It was Thursday, but it still counts

Summer is busy. Vacations, barbecues, birthdays, weddings, rodeos and swimming holes take up a lot of time! Not that I'm complaining, because I LOVE summer, but family dinner has been a bit of a phantom in the last few months and I've really missed it.

I got done with the gym a bit early yesterday and didn't have anything else on the agenda so I decided to call Ted. Best decision of the day! He said they were around and I made my way over. Not only did I get to see Ted and Johnnie (Happy Birthday Johnnie, I hope you have a great day and I can't wait to hear how lunch was!!!), but Morgan, Chelsey and Copper dog were also enjoying a cocktail in the kitchen when I arrived.

Ted poured me a mango & hooch and we all headed out to the deck to enjoy the shortening days of summer. In true family tradition, there was plenty to talk about. Morgan and Chelsey got a new place that sounds perfect. Moving day is the 9th and hopefully they will be hosting a family dinner shortly thereafter. Johnnie is planning a yard sale this Sunday, so if you are in Greenlake, go find some treasures. We had a bee buzzing around the table and Ted shared a story about a curious wasp that flew into his shorts on a camping trip. And then, thankfully, flew back out without causing any damage other than a minute of straight fear.

So after some catching up, we decided it was time for the food. Ted had put the smoker to work over the week and we reaped the benefits. My plate filled with green salad, brown rice, smoked pulled pork with barbecue sauce, smoked salmon and cheesy bread. YUM. And to compliment the meal, we opened a bottle of sparkling rose. Summer!

The food was awesome and the conversations continued as we chowed down. The sun moved from behind a tree and gave us just enough warmth to finish the meal. As the plates were cleared, the blankets (and requisite hooch towel) came out and we all wrapped up. There's something to say for being out on the deck, it just feels right. And we all know that come October (like my wishful thinking) it may be a little too wet to enjoy the fresh air.

Johnnie made a peach pie with the farmers peaches, so we continued on the eating path with a slice and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She said the crust was too 'Mother Earth' i.e. whole wheat, but none of us seemed to mind as we finished off the baked treat.

By the time I got home last night, I was feeling like I hit the jackpot. Impromptu family dinner kicked ass compared to whatever I would have thrown together after the gym. I guess one good thing about the impending change of season is that hopefully our weekly meals will pick back up!

PS: my camera decided to stay in Alaska, so no pictures for now.

Back with a bang

After a month off, we had a big gang on Wednesday for Family Dinner. Being that it was sunny and solstice, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to have dinner on the deck. And since there were THIRTEEN of us, it worked out perfectly.

Mark, Jess, Charlie, Lucas, Jessie, Bruno (who was celebrating his first month on earth!), Chelsey, Morgan, Melaine, Jason, Ted, Johnnie, Matt and I all enjoyed a great dinner. Barbecued pork ribs, smoked salmon, green salad, tomato marinade, crusty bread and broccoli diablo au gratin, lots or red and white wine, ginger-mango hooch liqueur and Trader Joe's cookies for dessert made for a great meal. There were more conversations going on than could ever be recorded. Turns out if we don't all see each other for a month, the chatting could go on forever.

Happy Summer!

Cheeks, Pie and Everything in Between

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Let me start by apologizing for this late post. But honestly, I didn't want to write it. Dinner was great, the group was fabulous, but it was the end of an era and I was having a hard time making it official. Last Wednesday was our last weekly meal with Grandpa Pres in the mix - he left us for the sunnier skies of Wenatchee over the weekend!

So as he settles into his new digs, I'm settling into the fact that I don't get to talk shop with him each week. It was great having him here and I got to spend a lot more time with him than I otherwise would have. AND! He's the reason Wednesday Dinners got started, so thank you for spending some time on the coast Grandpa and I hope you are loving your new spot!

Now what you have all been waiting for, the recap of last week's family dinner. Since it was Grandpa's last meal (until he decides to come visit us), it was quite a big affair. I arrived around 6pm to Ted at the stove, Johnnie at the island and Grandpa and Eddie at the nook on either side of a huge plate of smoked salmon collars. YEEEEEEEEEES!

Being the gentlemen they are, Eddie offered up his seat by the apps and Ted made me the drink of the night - watermelon hooch and limeade. After the tragic events of the day, I was happy to have a retreat that included family, food and COCKTAILS. We shared how our days had all been affected by the shootings and Johnnie and Eddie shared a story about Scott 'Hollywood' Scurlock, the bank robber who hid out in the neighborhood over Thanksgiving 1996.

