#38: Prepare a four course meal for friends and/or family (Thanksgiving in March 2012)

I don't know about you, but nothing says "March" to me better than a good, old fashioned turkey dinner!  Am I right or am I right???  Okay, that may not be entirely accurate, but given the fact that Shannon and I had a turkey that had been sitting in my freezer since November, a Saturday in March seemed like just a time as any to make a delicious meal.  

We extended an invitation my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law to join us in our yummy feast.  We also invited Brett and Jake, but they were unfortunately unable to attend.  For our part, Shannon and I assembled the following delicious items:

• Turkey (We roasted it for approximately 5 hours in an electric roaster provided by my mom - seasoned salt, pepper, and butter inside and outside, and under the skin.  We also added thyme and rosemary to the mix.)
• Gravy (I used a basic gravy using the leftover juices/fat from the turkey, butter, and cornstarch.)
• Caramelized Onion and Cornbread Stuffing - Tyler Florence/Food Network
• Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberry - The Pioneer Woman
• Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Alton Brown/Food Network
• Cranberry Sauce (We opened a can using a can opener and dumped it in a bowl.  Serious skills, I'm telling ya!)
• Caramel Apple Crumb Pie - Frieda Loves Bread

Tom and Kate and my parents provided the following additions:

• Edamame Salad
• Sweet Potatoes
• Broccoli Salad
• Key Lime Pie
• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Oh, what a feast it was!  Honestly, everything was absolutely delicious.  My main concern was that the turkey was going to be either overcooked or undercooked - luckily it was just right!  I think cooking it in the roaster did not allow the skin to get extra crispy and brown, but otherwise, it tasted really yummy. 

YUM!

I definitely felt the pressure of trying to time everything out perfectly so that we could eat once everyone arrived.  I think I would have struggled a bit with this task if my mom hadn't allowed me to use the electric roaster.  With the exception of waiting a bit too long to mash the potatoes (we recruited my dad for that task), all of the components were timed really well.  I was quite proud of myself and Shannon!  :)

Some of everything - of course!

Now, even if you aren't the biggest dessert fan, I urge all of you to make the caramel apple crumb pie like we did.  This pie - was - to - DIE - for!!!!  Mmmmm....the combination of crumb topping and homemade caramel sauce was unbelievable.  As I type this, I am thinking about this pie and wishing I had a big slice in front of me!  Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed!  In the spirit of full disclosure, I did NOT make my own crust.  Shannon and I had planned to give it a go, but after looking at the recipe we ended up hopping in the car and making an extra trip to the grocery store for a premade crust.  More power to you if you decide to make your own!

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

This meal was a great success - and it was wonderful to share it with my amazing family.  We ended our evening testing out our skills (or lack thereof) at Rockband on the Wii - talk about hilarious!  Now that I feel confident in doing so, I plan to prepare lots of meals like this in the future - as long as I have great people to share them with!

#98: Participate in a protest

On Tuesday, March 13 I made the decision to walk the couple of blocks from my apartment over to the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to add another body to the room where the PA House Committee meeting was taking place.  The reason I chose to be there was because of a bill that was introduced by the Chairman of the PA House Committee, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe.  House Bill 1434 would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman and outlaw any other legal union that is treated as a marriage or the substantial equivalent (i.e. civil unions and domestic partnerships).  

Just a few points to consider:

• HB 1434 would not create a single job
• It would cost taxpayers an estimated $600,000-$1,000,000 to advertise this amendment to voters should it pass the General Assembly
• Same sex marriage is already illegal in Pennsylvania:  a constitutional amendment does nothing more to that status and is unnecessary and mean-spirited.
• Passage of this legislation will forcefully terminate benefits currently provided to thousands of employees in municipalities or state owned schools or facilities that offer domestic partnership benefits
• Support for this type of hurtful legislation is waning nationwide and in Pennsylvania.  The last time a constitutional amendment was introduced in the House of the General Assembly in 2006, there were 87 co-sponsors.  HB 1434 was introduced with only 35 cosponsors.
• Pennsylvanians AREN’T calling for this amendment.  Not one legitimate poll exists showing Pennsylvanians in favor of this amendment.

Once I arrived at the Capitol Rotunda, we were addressed briefly by Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality Pennsylvania and Andy Hoover, lobbyist for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.  They informed us that it was possible that HB 1434 might not come up for a vote at the meeting we were about to attend, but that it was still important that we all be there to silently show our disapproval of the bill. 

The meeting began at 9am.  What happened next is being messaged to many as a "victory" for marriage equality.  I would say that, yes, it was a "victory" in the sense that HB 1434 did not pass - but that's only because it wasn't brought to a vote.  Instead, after 20 minutes of discussion, Rep. Metcalfe deemed that there was not enough time to talk about HB 1434 and that it would be tabled until a later date.  I found this article by John L. Micek - I am going to post it here for all of you to read because I honestly could not have said it better myself:  

http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2012/03/things-government-does-house-committee-puts-off-gay-marriage-amendment-but-does-other-stuff-instead.html

#16: Ask five people for their favorite books and read each one (Brett)

I'll be honest, I'm sure that Brett would not necessarily categorize this as his favorite book, but I'm counting it since it did come HIGHLY recommended by him.  Plus he read it in warp speed - which is saying a lot for someone who is a self-admitted slower and intentional reader.  With my best's recommendation, I decided to figure out what the fuss was about with "The Hunger Games."  And, of course, as with any series - I couldn't stop after the first book and read all three. 

Since I don't want to spoil the books for anyone, I won't go into detail about the content.  I will say that the first book blew the other two out of the water in my opinion - which was frustrating, since I really wanted all of them to live up to the first one.  Also, generally speaking, the writing quality was not exactly stellar.  I suppose people might argue that it is a series written for young people, so I shouldn't be too critical.  But in my mind, that is exactly why I SHOULD be critical.  Argh.  I will give Suzanne Collins, the author, some credit though - since I read all three of the books in record speed, determined to find out the story of Katniss Everdeen and friends. 

