walked in, we soon realized that the employees weren't making eye contact at all. Most were walking to or from the break room or looking at their smart phones. We navigated our way back to the well marked appliance area, Not a customer or employee in sight.
I began to scan the aisles in the vicinity and saw an older woman putting things back on the shelves. I called out a greeting to her and she came over to help us out with the transaction. Even though she seemed unfamiliar with all of the required steps on the computer, she stuck with it and escorted us to the front where we completed the transaction at the cash register. The young clerk at the cash register may have spoken 2 words to us and pulled her phone out of her pocket when the transaction was over.
We waited and waited: Used the restroom, flipped through some magazines, checked our phones, chatted. I was hungry and getting impatient. We went over to the customer service area. There was a young clerk sitting in front of a computer looking at her smart phone. I called out a greeting to her to get her attention. She repeated to us that the dryer would indeed be brought up to the front of the store. We waited another 15 minutes before a young man appeared with the box on a cart.
The next morning, N began the process of installation. He went to attach the new cord we had been handed by the appliance employee--wrong cord. How can two stores be completely different in the level of customer service? New and beautiful doesn't count in my book.
Despite both employees being busy, we received excellent customer service. They were out of the model we wanted, but called (& called & called) Albany to have one put on hold for us. "It's a gorgeous new store!" We made the drive down, happy to know we'd have a dryer in time to do some laundry on Sunday. It is a beautiful store. However, once we walked in, we soon realized that the employees weren't making eye contact at all. Most were walking to or from the break room or looking at their smart phones. We navigated our way back to the well marked appliance area, Not a customer or employee in sight.
I began to scan the aisles in the vicinity and saw an older woman putting things back on the shelves. I called out a greeting to her and she came over to help us out with the transaction. Even though she seemed unfamiliar with all of the required steps on the computer, she stuck with it and escorted us to the front where we completed the transaction at the cash register. The young clerk at the cash register may have spoken 2 words to us and pulled her phone out of her pocket when the transaction was over.
We waited and waited: Used the restroom, flipped through some magazines, checked our phones, chatted. I was hungry and getting impatient. We went over to the customer service area. There was a young clerk sitting in front of a computer looking at her smart phone. I called out a greeting to her to get her attention. She repeated to us that the dryer would indeed be brought up to the front of the store. We waited another 15 minutes before a young man appeared with the box on a cart.
The next morning, N began the process of installation. He went to attach the new cord we had been handed by the appliance employee--wrong cord. How can two stores be completely different in the level of customer service? New and beautiful doesn't count in my book.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Waves of Sadness
After spending several days with 3 of my 4 siblings, I tweeted:
"How is it possible to be with people you love and love being w, only to be broadsided by overwhelming waves of sadness during visit?"
And an insightful friend responded:
"I think the sad with the happy is an important life balance. We're always going to morn what was missed, lost or changed."
And waves of sadness is what it felt like--being knocked down unexpectedly, water threatening to cascade down my face, the air knocked out of me. I tried turning towards the scenery the first time, but my oldest sister couldn't help but comment. Then I had to expose my wet, blotchy face to them all.
On the ride home, my phone alerted me to a text from my older sister. She wanted to be sure no one had said anything hurtful to me. And all I could do was type: "Yeah, what the hell was that?" and share the tweets up above.
I used to regurgitate and analyze until any possible meaning was long gone, but when I read Jodi's response it made complete sense. Who knew there was such a thing as Twerapy?
"How is it possible to be with people you love and love being w, only to be broadsided by overwhelming waves of sadness during visit?"
And an insightful friend responded:
"I think the sad with the happy is an important life balance. We're always going to morn what was missed, lost or changed."
And waves of sadness is what it felt like--being knocked down unexpectedly, water threatening to cascade down my face, the air knocked out of me. I tried turning towards the scenery the first time, but my oldest sister couldn't help but comment. Then I had to expose my wet, blotchy face to them all.