So as we got the nervous energy of the day out with the first drink, more people filtered in - Chelsey, Jessie, Mark, Charlie, Ted's friend and his two buddies (totally drawing a blank on names right now), Todd and his wife. Thirteen plus a dog, that's about as big as it can get in a turn-of-the-century house.

But I'm getting ahead of myself with group dynamics. I only briefly mentioned the salmon collars, when in fact, they deserve a lot of attention. I think I ate three. That's slightly embarrassing to admit to my millions of readers, but they are so damn good! Totally worth my hands smelling like fish for days, Omega-3 overload. Eek! I just looked up the nutrition facts, probably shouldn't have done that. I'd still have eaten three had I looked at the facts beforehand. Every fatty, delicious bite I could dig out from between the cartilage was like hitting the jackpot at the slots. DING DING DING DING DING and the lights start flashing and I'm rich!

Ok, moving on. We crammed as many plates as could fit around the table and filled what space was left with green salad, artisan bread, tomato marinade (of course!), brown rice, wine, hot sauce and a whole lot of Copper River Salmon. Ted  had clued me in early Wednesday that when he filleted the fish, it was the most beautiful one he'd ever seen. And he did it justice. Brined for a few hours and then put on the Tragger for a short time, the salmon was hands down the best salmon I've eaten. I was sitting next to Grandpa and he agreed. And then we both ate more than we should have.

With such a big group, there were lots of conversations going on, many of which I didn't catch. But one thing is for sure, people were happy to be sharing the fabulous meal with each other. One of the things I've learned in the last 9 months at family dinner is that if people want to be at dinner, they are bound to have a good time. The policy always was that if you could make it, great. If not, we'll see you when you can. And I think this mentality created the perfect environment for great meals time after time.

As a few of us started clearing plates, Ted's friend (doh! the name still isn't coming) pulled out a deck of cards and entertained the bunch. That was a first for fam din and enjoyed all around. And it was the perfect distraction that allowed us to dish up dessert.

Jessie made a banana cream pie and we had apple and strawberry rhubarb from PCC. A little sliver of each with a dollop of vanilla ice cream went to everyone interested and the crowd continued to enjoy.

It's been decided that the tradition Grandpa started when he moved to Seattle last fall will continue because we all like each other! I don't think we will be meeting every week, and the venue may change, but either way, this group loves drinking, eating and talking and an event that's been so enjoyable couldn't just stop happening. I'm hoping we get an occasional appearance from Grandpa, too, because we learned this food/family-centrc behavior from him!

So good, you gotta wear shades

Eat my words

Wednesday was our second to last Family Dinner with Grandpa in the house and when Ted asked what he wanted, he said chicken. In my head I said UGHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO I hate chicken. Even though I've had amazing chicken cooked by uncle Ted, my first reaction to the word chicken is ALWAYS blech what a waste of time. Chicken shmicken.

Of course, I said nothing aloud because a free meal is a free meal and Ted has never disappointed at family dinner. But internally, I was thinking, 'chicken, really? WTF!?!'. So When I got to the house on Wednesday, I was excited to see what else we were having with dinner. the first smell to hit me was the sweet, tangy aroma that could only be German Potato Salad and sure enough, this great recipe was cooking away on the stovetop.

Morgan and Ted were sitting at the nook and Grandpa and Eddie were out on the deck. I noticed a big tray covered with foil and got the faint smokey scent of something having been on the smoker. It smelled good as my stomach growled in anticipation of dinner. Hitting the gym before hand is good, but makes the waiting tough sometimes! To curb my appetite, Ted made me a cocktail. Always good on an empty stomach. Hooch + mango + lime = delish.

Grandpa and Eddie migrated in from the deck, because while it is warmer now, it's still not WARM at 6pm yet. Behind them came Jessie, Mark and Charlie, and that rounded out our group for the night. As the resident salad tosser, when Ted got out the big yellow bowl and bottle of dressing, I knew we were close to show time. Everyone migrated to the table and I caught Ted slicing up the chicken. As much as I don't like to admit when I've made a quick judgement, that chicken smelled and looked about as good as a chicken can smell and look. Golden, crispy skin over the perfect pink tint of smoked perfection. UGH! Chicken! I think I'm going to like it!

