Storm of Thoughts

Exploring the Planet

Pete and I are constantly looking for new things to add to our Netflix queue. The endless stream of DVD’s coming to our door ensures that, not only do we get to watch new releases we’ve been waiting for, but we can also go back and watch old movies, try out new TV series from the beginning, and watch things we otherwise wouldn’t have seen. Recently, we decided to add Planet Earth to the list. This was made even more exciting by the fact that, since Christmas, we’ve had a Blu-ray disc player, and Netflix happens to carry Planet Earth on DVD. Last week, the first disc came. It sat around for a few days while we watched our regular TV favorites. But then, one night, it finally got its turn. And I have to say, I’m tempted to move the entire series to the top of the list immediately and forgo watching anything else until I’ve seen every second.

We knew it would be good. You don’t see images like this splashed all over the TV and think that the series will just be okay:

But you really can’t imagine the things they captured on film without seeing it for yourself. The first few episodes were so impressive, in fact, they almost can’t be described. (Although, for the sake of this post, of course, I’ll do my best.)

The high definition film-making is amazing in and of itself. The cameras capture colors and definition better than even perfect eyesight ever could. And the places the series takes you to are completely incredible - especially since very few are things you could experience otherwise. The series was filmed over (approximately) a five year period, although I’m shocked it took so little time to capture such rare sights. Half of the time, Pete and I can’t help but excitedly ask questions as we watch: “How close could that camera possibly be?” and “How long must they have been waiting to capture that?” and “HOW far did he just say they travel?!” Most of the time, though, we basically sit silently in awe of the scenery - surprising footage in the depths of the ocean, above the highest peaks, in the dusty plains, and within the deepest, darkest parts of the rain forest. If you’re like me, though, there is also plenty of “aww”ing and laughing at the animals. For example, baby polar bears coming out of their “cave” and tumbling down a snowy mountain for the first time? Or a Giant Panda huddled up, cradling its newborn, 900x smaller than itself? Really amazing to see.

The information itself, combined with the imagery, is also incredibly interesting. The second episode was about mountains, something that, on a normal day, I could take or leave. Yet for those 50 minutes, I sat riveted, hearing about the heights of the peaks and the animal life that can and can’t survive there. Ultimately, there’s nothing about this series that’s not to like.

All of which virtually adds up to Planet Earth being one of the best things we’ve ever watched. And, as a TV and movie person, that is not something I say lightly.

Have you watched any of Planet Earth? Have any favorite episodes? I’d love to hear what you think!

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Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie

Today brings with it nice weather (for now, at least) and a busy, busy schedule. So, with a little help from my mom (who did the adapting), here is a recipe that was adapted from Danny Boome’s Traditional Shepherd’s Pie, one of my favorite Irish meals. After all, you don’t need rain and cold to enjoy comfort food!

Ingredients

2 tablesppons butter
A few tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons. tomato paste
1 ½ to 2 lbs. ground beef
2 tablespoons. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup beef stock
1 cup peas (can use frozen or fresh)

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Add butter and oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, celery and, after a bit, add the garlic, until tender - about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables have softened and start to brown a little, add the tomato paste and mix evenly. Add the ground beef and cook till meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire and beef stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook another 10 minutes, then mix in peas. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly. Place mashed potatoes on top and spread that evenly as well. You can “rake” through the potatoes with a fork, if desired.

Cook about 20 to 25 minutes – checking for a nice, lightly browned top.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

3 to 4 pounds baking or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup heavy cream (we actually used ¼ cup sour cream and ¼ cup milk instead)
1 cup grated (white) cheddar
salt and pepper

Fill a saucepan with cold water, add a tablespoon of salt and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until soft when a knife is inserted, about 20 minutes. Drain, put back in pot, add butter and cream and begin to mash. Gradually add the cheese – and if needed, a little more milk - and salt and pepper to taste.

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Wordless Wednesday: Spring

I am so looking forward to barbecuing outside on the “patio.” Where, as you can see, we even have a string of lights. Yay for spring!

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Easter Take 2

Yesterday we celebrated Russian Orthodox Easter with my grandma. And while we colored normal eggs using normal dye, many of the eggs of Easters past looked like the ones in the picture. Those eggs were made by my mom, who learned about them from her Polish grandmother (who colored eggs with natural dyes made from onion skins and beets). My Russian grandmother also colored eggs like these years ago with her sisters, having learned from their own mother. Made with wax and lots and lots of patience, these eggs come out every year to remind us of the traditions of Easters past.