Also, I can't lie about the fact that I will definitely be in line to see the movies when they come out as well! 

#19: Cook 5 new-to-me dinner recipes (recipe 5)

So, I am going to fully admit that I am cheating a bit with this recipe - but since it was new and absolutely delicious, I have rationalized it "counting."  This can't technically be considered a FULL "dinner recipe", but one of the components was new to me....so there! 

On Sunday night, Shannon and I decided to prepare one of our "go to" recipes - spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and marinara sauce.  We like to cook up an entire squash and a bunch of meatballs, so that we are guaranteed dinner for both of us for at least two nights during the work week.  When we have done this before, we have paired the squash and meatballs with a jarred tomato sauce.  Prior to our grocery store trip this past weekend, however, we decided to tackle making our own basic marinara sauce. 

I found a recipe online and after realizing how easy it was going to be to prepare a homemade sauce, I knew we absolutely had to give it a try.  The recipe called for olive oil, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, basil, sugar, salt and pepper!  Shannon and I improvised a bit and also sauteed a little chopped onion and mushrooms with the onion and garlic cloves.  The two items were a wonderful addition.  I think the recipe lends itself to addition of whatever you might be in the mood for - whether it be ground beef, zucchini, cheese, peppers, whatever! 

I ate my first serving of the homemade sauce with the spaghetti squash and the turkey meatballs and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.  There is no doubt in my mind that I will make this sauce again and again due to its ease of preparation, the low cost of the ingredients, and the fact that it's free of artificial flavors and additives. 

DELISH!

#35: Visit 5 restaurants I've never been to in my hometown/surrounding area (breads 'n spreads)

Although I have been living in downtown Harrisburg since 2008, there are still a number of restaurants I have yet to visit - especially many of the ones that have been popping up in the midtown area.  This past Friday I had a meeting at the relatively new location of our local community college (HACC) with members of a campus activities consortium I am part of in the Central PA area.  We broke for lunch and headed over to a restaurant that I have been wanting to try for a while called breads 'n spreads. 

The woman who greeted our large party when we came in (I believe she is the owner) could not have been nicer!  She was ready and willing to answer any of our questions and was quick to run down the list of yummy sounding specials, including a Greek style tzatziki turkey wrap.  It sounded so tempting and I promptly ordered it for my lunch.    The sandwich did not disappoint and neither did the unexpected pasta salad that came on the side. 

After my positive experience on Friday, I took Shannon back on Sunday for brunch.  We both had egg sandwiches, which were quite tasty - although not overwhelmingly special.  They were served with roasted potatoes with feta cheese.  The potatoes were good, but a little oily for our taste - although, that didn't stop us both from finishing all of it! 

I'll definitely be back at breads 'n spreads - even if it's just for the nice walk from my apartment and a cup of coffee. 

#54: Try 5 "classic" cocktails I have never tasted (Sidecar)

I spent the last weekend in January in one of my favorite cities, Philadelphia, celebrating the engagement of my best friend, Brett.  Yes, while at the lovely (so I have heard) Shorecrest Bed & Breakfast, my BFF was proposed to by his wonderful partner, Jake.  They are absolutely wonderful for each other and I am beyond thrilled to see Brett so happy.  

Jake and Brett :)

After a delicious dinner at Alma de Cuba, we headed over to the engagement soiree over at The Twisted Tail.  After greeting both Brett and Jake with congratulatory hugs, it was time to get a drink!  Brett quickly reminded me of his suggestion of trying a sidecar - a beverage I have never actually tried but have heard good things about.  A sidecar is traditionally made with cognac, an orange liqueur (like Cointreau), and lemon juice.  Mine also had a yummy sugar rim!  I found the drink to be REALLY delicious - sweet but not TOO sweet for me (I'm usually the girl who orders dirty martinis and vodka clubs, so I'm definitely not a fan of anything overly candied).  

Sidecar

The night continued with some delicious beers and wonderful conversation and company.  Cheers to Brett and Jake - I love you both so much!  Yes, this entry is short - partially because a blog entry just would not do justice to the love and strong friendship (10 years and counting) I have with Brett.  With that, here's a video that always reminds me of my best... :) 

"...you're ready, let's go anywhere.  get the car packed and throw me the key, run away with me..."

#30: Try 5 new foods (purple Brussels sprouts)

The night of the big sub-2 hour half marathon extravaganza, my mom had made reservations for us to eat at California Grill.  The restaurant sits atop The Contemporary Resort (where we were staying) and provides a scenic overview of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon.  My mom, dad and I ate at the restaurant two years ago when we came for the half marathon and, in addition to salads and entrees, forced ourselves to order a cheese plate, desserts, and after dinner drinks to make sure that we were able to hold our table to see the beautiful fireworks display at 9pm.  It turns out we had a pretty nice view of the fireworks from our hotel balcony, so we didn't feel the need to stretch our dinner out so dramatically this year.

This year, I ordered cast iron-seared bison with truffle mac & cheese, brussels sprouts, cipollini, smoked bacon, and glace de viande.  Evidently glace de viande is French for "meat glaze" - makes sense...yet I still had to look it up, not gonna lie...  When my entree came out, I was excited to see that the brussel sprouts were PURPLE and, therefore, a food that I have never tried - or at least that I don't RECALL trying.  Purple brussels sprouts are available during the winter months and were originally developed by breeding a red cabbage variety with a green brussels sprouts variety.

I can't say I noticed any difference in taste between the purple variety and the green I am used to - but I LOVE brussels sprouts, so I was one happy little marathoner!