As people settled and plates filled, we settled into some nice conversations. There is lots of bike racing, camping, marathon training and general outdoor love going on for the group right now. And of course, we talked about food. Particularly oh the chicken was absolutely perfectly cooked. Even the white meat was flavorful and moist, for lack of a better word. you know what I dislike more that (most) chicken, the word moist. ANYWAYS, I have to give it up to Grandpa, good call on the chicken. It was the B-O-M-B. We also had the german potato salad, a green salad and baguette. Oh! As if the chicken needed any more flavor, Ted made barbecue sauce, too!

If you've ever had barbecue at a Bratrude house, you know that we are a bit specific when it comes to the all important barbecue sauce. No bottle of pre-made will do with this group. It's homemade or nothing. And we've all come to our own recipe from Grandma Corinne's basic recipe. On Wednesday, Ted added a hint of vanilla. Tasty!

Now, usually at this point there's a little time for clearing dinner and plating dessert, but when Jessie walked in with a beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie, we knew there would be no dilly dallying. Grandpa made sure we got pictures of the dessert before slicing in and you will be drooling as soon as I post those. Topped with a little vanilla ice cream, we were all convinced that a big piece was necessary. So good. So worth the uncomfortable expansion of my stomach.

We've got one more family dinner with Grandpa in the hood and I hear there's rumor of salmon. Now salmon is something that I get VERY excited about. But I have to eat my words because that was the best damn chicken I've ever had and now I know that I'd request it too.

Two bowls and a plate

The core of the inner circle

Spring has officially hit Seattle. When I arrived at the house, all was quiet so I made my way to the front deck. Grandpa and Ted were sitting outside, enjoying the weather! This is big news, people. We can start using the deck again!!!

It was a super small crowd this week, especially considering we had a pretty big one last week. We had happy hour on the deck - hooch limeade for me, white wine for Jessie - and then moved inside for dinner. Our little foursome was Grandpa, Ted, Jessie and me. We even ate in the kitchen nook, a first for family dinner. 

It was decided that this was the first dinner Charlie dog missed. She greeted Jessie by throwing up when she got home from work. Ted decided it was because Charlie was so excited for family dinner. Whatever the cause, Jessie made Charile some rice and left her and Mark - who is in the depths of thesis writing - home to rest and write, hopefully. Good luck Mark, the offer for editing still stands.

Dinner, of course, was delicious. We had super meaty split pea soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and a big, leafy salad. There was a lot of job talk this go-round, since I am in my first week and Seattle Children's. It's interesting the difference in mentality between generations about careers. Jessie and I are of the same thought that staying at a job for 20+ years is basically unrealistic. we both agree that to make any financial strides, staying put is not likely the best strategy. 

We also talked about being content with work vs settling. The latter part of the 20s is a really interesting time. There's been so much transition, but (hopefully) by now, we have a sense of what the future looks like. AHHH grown-up talk!!!!!!

We also talked a lot about transportation last night. There are some pretty serious commuter perks at my new gig and my commute now is a 25 minute walk!!! Sionara 3/4 bus! While you did provide great bar talk, I spent way too much time with you these last few years. We were talking about percentages of walk/bus/bike vs car commute and here's an interesting article about commuting in Seattle and Portland.

Here are a few interesting stats if you are too busy to click the link:

"in Seattle, about 21 percent of workers got to their jobs on transit from 2006 through 2010. But in Portland, the figure is just 12 percent...Portland has more bike commuters than Seattle—which comes as no surprise, given Portland’s robust biking infrastructure and flatter terrain. But Seattle has more walkers than Portland; on net, the two cities have nearly identical rates of muscle-powered commuting. Similarly, the two cities have very similar rates of carpooling. The only substantial commuting difference boils down to this: Seattle has more transit riders, and fewer drive-alone commuters, than Portland."

But seriously, you should just click the link, there are pretty graphs.

Family dinner wouldn't be complete without dessert and Jessie brought another great one. We still haven't had a duplicate after seven or eight months. Amazing! She made oatmeal cookie bars with lemon cream filling. Topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, it was tasty! We also sampled Ted's latest batches of kombucha and ginger liqueur. They were delectable. If you haven't tried kombucha before, it can be pretty bad, and I think Ted's latest recipe proves he has figured something out.

Johnnie joined The Core around 9pm, after a long training at work. Ted set her up with a beer and a bowl of soup and soon she was relaxing after a challenging day. It's nice to know that all it takes is a beverage, a little food and some family to make things better.

chick pics

 Four chickens brined for 20 hours, smoked for three.