On the ride home, my phone alerted me to a text from my older sister. She wanted to be sure no one had said anything hurtful to me. And all I could do was type: "Yeah, what the hell was that?" and share the tweets up above.
I used to regurgitate and analyze until any possible meaning was long gone, but when I read Jodi's response it made complete sense. Who knew there was such a thing as Twerapy?
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Ghosts
Over half a year
And you didn’t visit me.
I was patient.
I knew you’d come.
But no. Nothing.
Seven months gone
And so are you.
This past week,
A character in a book I read
Was puzzled over ghosts
And why her mother had not come to her
When she asked a new friend
He simply said, “she was ready to go”
And there you were between the pages.
Leaving me guessing over whether
You were reason I chose that book.
Or no need to guess at all.
It was you or perhaps . . . it was Mom.
Whichever, whoever, thank you.
Rest well, until I need your memory.
And you didn’t visit me.
I was patient.
I knew you’d come.
But no. Nothing.
Seven months gone
And so are you.
This past week,
A character in a book I read
Was puzzled over ghosts
And why her mother had not come to her
When she asked a new friend
He simply said, “she was ready to go”
And there you were between the pages.
Leaving me guessing over whether
You were reason I chose that book.
Or no need to guess at all.
It was you or perhaps . . . it was Mom.
Whichever, whoever, thank you.
Rest well, until I need your memory.
~KGM 8-16
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Nelson Park Sliding & Sledding Hill
I'm re-posting the following. Hoping that someday there will be a grant opportunity that matches the project or a public official who sees the healthy benefit potential:
Embankment Slide Proposal
One of the natural features of Nelson Park that can be enhanced are its hillsides. Already, people use the hillsides in the center of the park during snowy periods for sleds. During the summer these same hillsides are used to slide by sitting on cardboard sheets that slide over the grassy hillsides. Both of these recreational uses do damage to the hillsides by killing the vegetation and exposing bare dirt and causing ruts in the hillside. This proposal can be used to enhance the sliding experience, repair the damage that has been done to the hillsides, and increase the physical activity of children by encouraging them to climb the hillside in a safe fun environment.
The basic proposal is to add four slide areas to the hillside between the newly renovated play area and the gazebo on top of the hill. Two slides would replace the current sliding area and provide a safe sliding area and stairways to return to the top of the hill. One slide would be added to the short hill immediately adjacent to the new play area. This slide would be targeted toward smaller children and if possible children with physical challenges who currently sit and watch the people sliding down the bigger hill. A fourth slide would be just north of the first two slides. This slide could use natural features of the existing hill to support a longer, less steep slide that has a couple twists and turns for added fun. The final part of this proposal would be to improve the vegetation on the hill. There is a fair amount of poison oak that should be eliminated from the hillside. Trees and shrubs could be added that would provide shade for the slides and help to discourage in-growth of poison oak, black berries, and other unwanted species.
The cost of this project is highly dependent on the materials used for building the slides or even the types of slides used. I have researched a company that makes plastic slides for use on embankments. Their slides would cost about $40,000 for one slide. Other types of slide would change this estimate. The re-vegetation could cost around $2,000 depending on the types of materials used. My suggestion is that we begin with one slide and a set of return stairs as a pilot to gauge cost, interest, and durability. If the project garners the support I think possible, grant support, local donations, neighborhood labor and donations could be used to complete the project.
I have seen on-line examples of other cities that have developed embankment slides in their parks. Each one expresses that these additions have been a valuable addition to their parks system. There are a number of unknowns for Nelson Park like initial cost, maintenance cost, liability, and developing a need for restrooms. I would like to work with the city to explore the embankment slide opportunity, and to add a fun, useful new feature to Nelson Park. If the expertise does not exist with Salem Parks staff I would help expand the research on this project to cities who have experience with such a project.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Have You Ever Made a Shrub?
In the good old summertime, when the berries urge us to eat, jam, bake, repeat, our berry cravings also remind us how tasty and versatile shrubs are. Our first problem is never remembering which recipe to use and with all the recipes available on the internet, it can be a time consuming problem.
