Snowblown Away

So, February goes on the books as the snowiest month in Pittsburgh history, and I have to say...I'm done. I am normally a polar bear at heart. Bring on the cold and snow, and then give me a mug of hot chocolate and a book by which to enjoy it (polar bears don't ski, you know). But feeling as if I am trapped in my own home by the relentless inches that keep piling up all around me? Not so much. And you would think that being trapped inside would give me plenty of time for blogging. Again, not so much. When your two preschoolers have cabin fever and the only thing that will take it away is MORE COW BELL finding the most dangerous, fragile, and permanently messy items in the house and claiming them as their own, you don't have the luxury of sitting in front of a computer to share the horror.

But, being the lemonade types (on occasion), we decided to roll with it, literally, and ventured outside to make a snowman. Here is the beginning of that effort:You will notice that there is no "after" picture because the snowman was abandoned midstream and the dog took care of the rest. That canine is the biggest fan of killing snowballs that I have ever met. Just to get a face full of snow, she will run in front of our shoveling efforts and normally ends up with a split lip.

In any case, by the time the snowman was abandoned and devoured, we noticed the neighbors sledding in their backyard by starting at the top of the hillside stairs. Normally not the best plan, but with two feet of snow, anything is possible. Even the digging of habitrails through the backyards. It was the only way to get from point A to point B, but I still expected to see giant hamsters peeking up from behind the snowy walls when I glanced outside.

Maybe next year.

Knifty

I got to feed the crafy beast this morning *and* do work for my new job at the same time. Score! One of my fellow staff members will be running a knitting and crocheting class for some of our residents, and because we are a nonprofit, we reached out the the community for donations of yarns and needles.

I got an almost immediate response to my request from the lovely Jenn B. who offered a dozen skeins of yarn to the cause. And then she passed it along to some knitty friends who also came through. So, this morning I had to--twist my arm--make a stop at a really neat local yarn store, Natural Stitches. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Jenn B., meeting the extremely helpful and friendly staff at the store (with special thanks to Yvonne for making a donation of her own as well as collecting from others), and scored a lot of yarn and hooks for the ladies at the shelter and residential program. Plus, I had to get a bit of yarn for my own stash (yes, it was a necessity...shut up). And I found a sock-making class that I must attend in February. Really. Somehow in my head I'm not really a knitter until I make a pair of socks. And a project with that many needles requires more than a book with pretty pictures (for me, at least).

So, a fabulous morning overall. Many thanks again to Jenn B. for her yarn and for graciously tolerating the antics of the small one. And if any of you are ever in need of great yarn in a comfy environment with cool people, head over to Natural Stitches in the east end. I know I will be back!

Whirlwinds of change

I'm not sure if anyone is even stopping by here any more, especially given my extreme blog silence, but seeing as I don't want to give up the blog (and would like very much to start posting here more), I am adding "blogging" to the list of things I will pay more attention to in 2010.

My 2010 list is already a pretty interesting collection. To ring in the new year, I got myself a new job. I wasn't losing the old one, but I had definitely lost interest. Yes, I am grateful to be in a position to have the luxury to look for a new job out of want not out of need. There are far to many people in the "need" category these days. And with the job change comes a change in our perspectives on life, to a degree. As many of you know, I had been working in academia for years. Now, I am working in nonprofit, and the salaries are like apples and oranges. You can't compare them, really, because it's two different worlds. And, the new job gives me everything I wanted from a new job--flexible hours, a sense of making a difference in the world, doing something I really enjoy, working with a great group of people, promoting a cause that I believe in--but it can't stand up in the salary area. We are certainly not struggling--I would never take a move like that with two kids to consider. But we will have to be more careful. And I will be anxiously anticipating the removal of financial burdens--18 months till Mr. Moo starts attending public school, 2 years till the cars are paid off, and six years till we can burn our mortgage papers (that's one for which I will proably throw a party...seriously). But without question, I have made the right move for me. My stress levels have dropped dramatically and my outlook has improved immensely.

I have lots more to say about the job, but I'll save that as post fodder.

And I have more to say about 2010, but I'm in the middle of installing flooring in our basement. I've only been waiting to do something with that space for two years (and have had the flooring that long, so it's not a budget hit at all) and today's a work holiday, so off to the underground I go!

The world according to my kids

The red condiment commonly used on French fries is “dippy.” If more than one variety of dippy is available, they are also designated by color, “red dippy, yellow dippy, white dippy,” and so forth.

The man with the big white beard and red suit that breaks into kids’ houses at the end of December is called “Tinkerbell.” (Boudica-specific nomenclature)

The little squishy, stretchy toy animals (think gummy worms and the like) are made of a substance called “squeeze.”

The round, minty, chocolate-covered candies that give you the sensation that you are standing on a wind-swept mountain top are called “circle treats.”

Puff the Magic Dragon is completely acceptable for story time, but I should not, under any circumstances, have Puff engage in a conversation with Dippy the Dinosaur because, “Dippy is a statue, Mommy. He can’t talk.”

Ok. Good to know.

Risotto al funghi

Back when we first started dating, Mr. D gave me an Italian vegetarian cookbook (I can't remember if I was still a veg-head at that point or had just recently been). I can't find a link to the book or I would share it because it is chock full of lovely recipes. One thing I learned to make from this book is risotto, and while it does take some patience to make, it really is yummy stuff.

On Sunday, neither of us really wanted to go shopping, so when the "what's for dinner?" query was raised, I turned to the pantry* for an idea. And found everything I needed for mushroom risotto. To share with you the fact that it really isn't that hard to make (and to allow my closet foodie to get a little blog time), I thought I'd share the recipe and process with you (complete with my recipe modifications).

Here goes!

Risotto al Funghi

Ingredients

One pound mushrooms (the type you use will vary the flavor--you can use fresh or dried, but make sure to rehydrate dried ones first or it will affect the moisture of the dish)
Two cups arborio rice
4-6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup wine (I've used white and red--it's up to you)
6 cups stock (chicken or veg--homemade is best)
1/2 cup grated parmesan plus additional for the table
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Medium onion chopped (I normally use a sweeter onion)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced


Before you start working with the rice and veg, heat the broth to boiling and then reduce to a simmer for use in the dish. Chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces (or smaller if you like) and sautee until tender in about 2Tbsp of butter. If you are using rehydrated mushrooms, skip the sauteeing step and simply rehydrate them in just enough hot water to cover (save the water for use as broth!).

Remove the sauteed mushrooms from the pan and add 2 Tbsp more butter to sautee the onion and garlic combo. When the onion is just becoming translucent and before the garlic browns (watch it carefully), add two cups of arborio rice to the skillet and sautee on medium heat for another two minutes. If you need to add a bit more butter at this point, feel free. I keep pretty close to 4 Tbsp and the taste is still plenty rich.


Add the wine to the skillet and stir until absorbed. Now, add the broth to the skillet a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously and not adding a new ladle until the last one has been absorbed. Does this take a while? Yes, you need to plan on at least 15-20 minutes for this step. But, without the slow addition and constant stirring, your risotto will be crunchy, not creamy. It's worth the time.

After all of the broth is incorporated, taste a bit of the risotto and be sure that your grains are no longer crunchy (they will be al dente, but should not be hard). At this point, stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan and 2 Tbsp parsley.**



Enjoy!

*Pantry = traditional dry pantry plus fridge and freezer. Basically, whatever is in the house and is edible.

**I used more than 2 Tbsp in this dish. Also, you really must use fresh parsley, either truly fresh or fresh-frozen. Dried just doesn't cut it.