 Steel can beer.

 Comes with an opener.

 First Tomato Marinade of the season.

 Dessert Thesis.

One of each and some ice cream.

Eddie is the ultimate hipster

Not only was he sporting Ray-bans and a flannel, but he brought a sixer of flat top, steel can Churchkey Pilsner to the party. Complete with it's own opener, the packaging is great and the beer tastes good! As Eddie cracked open a can, I learned about the different types of beer cans Ted and Eddie experienced back in the day. At the same time, Ted mixed me a Ginger Lemonade Hooch cocktail. I was double fisted within the first 10 minutes! They really know how to hook a girl up.

I got to spend an hour or so with the guys - Grandpa, Ted and Eddie - before anyone else showed up. They were kind enough to listen to me vent about the oddness that is being a short-timer. Tomorrow is my last day of work at the diabetes study before I move on to a brain research gig and this last week has been a challenging one for me. If you know me at all, you know that I hate wasting time and that's what the last few days feel like, but I guess that's how it goes. So, thanks guys for giving me cocktails and letting me bitch!

Ok, back to the good stuff. People trickled in around 6:30pm - Jessie, Mark and Charlie arrived first. Shortly thereafter Morgan and Chelsey made their way into the kitchen. Ted pulled FOUR brined and smoked chickens off the grill and side dishes made their way to the table. Nate, his girlfriend (Ahh! I'm spacing your name!!!!) and Moto had perfect timing, knocking on the door just as we were settling into our chairs.

So what started as a small foursome turned into a full table of finger-licking good chicken, tomato marinade, pasta salad, brown rice, wine, 10 people and two happy dogs. Jessie informed us that it is ok to eat chicken with your fingers, according to a friend of her's who has and extensive knowledge of etiquette. Not that anyone was concerned about breaking rules, but it's nice to know where we stand.

After dinner, Mark presented us with his Thesis: One of each cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream HAHAHHAHA Mark is finishing up his grad school thesis, so the slip of the tongue made everyone laugh. At least we know he is thinking about it! Jessie made the cookies - GF oatmeal peanut butter, some with chocolate, some without. Charlie did a test run of them last night, coming to Jessie with crumbs on her mouth and a guilty look that only a lab can make. We all agreed with Charlie that the cookies were great. Grandpa gave the thumbs up. 

Topics discussed included electric cars and motorcycles, craigslist, pinterest, travel and food, bike racing, segmented sleep, phone apps that monitor sleep patterns, horse racing and betting strategies, camping, Suncadia, The Brick (of course), Obama's support of gay marriage and Dan Savage's response, hooch, the Lake City Elks Lodge, Dog Fiction, and on and on. We were a chatty bunch. OOh! That reminds me! The term 'chatty Cathy' came up and Grandpa asked if anyone knew the origins. Let me google..."Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010." Well, now we know.

Isn't it incredible what we learn at Family Dinner? I feel smarter by the sip. I took a couple photos, will post them soon.

Three Wise Men

Matt's got a show up! Come see The Three Wise Men on Thursday 5/10 at The In on Capitol Hill.

https://www.facebook.com/events/344902242241165/

C.A.C.A Presents: The Daddy of Rock and Roll's Shoe Alone in a Letraset Tunnel; a group art exhibit featuring an original drawing by Wesley Willis, drawings by Hache Bellizzio, paintings by local Seattle artists Mike Force, Casey Doherty, and Natalia Czajkiewicz, sculpture by Malaki Stahl, and 3 large scale illustrations of the "3 wise-men" by Matthew Brennan.

Bonus Instillation by C.A.C.A.

Entertainment by: Chandly Burres

Music provided by: P.E.W.P.

Fiesta!

 More after the jump!

Bienvenido de vuelta - Welcome Back!

After a few weeks off, Family dinner started back up last night with a big crowd and a great meal. Since Ted & Johnnie spent the last couple weeks in Mexico and Jessie's birthday is on 5/5, the theme of the night was SEA-MEX (think tex mex, Seattle-style). The dining room table, and kid table, were decorated with new authentic mexican table cloths that made the night immediately festive.

First things first. The drink of the night was inspired by Johnnie's vacation drink - the mango margarita. While Ted perfected the recipe, we all enjoyed the taste of summer and the catch up conversations began. Turns out if you don't see this family for a few weeks, lots of stuff happens.