And that's the main reason for this post--to help me remember this reliable, informative link via Serious Eats. Enjoy:
How to Make a Shrub
Whether raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, or gooseberry, berries seem to fly through our local market, gone before you even know to miss them. I decided last year to preserve them for my future pleasure.
Now, this ain't Home Canning 101, so there'll be no jams, jellies, or marmalades here. I'm a cocktail geek; and among my clan there's a great love for shrub syrups, and that's what we'll be talking about today.
WHAT'S A SHRUB?
In beverage history, the word shrub has carried several meanings. For our purposes, it's enough to say that a shrub is an acidulated beverage made of fruit juice, sugar, and other ingredients. Where things get complicated is that the acid varies by recipe; it can be either fruit juice or vinegar. Additionally, some shrub recipes are prepared using alcohol that steeps with the fruit, acid, and sugar. Finally, hardcore shrubbers make their own vinegar, using fruit juice, sugar, and wild yeasts from the air.
(to read more, click here)
COLD SHRUBBIN' WITH FLAVOR (one of 2 versions via Serious Eats)
"Now, the cold-process method of shrub-making is a little more complicated than the cooked method, but really, it's not much so. You don't need any special equipment or ingredients, and as long as you have space in your fridge to stash a bowl of fruit, you should be fine.
Let's begin:
Wash and prepare the fruit. Most berries can be lightly crushed, even with your hands, if you prefer. Strawberries should be hulled and quartered. Stone fruit needs to be quartered and pitted.
Cover the fruit with sugar. Neyah White recommends a ratio of one part each of fruit, sugar, and vinegar, and that's a great place to start. So to, say, one cup of fruit, add one cup sugar. Stir to combine, cover, and stash in the fridge.
After several hours, or a day or two, your fruit should be surrounded by juice and syrup, like so:
Strain the syrup away from the solids, pressing lightly on the solids to expel any stubborn juice. If any sugar is clinging to the bowl, scrape it into the syrup. It should settle to the bottom, underneath the syrup. This is fine, as I'll explain later.
Add the vinegar, and whisk to combine, until sugar is dissolved.
Pour through a funnel into a clean bottle. Cap, shake well, and refrigerate.
Check the shrub periodically. Some sugar may settle out onto the bottom of the bottle. If so, shake well to combine. Eventually, the acids in the juice and vinegar will dissolve the sugar.
Now taste. What you will undoubtedly find is that the aroma and flavor of your new shrub is pungent. You'll taste a strong tartness from the vinegar, a strong sweetness from the sugar, and the fruit flavor as an element that pulls everything together.
What fascinates me, at least, about shrubs is that they mellow with time. And I mean, they mellow a lot. The tartness and sweetness both remain, but they start to harmonize after just a few weeks in the fridge. So what you have is a lightly sweet and tart syrup with a rich fruit flavor."
And that's the main reason for this post--to help me remember this reliable, informative link via Serious Eats. Enjoy:
How to Make a Shrub
Whether raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, or gooseberry, berries seem to fly through our local market, gone before you even know to miss them. I decided last year to preserve them for my future pleasure.
Now, this ain't Home Canning 101, so there'll be no jams, jellies, or marmalades here. I'm a cocktail geek; and among my clan there's a great love for shrub syrups, and that's what we'll be talking about today.
WHAT'S A SHRUB?
In beverage history, the word shrub has carried several meanings. For our purposes, it's enough to say that a shrub is an acidulated beverage made of fruit juice, sugar, and other ingredients. Where things get complicated is that the acid varies by recipe; it can be either fruit juice or vinegar. Additionally, some shrub recipes are prepared using alcohol that steeps with the fruit, acid, and sugar. Finally, hardcore shrubbers make their own vinegar, using fruit juice, sugar, and wild yeasts from the air.