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Recipe: Southwestern Chicken Quesadilla

I recently reviewed the book Panini by Melanie Barnard. The second recipe I made, the Southwestern Chicken Quesadilla, was just as simple and delicious as the first. In my family, we love quesadillas, but cooking them either in a frying pan or in the oven never seems just right. The answer, of course, was right in front of me the whole time - the panini grill. (Or, in my case, my Cuisinart Griddler). Either way, it’s definitely a recipe we’ll make again.

Ingredients (makes 2):

3/4 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1/3 cooked corn kernels
3 tablespoons roasted poblano pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 flower tortillas, 8 or 10 inches in diameter
2 teaspoons corn oil or melted butter
3 ounces jack cheese, shredded
Tomato salsa and lime wedges for serving

Preheat the sandwich grill. In a bowl, stir together the chicken, corn, peppers, green onion, cilantro, sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon of the chile powder, and the salt. Place the tortillas on a work surface, brush 1 side of each with the oil, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon chile powder. Turn the tortillas over and spoon the chicken mixture onto half of each tortilla, dividing it evenly and leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Sprinkle each with half of the cheese. Fold the tortillas over the filling and lightly press the edges together to help them adhere.

Place the quesadillas on the grill, close the top plate, and cook until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted. Cut each quesadilla into wedges, transfer to individual plates, and serve right away with the tomato salsa and lime wedges. (We also served with sour cream and guacamole.)

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Wordless Wednesday: You Can Call Me the Nannerpus

Pete loves the Nannerpus.

So much so that we had him for breakfast.

(Pete loves pancakes too.)

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I Heart Policemen (My Night in the ER)

Saturday night started out as a normal one. Pete and I had dinner and watched a movie. Later, as I was contemplating getting into bed, I noticed a sudden pain in my stomach and back. At first, I ignored it; there’s nothing all that unusual about some stomach pain. But this felt very unlike any normal pain and continued to worsen over the next hour. Although it felt a bit better when sitting or laying, whenever I stood up, the pain immediately shot back. So, eventually, around 1 am, Pete and I decided to head to the ER to make sure it wasn’t actually something serious. I threw sneakers on with my sweatpants and a jacket over my I <3 Policeman t-shirt and started to head for the door. Before leaving the house, I briefly thought, "Should I change?" (I was in crippling pain, yes, but I am a woman, after all.) But away we went.

When we got there, the ER wasn't all that crowded. There was, however, as luck would have it, a group of 3 or 4 cops standing in the corner. Although no one noticed my shirt at first, I was soon paraded back and forth in front of them, which led to some laughs (for them) and several nurses discussing with me, over the course of the next hour, whether or not they heart policemen too.

The rest of the experience started out innocently enough with some questions and a brief exam. (It was the only time I've ever been happy to have to put on a gown.) Afterward, the nurse returned.

"I'm going to take some blood now," she told me. I tried to talk her out of it (to no avail). I hate needles and explained that I'd never had blood taken before.

"You've NEVER had blood taken before??" she asked incredulously. It was such a novelty that she then recounted the fact for a few other equally stupefied nurses.

After the blood work, I was x-rayed and examined some more. In between, I sat for long, boring period of time staring at the ceiling while the nurses ate chocolate cake outside. As I was laying down, the pain was a little bit better, but when all of the tests came back normal, the doctor decided to run a CT scan.

"It will mean you'll be here for another 3-4 hours," he told me. "But that's okay with me." Funnily enough, he said it without a trace of humor.

After waiting two and a half hours (and drinking whatever it is you have to drink before the test), I finally headed off for my CT scan.

"Where's your IV?" the technician asked me. Apparently, not only was an IV required for this test, the nurses were supposed to send me over already prepared. When he heard I didn't have one, he actually asked, "Well, do you want one?" So, of course, I told him no. And then explained how I had never had an IV.

"You've NEVER had an IV??" he asked. I sensed a trend. "I've never met anyone who hasn't had an IV." (Probably because he works in a hospital.)

After he put it in (my powers of persuasion were really failing me), he mused, "You haven't spent a lot of time in the hospital, huh?" As if that's a bad thing!