New jobs, vacation stories, summer plans and graduations were discussed. People have been busy and spring has been treating the family well. It feels as if we have come out of the clouds (pay no attention to the fact that it's currently grey and raining) and hit spring with new energy. Don't you just love when things start to fall in place!?!

We had a big crowd that included some first-timers. Kristy and Mike made their way over the pass to join us. They contributed Quincy asparagus (which we didn't get time to cook so I got some to take home, YES), a cooler of beer, a salad and chips & salsa. It's always exciting to have new blood at the table.

Courtney and Jordi also made it to their first family dinner and Jordi knew just how to win over the crowd. He made his way through the packed kitchen with a beautiful antipasti plate. He must be a good guy because rather than take the credit for the delicious appetizer, he let us know that his mom was responsible.

Aside from our newbies, we had the core: Ted, Johnnie, Grandpa Pres, Eddie, Jess, Mark, Charlie, Morgan, Chelsey and me. Matt was at dodgeball practice and couldn't make it, but it's ok because he's practicing for a big tourney taking place in LA in a couple weeks. I bet you didn't know you were friends with a National Top 10 Teams d-baller!?!

Ok, back to the SEA-MEX. Ted cooked us a great meal. We had a taco buffet that included brined and smoked dark meat chicken, smoked beef (sorry I didn't get a better description of this, but take my word for it - delicious), corn & flour tortillas, stewed beans, brown rice, avocado salad, green salad, corn chips and salsa and a bunch of different hot sauces.

As we settled around the two tables - we had 13 people, hence the kid table - we quickly realized these were going to be fork & knife tacos. Too much good stuff, tortilla blowout inevitable. Topics of conversation included the last weekend at Baker and the epic sledding hill built for the occasion, the Alaska cruise that's just around the corner, the info structure or lack thereof in Ethiopia, the jam-packed weekend Jenna has planned for her graduation, the phase out of calling people by nick names and the tricks of the trade for how to win at Emerald Downs.

Jessie topped the meal with two theme-inspired desserts. She made Flan and Peach Gelatina. Did I get that second one right? Either way, they were both tasty and the perfect sweet note to end on. 

I'm sure there were a lot of other very important topics discussed, funny things that happened and mysteries solved, but the combo of cocktails from last night and not yet having any coffee is preventing me from recalling anything more.

There are some things you don't realize you enjoy so much. For me, family dinner is one of them. Pictures to come.

Happy Friday!

People are filtering back into town this weekend so we will resume normal weekly dinners next week. Can't wait to see everyone. And rumor has it Courtney will be in town to join us next week!!!

MMMM More Oysters

Just what I need, another food blog to follow. At least this one is all about my favorite thing, OYSTERS.

Spring Break

For the next few Wednesdays, our people are busy with all sorts of adventures. If there are any posts in the next few weeks, they will be random and not the normal family dinner rundown.

In the meantime, get on Facebook and check out the Omak Stampede fan page. There are some AMAZING photos of the festivities over the years!

A Cheeky Good Time

Revenge of the (food) Nerds

Melanie told me yesterday morning that she was bringing carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, so I went to the gym and ran FAST before heading to Green Lake last night for family dinner. I'm not a huge dessert person, but carrot cake is my weakness. Love it. Totally worth the cherry red face I wore for the duration of the night.

As usual, Charlie dog greeted me at the kitchen door and lead me into the crowd standing around enjoying happy hour. It was a small gang this week - Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Mel, Morgan, Eddie and I - but we managed to have a great time. This should come as no surprise.

Ted made me a mango and hooch cocktail, garnished with a wedge of lime and it quenched my after-gym thirst perfectly. We had exciting family news this week - Courtney got into nursing school! I talked to her a few days ago and got the whole scoop so I could update Grandpa. He tried to break the news to me and I had to give him a hard time. She's my sister, of course I've heard the news already! And I got all the details so I could give him a good report.


My investigative journalism skills held true because I was able to give him more information than he had AND answer his questions. I even updated him on her new job. It's not often I know more than him, so I'm counting it as a win.

As Ted finished up the cooking, we migrated to the table. Dishes passed around the group and plates filled with green salad, Something Something Broccoli (that's Broccoli Diablo Au Gratin minus the Au Gratin), brown rice, baguette and Halibut TWO WAYS!!!!!!

