The 12th Day of Christmas Brunch

Today I hosted 6 people for a 12th Day of Christmas brunch and it was a lovely time for all. They arrived around 10am and we proceeded to enjoy Proseco to kick off the celebration and yes by the end of the brunch had polished off three bottles. There were three different flavors of quiches that Jodie had made and then people had a choice of turkey kielbasa or Andouille sausage.



No your eyes are not deceiving you, the above is a special edition of Seahawk Doughnuts made especially by Top Pot Doughnuts.  There were also other Top Pot doughnuts (probably the best in the city) for people to enjoy. I sent all the extras of those off with people as I do not need any of the extra calories right now. Yes, I did enjoy a maple bar, but then I stopped. Most of the group departed after a bit, but a couple stayed and we talked played a few games and then they departed once they knew the Seahawks game had begun and thus the roads would not be so crazy. In fact, that was why over half the crowd left early was to get to various Seahawk parties. Well, they won and so it starts all over next week as well. Oh joy! The only good thing is that they are on the road for all the games so it is not nearly as bad as it would be if they were playing at home. 

 

I refuse to wear blue and green anything. Yes, it is nice they are in the playoffs.  I will not miss living by the two stadiums once I move. On the various game days it is nearly impossible to get around. So once the house was cleared, by about 2pm, a nap followed that was more than welcomed. But, once up, it was time to prep for dinner as Markie was stopping by and we enjoyed brussel sprouts, salad and Sockeye Salmon. I had never cooked it before and went online and found the following very simple recipe. It proved to be delish and I actually made 2lbs. so now have some leftover for a salmon salad. Here is the recipe... 

Sockeye Salmon

Serves 2
Prep Time 30 seconds, cook time 12 minutes.
1 lb (16 ounces) of fresh salmon fillet with the skin on(most restaurants will serve a 6 ounce portion)
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp of butter

Cut the salmon in two pieces, pat dry with a paper towel and evenly spread the salt and pepper on the flesh. Heat an oven safe skillet on the stove top to medium high heat. Add the the butter to the pan(the pan is slightly to hot if the butter browns immediately). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the salmon, flesh side down, in the pan and sear for about 1-2 minutes until a bit of a crust appears. Flip the salmon and place the entire pan in the oven for 10 minutes for a piece of salmon that is about 1 inch thick at its fattest point (adjust the cooking time slightly depending on how thick the fish is). Remove from oven, serve with your favourite salad and Enjoy! 

 

Markie hung around until nearly 8pm and by 9pm this guy was in bed ready to sleep the night away knowing tomorrow was going to be a tad crazy.  It is no fun having to lay off staff.  UGH!

A Day of Chores

With the New Year under way and moving less than three months away, it is time to start packing up the closets and weeding out stuff that has piled up for 7 years.  Cannot believe I have been in Seattle that long and now I will be moving to another part of town to gain a different perspective.  I awoke at 4:15am this day and hit the ground running.

Garbage and recycling was followed by loads of laundry and dishes.  The basics done it was time for breakfast of oatmeal and coffee.  Enjoyed reading the NYTimes as it will soon be a memory.  With the price going to nearly $70 a month it is time to let it go.  I still might treat myself to the Sunday edition from time to time.  Likewise, I released my subscription to The New Yorker this past week.  Again, the price had gone just too high at over $100 for the coming year.  There is a breaking point and they have reached it.  Much like the building where I am living now, they are raising the rent just too much, it has become cheaper to move than to stay.

More sorting and getting the big closet in shape and making a huge shift in that when I got out of the hospital last year, my clothes were moved to the hall closet for easier access.  Well, that all shifted back to the large closet this day.  A real marker of life getting back to normal.  I have multiple bags, boxes, etc. ready to go to Goodwill this week.  It is refreshing to let go and release.  Pausing for a light lunch of Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup I was back at it after a quick nap.  Yes, I do believe in blending work and pleasure.

By 5pm it was time to wind down and enjoy reading and some news.  As I write this a favorite dinner is cooking away.  A bed of asparagus with Alfredo sauce and on top are two chicken breast.  Cook for about 30 minutes and then poof, a delightful dinner.  Rick Steve's Europe is on PBS as I know I will likely watch a movie tonight.  But it will be to bed early as tomorrow I host a 12th Day of Christmas Brunch and so will need to be up early to get it ready.  For now - Cheers!

Memories of Boxing Day

Why yes, that is a Piggy Hat from the Angry Birds merchandising!  Took it over to Michael's place in Long Beach, WA.  Drove down on Christmas morning and it was such a delight to drive through the snow that I ran into from Olympia until about Edna.  The roads were plowed and yet it was a winter wonderland.  Arrived before dark and we began to enjoy some of the wine I brought.  Thinking I had brought enough, alas, it was not as we had to get a couple more the next day for our Boxing Day celebration.

Here is Michael, a long time friend who is a dear, dear friend and we have had this tradition for years to come together for Boxing Day, but it was interrupted last year (2011) dues to my health issues which made this celebration all the more special.  Christmas dinner was roasted chicken and cauliflower with melted cheese.  It was so good and simple.  Wine flowed freely and we had a great time catching up and exchanging gifts.  Sleep arrived early at 9pm.  There is something about the beach that is just so relaxing.