(to read more, click here)
COLD SHRUBBIN' WITH FLAVOR (one of 2 versions via Serious Eats)
"Now, the cold-process method of shrub-making is a little more complicated than the cooked method, but really, it's not much so. You don't need any special equipment or ingredients, and as long as you have space in your fridge to stash a bowl of fruit, you should be fine.
Let's begin:
Wash and prepare the fruit. Most berries can be lightly crushed, even with your hands, if you prefer. Strawberries should be hulled and quartered. Stone fruit needs to be quartered and pitted.
Cover the fruit with sugar. Neyah White recommends a ratio of one part each of fruit, sugar, and vinegar, and that's a great place to start. So to, say, one cup of fruit, add one cup sugar. Stir to combine, cover, and stash in the fridge.
After several hours, or a day or two, your fruit should be surrounded by juice and syrup, like so:
Strain the syrup away from the solids, pressing lightly on the solids to expel any stubborn juice. If any sugar is clinging to the bowl, scrape it into the syrup. It should settle to the bottom, underneath the syrup. This is fine, as I'll explain later.
Add the vinegar, and whisk to combine, until sugar is dissolved.
Pour through a funnel into a clean bottle. Cap, shake well, and refrigerate.
Check the shrub periodically. Some sugar may settle out onto the bottom of the bottle. If so, shake well to combine. Eventually, the acids in the juice and vinegar will dissolve the sugar.
Now taste. What you will undoubtedly find is that the aroma and flavor of your new shrub is pungent. You'll taste a strong tartness from the vinegar, a strong sweetness from the sugar, and the fruit flavor as an element that pulls everything together.
What fascinates me, at least, about shrubs is that they mellow with time. And I mean, they mellow a lot. The tartness and sweetness both remain, but they start to harmonize after just a few weeks in the fridge. So what you have is a lightly sweet and tart syrup with a rich fruit flavor."
Friday, July 1, 2016
Non-scientific Experiences with Probiotics
The number of us taking daily probiotics is growing, as we become more and more aware of the importance of a healthy personal micro-bionome. Though, I'm sure, none of us know if the, over the counter supplements, actually work well. Perhaps this increase is due to reading of recent research reports or both doctor and pharmacist recommendations to take probiotics during and after a prescribed bout of antibiotics. All of those reasons are how I first started taking them. And then I didn't stop.
Until this spring, that is: I kept forgetting to buy more and then {boom} I was out. Approximately four days later I began to feel sad. Not something I'm accustomed to, though I've had my moments. Sure enough, once I began to take them again the sadness lifted. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I'm not volunteering to give it another try.
A month ago, I decided to try another brand of probiotic with roughly the same strands. It was highly rated on the website where I buy my supplements. I began to replace the old ones gradually. Half a dose of old and half a dose of new each day, being careful to read the dosage on the new package. Over the following week, I noticed my face began to feel puffy in the morning and throughout the afternoon. I know this isn't a good sign. It means something in your system is unable to do its job, for several reasons.
I looked up (because I always start with what I've recently changed) "probiotics and puffy face". And knew I was onto something when Google told me I wasn't the first person to do that particular search. I immediately stopped taking the new probiotics and the puffiness was gone. One of the articles I read said that the puffiness might be an allergic response. Perhaps one of the inert ingredients?
I'm more curious about probiotics than I was in the beginning. The information out there for the layman is sparse, which makes sense as the research is so new. But now I want to know: have any of you had any interesting experiences while taking probiotics?
Until this spring, that is: I kept forgetting to buy more and then {boom} I was out. Approximately four days later I began to feel sad. Not something I'm accustomed to, though I've had my moments. Sure enough, once I began to take them again the sadness lifted. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I'm not volunteering to give it another try.
A month ago, I decided to try another brand of probiotic with roughly the same strands. It was highly rated on the website where I buy my supplements. I began to replace the old ones gradually. Half a dose of old and half a dose of new each day, being careful to read the dosage on the new package. Over the following week, I noticed my face began to feel puffy in the morning and throughout the afternoon. I know this isn't a good sign. It means something in your system is unable to do its job, for several reasons.