We are at the beginning of halibut season and apparently Johnnie had to remind Ted that it was time for some tasty white fish. He was a little taken back that she had mentioned it first, seeing as 'that's the kind of shit he talks about'. We all had to laugh, because really, that's the kind of shit we all talk about.

As we dug into our plates, we were trying to identify one of the characters in the salad. Was it a water chestnut? No! And in unison, Morgan and I named the mystery veg - heart of palm!  Another round of laughs for the fact that we are indeed food nerds.

And now to give the star some attention. We had halibut fillet sauteed in lots of garlic and butter and finished in the oven. We also had halibut cheeks in a buttery sauce that I did not get all the components of because I was too busy enjoying the end result. After gladly taking the last cheek, I decided it was my preferred piece of the halibut. It had a completely different texture and flavor from the fillet. But honestly, I'm splitting hairs here. Both ways were delicious.

Turns out Johnnie's dad was quite the fisherman and she told us about the parties her folks would throw when he brought home a big catch. Can you imagine thinking of halibut or troll-caught salmon as a poor person meal? With all the emphasis we now put on the protein we eat and the money we pay for it, it's crazy to think of these catches being the undesirable/cheap option for feeding the neighborhood.

As we cleaned our plates and cleared the table, Melanie brought forth her entry into the dessert category. Our normal dessert maker is in Spain right now and Mel was brave enough to step in and make sure we all got something sweet to finish the meal. Like she had told me, she made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and they were the bomb. I'm not the only one who ate more than one. Totally worth being that girl at the gym huffing and puffing to finish out the night with a great dessert. Thank you Mel for taking the dessert maker title this week.

Over the course of the evening there was lots of talk about lots of things. Boyfriends, bike rides, family, food, comicon, Tacoma, more food, restaurants, hiking season, allergies, Thanksgiving, turkey, work, vacation and the different ways in which people travel. Big parties on Wednesday nights are fun, but there is something special about a smaller group. Last night was a testament to being able to hear everyone sitting around the table.

PS: I took pics. I will upload them tonight. This will be standard protocol.

The Our Family is Very High-Mantenance Dessert

Some of us are trying to fix GI problems, other have allergies and one just wants to take the gold at sporting events. But whatever the reason some one in our dinner group is always cutting something out of their diet. This week, I made an effort to accommodate everyone's needs and fit in with the Thanksgiving theme. Here is what I came up with.

The Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Marbled Pumpkin Cheez Cake

Crust:

1 Bag gluten free ginger snaps, crushed finely (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

About 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp melted Earth Balance spread

Filling:

2 8 oz containers of Toffuti spread, softened

3/4 cup raw sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 15 oz can organic pumpkin

1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed ginger snaps, applesauce, melted earth balance and ginger. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch pan. Bake the crust 10 minutes the in preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the softened Tofutti, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Mix eggs in one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Into the remaining mixture, blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and apple cider vinegar.

3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven to set the fill. Cool and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.   

(This post is brought to you by Jessie, I just had to play with some formatting, so give her all the delicious credit)

Enjoy! We sure did.

This is Walker. He is 2.5 years old and loves to play outside. He also really likes salad and ice cream.

This is the turkey. It was brined for a day and smoked for 6 hours.

This is Ted doing his thing. Some people are intimidated by carving a bird. Not Ted.

This is where it all goes down. I wonder how many calories have crossed this table?

This is my plate. Oh! I forgot to mention the German Potato Salad in the post! One of my favorites! Take note of the nice pink smoke ring on the turkey. It was so tasty.

This is mid-meal. I wonder what Ted and Grandpa were discussing?

Springtime Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a serious deal in our family. A couple weeks ago we figured out that half-Thanksgiving is on 5/22/2012 and decided we should do a turkey feast to celebrate. Back in January Ted did a smoked turkey and people fell in love. But in talking about tradition, Ted hasn't seemed ready to switch things up in November and trade the oven method for the smoker method when it comes to the bird.

It was decided that at half-Thanksgiving we could do the smoked version and at Thanksgiving we (and by we I mean Ted, our excellent cook) would keep with the also-delicious oven action. Awesome! Thanksgiving twice a year!!!

So when the head-count email came around on Monday and stated that Mark would be in town and a smoked turkey was on the menu, I was overtaken by the sense that I am a lucky, lucky lady. Thanksgiving three times a year!!!