Michael loves life and his dogs and you might have noticed Missy in the upper photo.  Hank was likely resting on the futon.  He has sure mellowed over the years.  One of my first times meeting Hank years ago is when he got out of the truck in Astoria and ran and ran for who knows how long.  It was a real challenge to find him, but in the end, I think he realized we were not going home without him.  Yes, we were exhausted at the end of that adventure oh so long ago.  He is an amazing cook and while Christmas dinner was delightful, oh what a treat arrived on Boxing day.

Yes, this is just a scary photo, but I thought I would share how long the beard got and today, I got my hair cut and beard trimmed, but I am getting away from the story.  We awoke on Boxing Day, December 26th, and had a very lazy morning followed by a trip to Astoria to get gas and run errands.  On the way back we stopped at one of Michael's favorite haunts, a sports bar called the Lost Roo and it was a delight.  It was back to the house and a nap or two followed. 

Michael cooked up a storm as we enjoyed cocktails and he prepared a fabulous prime rib roast and then made Yorkshire pudding from scratch.  Amazing!  Then add brussel sprouts and he made a heavy cream horseradish sauce which was just divine on the prime rib.  Wine followed and then the fireworks were set off.  We laughed and soon it was off to bed knowing that a trip back to reality was in store when I awoke.  another amazing escape to the beach - Thank You Michael.

Birthday Memories

For my birthday in December, Damon and I enjoyed brunch up on top of the Space Needle on Saturday and then hosted a vodka/latke party on Sunday as I do love vodka and it was the first full day of Hanukkah! A nice turn out and the whole celebration was a lot of fun.  At the brunch, we happen to run into Santa and his helpers.  They were dressed to match the Space Needle.  Who knew there was red, green and silver lame fabric.  Quite amusing.

We enjoyed a lovely brunch and cocktails plus the day was one of the few while he was visiting that it was not raining.  He makes it up for about a week each month. Returns on the 11th of January for an extended stay. We are thinking of making a Portland run for the first weekend.  He does make me laugh and smile and is so not what I have fallen for in the past. Best description I have used is part caveman and part rabbi!  So you be the judge...

Well, now that I have figured out how I have to go about uploading photos I can continue posting them on the blog.  They talk about making things easier and I have to say, what used to be a one step process is not a three step process.  That my friends is not progress!

Ho, Ho, Ho - What a Festive Tree!

Tonight is about doing something rather funny. This year, while the tree did get put up, there is not a single ornament on the tree. I just never got the itch to do it. The lights look great and under the tree I have a small collection of stuffed animals that I have put there every year. 

Well, this Sunday I am having 5 people over for a 12th Day of Christmas brunch. I have decided to take the stuffed animals, in that I counted them last night and have 12 (ok so it is 13 but hey it is all for fun!) and put them up throughout the tree. I think it will be amusing and festive. Hey, it is fun to be a kid every once in a while.  Yes, I do enjoy this time of year.  Happy Holidays!

Welcome 2013!

Hello and I want to wish all who are stopping by a very Happy New Year!  What a difference a year makes.  Last year I was dealing with some pretty severe health issues and today I sit here looking back and counting my blessings and thanking all the angels who made my recovery such a success.  The blog took a back seat for a while as the fall saw me have several things happen that turned my world upside down.  One significant thing has to be meeting Damon in Chicago back in September.  He is a delight and makes me laugh and smile a lot.  While he does live in Texas and I am in Washington we are able to see each other about once a month.  I do like having the time with him and at the same time having my own time to keep moving forward.

Some health issues arose and addressed and we are back on track and that is a good thing.  Did get hit with that evil flu bug that just flew through our office and thought I had escaped it only for it to take me down on my 53rd birthday.  Did not stop the party, but boy did I pay for it the next three days.  Damon was up visiting and was an amazing nurse maid.  He returns in 10 days for another visit and we will be heading down to Portland so I can show him some of the things I love about the City of Roses.

This day marks my re-commitment to the blog and also a new chapter in letting go as I continue to clean out the closets and donating a lot of stuff that I have not touched in my 7 years of living here at the Uwajimaya Apartments.  Alas, that will be coming to an end at the end of March as the management decided to do an obscene rent increase and parking almost doubled.  It is just insane.  When you make it cheaper to move than to stay, you loose people.

And how could this first day of the new year not see yet another edition of the Tournament of Roses Parade.  I watched the 124th annual event and was amused at how interactive it was with some of the highlights being a parade waiving Jesus at the pearly gates which was just odd.  The wedding that happened right on the float from Farmer's Insurance and the float where the service man totally surprised his wife and son in front of the billions of people watching at home and the hundreds of thousands live along the parade route.  I did notice the bottle of champagne within arm's reach to use to celebrate once the wedding was done.  Happy New Year indeed.

Thus, it is good to be back and we shall see how it goes.  I am planning to look back and get some old postings done to share and will reference them as they happen.  Work is changing a lot too and will update as I get more confirmed items that should begin starting tomorrow, but for tonight it is off to enjoy a second shrimp cocktail as I had made so much I could not enjoy it all last night.  Be well and all the best in 2013.

Happy New Year!

So the fireworks have begun and above is part of the 13 minute show in Sydney, Australia.  I have been away for a while because life happens.  Decided it was a good time to get back in the saddle and start catching you up on all that has been going on.  I am going to try and look back a bit since it has been about 4 months since I posted and that was when I was in Chicago.  So there will be some references to things in the past, but we are also going to look forward to the new year and sharing the new happenings.

All the best to all of you in the New Year, let's bring on 2013!