I looked up (because I always start with what I've recently changed) "probiotics and puffy face". And knew I was onto something when Google told me I wasn't the first person to do that particular search. I immediately stopped taking the new probiotics and the puffiness was gone. One of the articles I read said that the puffiness might be an allergic response. Perhaps one of the inert ingredients?
I'm more curious about probiotics than I was in the beginning. The information out there for the layman is sparse, which makes sense as the research is so new. But now I want to know: have any of you had any interesting experiences while taking probiotics?
Monday, March 21, 2016
Kids Today
I don't know if the conversations in our staff room reflect what's being talked about by people across the nation or world, but the popular belief I hear most often is, "families and children are going to hell in a hand basket". A belief I do not share.
I do believe that as technology progresses our choices of free time use change. I believe, as a society, we continue to become more casual with fewer boundaries. I also believe that both prosperity and poverty have profound effects on the world of a child. A prosperous person may believe they alone know what hard work is--> a sign they have never experienced poverty.
One long time work friend is a believer in the "hell in a hand basket" trend. Every year or so I feel the need to engage her on this topic. This time I decided to cite my own childhood and the varied children I grew up with. A week later, she revisited our exchange, but I soon realized she had taken my childhood and turned it into an abnormality,
"You grew up in a rough neighborhood".
"I grew up in a rural mill town", I replied.
My first feeling was to be alarmed how she had deemed my life experience to be something extraordinary. After mulling it over for a few days, I decided that she had wrapped my childhood up in a tidy package to keep it from influencing her belief. Are we all guilty of this? Or does it happen more often in people with a strict dogma? Whatever it is, I find it disturbing.
I do believe that as technology progresses our choices of free time use change. I believe, as a society, we continue to become more casual with fewer boundaries. I also believe that both prosperity and poverty have profound effects on the world of a child. A prosperous person may believe they alone know what hard work is--> a sign they have never experienced poverty.
One long time work friend is a believer in the "hell in a hand basket" trend. Every year or so I feel the need to engage her on this topic. This time I decided to cite my own childhood and the varied children I grew up with. A week later, she revisited our exchange, but I soon realized she had taken my childhood and turned it into an abnormality,
"You grew up in a rough neighborhood".
"I grew up in a rural mill town", I replied.
My first feeling was to be alarmed how she had deemed my life experience to be something extraordinary. After mulling it over for a few days, I decided that she had wrapped my childhood up in a tidy package to keep it from influencing her belief. Are we all guilty of this? Or does it happen more often in people with a strict dogma? Whatever it is, I find it disturbing.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Thanks to daughter Fran, whenever I try a recipe that features broccoli, carrots, squash or cauliflower, my first impulse is to prep and roast in the oven. I enjoy the taste of the caramelization that occurs during the roasting process. She also taught me that chicken is more tender and juicy cooked whole (breasts or thighs) and cut for recipes after a short rest.
Here's what you need:
2 chicken breasts
2+ cups of broccoli (approximately)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp (or more) olive oil
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2+ cups of chicken broth
3 cups of Casarecce or Penne pasta
Let's begin:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Prep broccoli by cutting into pieces you feel comfortable eating in a casserole type dish. I like mine fairly small. Place cut broccoli onto a full size (18x26) baking sheet pan, ideally with a silicone mat. Add about 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 of ground pepper, toss together.
Prep chicken breasts with a thin coating of olive oil along with a few grinds of salt and pepper on both sides. Add to a small foil lined baking dish.
Place both the broccoli and chicken breasts into the preheated oven. In my oven, both are usually done after 20 minutes, depending on size of broccoli and whether chicken breasts are completely thawed. I like my broccoli to be a medium golden brown around the edges. Check temperature of chicken after 15 minutes. Once it's up to 100 or so degrees, cooking can be complete within 5 minutes. Be sure not to cook it beyond 155-160 degrees.