Turns out in addition to Mark, who has been at school in Eugene and only been able to make a couple family dinners, we also had Steve and Walker join us for their first Wednesday night feast. Walker is about the cutest two-and-a-half-year-old around. When I showed up he was rocking corduroy Toms and a couple strands of golden mardi gras beads he found somewhere in Ted and Johnnie's house earlier that day.

Ted and Grandpa were on kid duty all afternoon and it sounded like they had quite the time throwing rocks into Green Lake, chasing ducks and doing other dude things. Walker knows how to work a room and added a fun vibe to the evening's affairs.

In addition to cooking, Ted was also making drinks and there were lots of options on the table. I started with a classic Rapture Hooch Gimlet and followed that with my new favorite drink, the Ginger Hooch Lemon Drop. YUM.

As Ted sliced up the turkey he had brined for a day and smoked for six hours, we took everything else to the table and got situated. Chairs were filled by Grandpa, Mark, Jessie, Steve, Walker, Eddie, Ted and me. Plates were filled by smoked turkey (lots of dark meat in my case), sauteed cabbage in butter, brown rice, baguette and green salad.

Everything was delicious! And the glass (or two) of robust red wine didn't hurt, either. Eddie and I got into a good conversation about traveling in Arizona with the intention of seeing the wildflowers in bloom. I think we are all in desperate need of spring weather right now. 80 degrees in Chicago yesterday? Something strange is going on...

Jessie made us another great dessert that she was a little apprehensive about. We've got some dietary restrictions in the bunch - gluten, dairy - and she accommodated until we put a scoop of ice cream on top. She made us a restriction-friendly pumpkin cheesecake! It looked beautiful and tasted really good, even though it was made with tofu and no cream cheese. I think she could have sold it as regular cheesecake and gotten away with it. No one was complaining; we were too busy licking our plates.

And the surprise of the night? I remembered my camera! But I haven't uploaded pics yet, so you are just going to have to wait to see the mouth-watering, golden-brown smoked turkey until tonight when I have a chance to post them!

And now I'm going to eat some leftovers.

All the answers to this week's burning questions

Here's what we learned this week:

 

corned beef and cabbage.

Question,  Why is it called corned beef?

Hint, it has to do with the salt.

 Answer: because the meat is preserved with salt "corns"

who's wearing green?

Answer: Ted, Morgan and Chelsey were the only ones that pulled through, all by wearing green scarves

 

Will there be guinness?

Answer: Yes, it appeared in the form of Black&Tans

 

There will not be Irish Whiskey.

Fact (but of course there is always hooch)

 

What do the Irish have for dessert?

Answer: The only one of the group who has actually been to Ireland (Morgan) states that the Irish have potatoes for dessert, well the women anyway, the men just drink more

I however stuck with a classic, although probably all-American, sugar cookie in the shape of a shamrock with green butter cream frosting.

These and many other topics may be discussed.

True. Other topics included bike racing, car troubles, what makes the corned beef meet so red, and probably more but someone who drank less will need to chime in on that.

 

who's in?

Answer: the attendees were Grandpa, Jason, Melanie, Morgan, Chels, Ted, Johnnie, Jess and Char

Flaming Bananas Foster

This post is a little delayed, but you know what they say...better late than never! A few weekends ago Jason and I stopped by the house to snag Famous for dinner. We went to one of Pres's favorite spots, The Greenlake Bar & Grill, for some dinner and dessert. Back at the house Ted and Johnnie entertained us with stories from their Valentine's day party and pretty soon Ted was pulling out the hooch for a special Flaming Bananas Foster night cap.

Jason caught it all on video (sorry it's sideways) -  my favorite part is the background commentary "Holy Mackerel!". Enjoy.

Have you had something stolen?

Get it back! Operation Oliver Twist came up at dinner last night. Check out the catalog of stolen goods and see if your stuff is waiting for you.

From the SPD:

"In an effort to combat rising property crime in Seattle, members of the Seattle Police Department’s Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) and Pawn Shop/Property Recovery Unit rounded up burglars, car prowlers, and other criminal suspects caught selling stolen goods to undercover detectives at an SPD-run fencing operation during a year-long investigation, Operation Oliver’s Twist...Victims should call 206-733-9616 to talk to a detective or to leave a message for a detective to return their call. Callers must have a police case number with them at the time they phone detectives. Please note that the items posted are the only items that were recovered during the operation and there is no other property to view. The Flickr address is www.flickr.com/photos/seattlepolice/sets/72157629133932896 "

Post Meal Yoga

Anyone feeling a little stuffed post Luau?