Ultimately, after getting the test results (another hour or so later), the doctor confirmed that he had ruled out a variety of other things, like kidney stones and gallstones. Although, apparently, they couldn't even find my appendix - but at this point he didn't seem too concerned that that's what it might be. (Of course, after 7 hours in the ER, it would have been nice if he had actually seen my appendix and could tell me for sure it wasn’t that, but by then my biggest problem was quickly becoming lack of sleep). So, after coming home just after 8 am, I crawled into bed and tried to forget I’d ever been to the ER at all. And, since the pain is now slowly going away rather than getting worse, I’ll assume that my appendix isn’t about to burst after all.

But, still. I’ll think twice before I wear that t-shirt out in public again.

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Happy Easter (Tree)

I love holidays. Besides the novelty of getting to celebrate and be with family and friends on what would otherwise be just an ordinary day - and the food (which is always one of the best parts of everything) - I love the decorations.

Granted, Easter has fewer decorations than other holidays. But, in our house, there was always room for some spring items and a bunny here and there. (In college I even had a string of Peeps lights, which shouldn’t surprise you.) But my favorite decoration has always been my mom’s Easter tree, which she made years ago and has displayed every year for as long as I can remember. Now that I have my own apartment, I considered getting a tree myself to celebrate the season, although, when you purchase one from a store like Williams-Sonoma, you have to be prepared to pay a lot more than you might think.

And so I gave up on the tree for this year. Which is why I was so surprised to receive an unexpected package from my mom - who, as you may know, is pretty crafty. Inside, of course, was an Easter tree, which she had been (secretly) making for me. And so, this year, I had my very own tree to celebrate spring. And it was my favorite decoration by far.

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Recently Overheard

I often think it’s interesting to hear the conversations that people you pass are having. Whether holding a heated debate or on a phone call, so many things get said in public, from the mundane to the uncouth to the ridiculous. There are those times when you almost want to say something. And other times when you can’t help but laugh.

The latter is what I experienced yesterday as I was walking into the gym. The weather in Massachusetts was (finally) beautiful, with clear skies, bright sunshine, and temperatures reaching 60 degrees at least. As I approached the door to the gym after work, another man, headed the same way, was holding a loud conversation with his friend across the parking lot. “It’s a shame to be going into the gym today,” he lamented. “I wish they had outside gyms.”

…..

Hmm. I think that’s referred to as “the world.”

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You Can Fill My Basket With Peeps

With Easter coming, I felt it was about time to discuss my favorite springtime treat. At home in New Jersey, during Easter (as with basically all other times of the year), there is always plenty of good food. With a mom who is half Polish, I always grew up eating a big Easter breakfast full of kielbasa, pierogies, and babka. A week or so later on Orthodox Easter, we would visit my other (Russian) grandma and eat - well, mostly the same things. (Yay for Eastern European food.) But, as a child, of course, nothing beats the big basket full of candy.

Now, I like variety, and sorting through an Easter basket to find all of the different items inside was always part of the fun. But let’s be honest - I was only really concerned with one thing. I have nothing against the other Easter candies. I’m a big fan of jelly beans (year-round). The same goes for malted milk balls. (And, interesting, with these two types of candy, the best brands only come out at Easter.) You can’t go wrong with a chocolate bunny. And there is something pretty special about a Cadbury egg. But the one thing I really looked forward to on Easter morning? Peeps.

I prefer chicks to bunnies and open the packages immediately to let them get stale. While all of the original colors are fine (the new, brighter ones scare me a little), my favorite has always been blue. And, at least 80% of the time, I bite their heads off first.

Now, I know people either love them or hate them, and I obviously fall on the loving them side. I once made my own Peeps, I’d love to go on a tour of the Just Born factory, and I got excited when I found out that Lenox was making Peeps items. But, I admit, a love of Peeps can go too far.

For example, this year I came across “The Office Peeps Contest,” where Peeps were used to recreate scenes from The Office.

There’s even a Peeps artist creating a variety of interesting (if that’s the word) Peeps-filled art.

And, on YouTube, you can find Peeps re-enacting scenes from classic movies like Jaws.

All of which might be a bit much. But I understand. I, too, want my basket filled with Peeps.

How about you - what’s your favorite Easter candy?

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