While the broccoli and chicken cook, finely shred both the Parmesan and Monterey Jack cheese and mince garlic.
You can begin to make the roux during this time:
Heat a large non-stick skillet or dutch oven over medium low heat. Pre-measure your cream and broth to have ready. Heat large pot of water for pasta.
Add flour to dutch oven/skillet. Stir for approximately 1 minute. Add butter, olive oil and minced garlic. Using a wire whisk, stir constantly for approximately 2 minutes or until you can smell the garlic. Begin to slowly add the cream while stirring constantly. The mixture should begin to thicken. Do the same with the broth. Add more broth if the consistency seems too thick for a white sauce. Turn heat down to low, stir in shredded cheese until melted. Turn off heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook and drain pasta--saving a cup of pasta water in case dish needs more moisture once all the ingredients have been added.
When chicken is done and has rested for 5 minutes, use a sharp knife and fork to slice. I slice each breast in half, lengthwise and then 1/4+ slices crosswise.
Add pasta to cheese sauce, stir to coat. Then add chicken and broccoli. Stir to coat. Be sure to taste. Adjust salt and pepper as needed or add a few dashes of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Here's what you need:
2 chicken breasts
2+ cups of broccoli (approximately)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp (or more) olive oil
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2+ cups of chicken broth
3 cups of Casarecce or Penne pasta
Let's begin:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Prep broccoli by cutting into pieces you feel comfortable eating in a casserole type dish. I like mine fairly small. Place cut broccoli onto a full size (18x26) baking sheet pan, ideally with a silicone mat. Add about 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 of ground pepper, toss together.
Prep chicken breasts with a thin coating of olive oil along with a few grinds of salt and pepper on both sides. Add to a small foil lined baking dish.
Place both the broccoli and chicken breasts into the preheated oven. In my oven, both are usually done after 20 minutes, depending on size of broccoli and whether chicken breasts are completely thawed. I like my broccoli to be a medium golden brown around the edges. Check temperature of chicken after 15 minutes. Once it's up to 100 or so degrees, cooking can be complete within 5 minutes. Be sure not to cook it beyond 155-160 degrees.
While the broccoli and chicken cook, finely shred both the Parmesan and Monterey Jack cheese and mince garlic.
You can begin to make the roux during this time:
Heat a large non-stick skillet or dutch oven over medium low heat. Pre-measure your cream and broth to have ready. Heat large pot of water for pasta.
Add flour to dutch oven/skillet. Stir for approximately 1 minute. Add butter, olive oil and minced garlic. Using a wire whisk, stir constantly for approximately 2 minutes or until you can smell the garlic. Begin to slowly add the cream while stirring constantly. The mixture should begin to thicken. Do the same with the broth. Add more broth if the consistency seems too thick for a white sauce. Turn heat down to low, stir in shredded cheese until melted. Turn off heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook and drain pasta--saving a cup of pasta water in case dish needs more moisture once all the ingredients have been added.
When chicken is done and has rested for 5 minutes, use a sharp knife and fork to slice. I slice each breast in half, lengthwise and then 1/4+ slices crosswise.
Add pasta to cheese sauce, stir to coat. Then add chicken and broccoli. Stir to coat. Be sure to taste. Adjust salt and pepper as needed or add a few dashes of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Bacon Corn Chowder
Usually a search for a recipe becomes having to choose between several versions, because they all sound calorie worthy. This was not the case when I did a search for corn, potato, bacon, chowder.
90% of the recipes that populated my results used 'cream of something' soup, canned potato soup or pre-cooked bacon. I understand that's simply the way some people cook, but 90% of the results? Ugh.
Thankfully, I finally stumbled upon the following recipe after I tweaked my search terms for the 5th time. It's a keeper AND I only made one change--a bay leaf. Almost forgot to add: beer bread was a nice accompaniment.