I'm in the purple! Do Not Attempt if you have consumed flaming Mai Tais recently!


A request to post the picture from the add I was in inspired me to contribute some yoga poses that would improve digestion. So here are my suggestions:

5 yoga poses to improve digestion

1. Seated Heart Opener
- Creates space in your stuffed torso
2. Seated Spinal Twist
-Gives your organs a quick squish which can help jump start sluggish digestion, also relieves low back tension if you sat at the dining table too long
3. Knees to Chest Pose
-Relieves bloating and gas pain (maybe wait until you are alone to do this one)
4. Prayer Squat with a Twist
-Stimulates intestines and opens hips
5. Child's Pose
-relaxing pose that keep the digestive juices flowing

I'm the 3rd one back



Well I was at the first one

What's the first thing you do when you wake up on Saturday morning? I know I'm not alone in grabbing my phone, checking the time/gmail/facebook and then turning over to try and get a few more it's the weekend and I can sleep in moments before cursing my internal clock and making my way to the shower to start the day (man, I feel old).

But when I got an email stating "The gentleman in the picture below has offered to make flaming Hooch Mai tais and Kahlua pulled pork sandwiches on Wednesday. Who's in?" all bets for a little more sleep were off. The laughter and excitement took over and my day had begun.

Turns out Ted's birthday was Tuesday so family dinner this week had the requisite tropical theme. As always, it was awesome. As Matt and I pulled up to the house, I could see Grandpa sitting in the nook but something was off. Walking in the door, Charlie dog greeted us and I soon figured out what was different. The lights in the kitchen were down because of the flickering blue flames making their way around the room!

A round of hugs for all lead me to the Birthday Guy, who promptly handed me a flaming hooch mai tai - slice of fresh pineapple expertly placed on the rim of the glass. Hawaii in Green Lake woo hoo!!! Seth and Lisa were the wild cards of the night, with the rest of the usual crowd - Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Morgan, Chelsey, Jessie, Eddie, Charlie dog, Matt and I - in attendance. 

As the food and wine made it's way to the table, so did the people and pretty soon we all had full plates and glasses in front of us. "I'm kind of drunk!" came from one end of the table and lead to a round of cheers for another great evening. Flaming Hooch Mai Tais are fabulous.

The menu for the night was Kahlua pulled pork sandwiches, green salad and spaghetti squash with a heavy emphasis on the pork. Ted and Grandpa got 10 pounds of pork shoulder for the meal. Did you know that pork shoulder is actually pork butt and it is called pork shoulder because pigs use their shoulders to 'butt' into things? You can thank Seth for that tidbit. Some day you will totally win bar trivia night with that.

So Ted brined the pork for 18 hours and then smoked it for 6. And the real labor of love came in the pulling, which took him 45 minutes to complete. IT WAS SO GOOD. The Kahlua barbecue sauce was sweet and hot and the perfect complement to the smoked meat. Are you dying for a picture yet? I forgot my camera again!!!!! And I even said it out loud so as not to forget...

Lucky for you, Seth pulled out his phone and got the shot. Let the mouthwatering begin.

There were lots of conversations going on over these delicious plates. Jessie got famous last week as the poster girl in an ad campaign for a yoga studio. Post the pic please, Jess!!! Eddie is a connoisseur of silent films, who knew? Everyone who has seen The Artist has liked it. Why did the Oscars decide to have 10 nominees for Best Picture? We could only name 5 in the running and there are some movie-goers in the crowd. 

As we moved into sweets mode, the table was cleared. Empty plates were replaced with a bunch of bottles of different liquors, liqueurs, brandies and ports and little glasses for those who opted to imbibe. Next, dessert plates made their way around the table. Jessie made pineapple upside down cake and Lisa made plum crisp. Each plate carried a slice of both with a healthy dollop (thanks Kate for that Midwest jargon) of homemade whipped cream. 

I wish I had a picture of this round for you, but we were all too thoroughly involved in what was on the table to even mention taking a photo. You're just going to have to take my word for it, it was all delicious. 

Grandpa insisted on a round of Happy Birthday and afterwards I asked how long he and Ted thought it had been since they had celebrated Ted's birthday together. They both paused for a minute and Grandpa finally responded, "Well, I was at the first one!"