Bacon Corn Chowder
Author: Dara
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
8 oz smoked bacon, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cup frozen yellow corn
1lb white or red potatoes, washed and chopped into 1″ chunks
3 cups low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp fresh thyme, washed
1 tbsp fresh chives, washed and chopped
Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, saute onion, celery, and bacon in olive oil on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until softened
Add corn, potatoes, stock, salt, pepper, and paprika
Cover and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer on med-low 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender
In a food processor, puree 1.5 cups of chowder with 1 tbsp of flour
Whisk pureed mixture back into chowder
Add half and half, thyme and chives
Cover and simmer on med-low for another 10 minutes
Serve hot with chives and black pepper
90% of the recipes that populated my results used 'cream of something' soup, canned potato soup or pre-cooked bacon. I understand that's simply the way some people cook, but 90% of the results? Ugh.
Thankfully, I finally stumbled upon the following recipe after I tweaked my search terms for the 5th time. It's a keeper AND I only made one change--a bay leaf. Almost forgot to add: beer bread was a nice accompaniment.
Bacon Corn Chowder
Author: Dara
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
8 oz smoked bacon, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cup frozen yellow corn
1lb white or red potatoes, washed and chopped into 1″ chunks
3 cups low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp fresh thyme, washed
1 tbsp fresh chives, washed and chopped
Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, saute onion, celery, and bacon in olive oil on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until softened
Add corn, potatoes, stock, salt, pepper, and paprika
Cover and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer on med-low 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender
In a food processor, puree 1.5 cups of chowder with 1 tbsp of flour
Whisk pureed mixture back into chowder
Add half and half, thyme and chives
Cover and simmer on med-low for another 10 minutes
Serve hot with chives and black pepper
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Nelson Park Idea=exercise
Embankment Slide Proposal
One of the natural features of Nelson Park that can be enhanced are its hillsides. Already, people use the hillsides in the center of the park during snowy periods for sleds. During the summer these same hillsides are used to slide by sitting on cardboard sheets that slide over the grassy hillsides. Both of these recreational uses do damage to the hillsides by killing the vegetation and exposing bare dirt and causing ruts in the hillside. This proposal can be used to enhance the sliding experience, repair the damage that has been done to the hillsides, and increase the physical activity of children by encouraging them to climb the hillside in a safe fun environment.
The basic proposal is to add four slide areas to the hillside between the newly renovated play area and the gazebo on top of the hill. Two slides would replace the current sliding area and provide a safe sliding area and stairways to return to the top of the hill. One slide would be added to the short hill immediately adjacent to the new play area. This slide would be targeted toward smaller children and if possible children with physical challenges who currently sit and watch the people sliding down the bigger hill. A fourth slide would be just north of the first two slides. This slide could use natural features of the existing hill to support a longer, less steep slide that has a couple twists and turns for added fun. The final part of this proposal would be to improve the vegetation on the hill. There is a fair amount of poison oak that should be eliminated from the hillside. Trees and shrubs could be added that would provide shade for the slides and help to discourage in-growth of poison oak, black berries, and other unwanted species.
The cost of this project is highly dependent on the materials used for building the slides or even the types of slides used. I have researched a company that makes plastic slides for use on embankments. Their slides would cost about $40,000 for one slide. Other types of slide would change this estimate. The re-vegetation could cost around $2,000 depending on the types of materials used. My suggestion is that we begin with one slide and a set of return stairs as a pilot to gauge cost, interest, and durability. If the project garners the support I think possible, grant support, local donations, neighborhood labor and donations could be used to complete the project.
I have seen on-line examples of other cities that have developed embankment slides in their parks. Each one expresses that these additions have been a valuable addition to their parks system. There are a number of unknowns for Nelson Park like initial cost, maintenance cost, liability, and developing a need for restrooms. I would like to work with the city to explore the embankment slide opportunity, and to add a fun, useful new feature to Nelson Park. If the expertise does not exist with Salem Parks staff I would help expand the research on this project to cities who have experience with such a project.
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