Category — Linda

Although I didn’t feel like making dinner on Monday, I ran into Trader Joe’s with only, “Make pasta for dinner.” on my brain. I was instantly inspired by the sight of a bag of sliced crimini mushrooms. From there the recipe developed in my head as I put heirloom tomatoes, arugula, two linguini flavors, and Fontina cheese in my cart.

But I have to admit that I find it immensely difficult to make dinner on the nights leading up to big holidays. All my focus and attention are currently pinpointed on Christmas Eve Mass and dinner. Next, on Christmas day breakfast, gift opening, and dinner. All that makes it feel nearly impossible to care about the “now’.  I am well aware that that is not the way to live life, but making the holidays special is just what I, and most of you, do.

So, for you – and for me, I post a little poem and this pasta recipe, both of which I created just for the holiday hustle and bustle. I’m far too frazzled and scatterbrained to finish the last 10 stanzas. Here is a LINK to the original poem, please feel free to add some stanzas of your own. And if no one steps forward, maybe I shall get back to it later!

“Twas the Monday before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was focused, not even the mouse.
The “to-do” lists were sitting on the counter with a nasty glare
In my hopes that someone else would please do them with care.

The husband and children were kicked back in their Keds
While visions of the perfect Christmas danced in their heads.
And mama in her panic, bustling here and there in a flap
Wondering how everything would happen without a single nap!

When out in the kitchen there arose such a bang and a clatter,
Mama continued getting dinner on the table as if nothing else mattered.
Away to the shops and markets, she went in such a dash.
Doing her best to get it all done in time for each camera flash.

The family was ever confident as they watched her go, go, go,
That this Christmas, like all the rest, would be everything and mo’
When what to all wondering eyes should appear,
But another “perfect” Christmas- full of joy, love, and cheer!”  

– Linda Hopkins

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Did you know that 23 is a prime number, meaning that it is a natural number that has exactly two distinct natural number divisors: 1 and itself?  

There are 25 prime numbers between 1 and 100. They are: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89 and 97. And strangely enough, the current ages of three out of the four people in our family are prime – weird! Dave is 53, Connor is 19, and… TODAY, Marissa is 23!

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Picture by Marissa, read the info at the bottom of the post!

Not that kind of housekeeping! I’m not Martha Stewart, I don’t give a darn how you fold your sheets and I certainly hope you do NOT iron them! No, I’m talking about some minor “blog housekeeping” – Firstly, thank you to each and every one of you who have already commented in the last 24 hours, trying to help me reach my goal of 1027 comments by December 31, 2010. We are already up to 994 – fabulous! And somehow, by some wonderful miracle, the comments actually outweighed the blog spam today!

Secondly, for those of you who may have missed it or who live out of the Phoenix area, here is THE LINK to the S’Mores Party clip from yesterday’s Valley Dish. Great fun, too bad we were missing Connor, although I’m sure he was staying warm up in beautiful Flagstaff that Friday night. OK, housekeeping finished – on to today’s recipe.

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Everyone should set goals for themselves. Most people do so at the beginning of a new year. Today I am setting a goal for my blog. It is a short-term goal that is to be accomplished by the end of this year, and I need YOUR help to achieve it!

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“He who can give thanks for little will always find he has enough”~ Unknown

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Turkey-Day is only 2 days away!!! Complete Thanksgiving Planning Guide and Timeline. Better get there now!

I’ve known this fact for about a year now, bloggers are very nice and supportive people! Look at this sweet post from a fellow blogger and often, nice comment sender, Audrey Larsen, of The Audrey Files. She is my new BFF – so sorry Jen and Peggy and Anne!

Wanna know something that makes my day (in addition to having a new BFF)? Finding a cool new item at Trader Joe’s, that’s what! While standing in the dried fruit/nut aisle I was scanning for dried cranberries. Not that I really need another bag, I’m guessing that I have at least a half dozen partial bags of dried cranberries tucked behind various other partial bags of nuts and fruits and chocolates in one of my two extra freezers, but I am too busy/lazy to dig for one. That is really a whole other story and could be a post on its own! Anyhow, as I stood there scanning, I saw, the new item – dried pomegranate seeds.

Awesome! I was so excited to try them, I had to control the urge to open the package right there and then. The very second I was in the car, I ripped into it. They are tasty, and according to the package they are a “good source of fiber” too. There you go, run out and snag a couple of bags so that it becomes such a popular item, there is no way TJ’s would even consider discontinuing them. Even though I am enjoying eating them straight from the bag, I decided to create a Thanksgiving recipe using them and share it with you… hey, it’s just how I roll.

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Turkey-Day is only 5 days away!!! Complete Thanksgiving Planning Guide and Timeline.

OH MY GOODNESS!  I stumbled upon the easiest (we’re talking 4 ingredients – two of which are olive oil and S&P), most decadent, most delicious, most wonderful, richest, and probably one of the most fattening roasted chicken recipes – purely by necessity and accident. You see, I had a 3-pack (from Costco, of course) of Boursin cheese in my fridge. The entire thing was unopened and the expiration date was a few days ago… why the heck did I buy it? I don’t remember, all I can think is that I must have read the date wrong and intended to use it during the holidays. Boursin is too good and too pricey to waste, so I needed a way to use most, if not all, of it up – NOW!  I went to FoodNetwork.com and searched “Boursin” and this recipe, from the adorable Emeril Lagasse, was the first one I saw – plus it uses 2 packages – Perfect!

I had the pleasure of working with Emeril in 2001 when I was the producer of the Culinary Concert for the International Association of Culinary Professionals and he was one of the Star Chefs.

When I say he is adorable, I mean it! He is one of the nicest, most genuine, sincere, warm, and sweetest guys around. Emeril dear, my taste buds and I thank you for this recipe, but my waistline and cholesterol levels curse you!

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The Ice Cream Sundae Bar – a superstar at summertime picnics, BBQs, cookouts, kid’s parties, and even fancy adult parties and weddings. But in the dark and cold of a fall or winter night, not so appealing anymore. Yet having a banquet of options and choices for a “make-your-own” dessert is so much fun, that there should be such a thing for those chilly evenings too. There is! It’s called a S’Mores Bar and it is just as fabulous and festive as those ice cream sundaes, about as messy too.

Here are photos and a menu with various concoctions to get you started. And if you really want to go “all-out” be sure and mix up a batch or two of the homemade chocolate and/or raspberry marshmallows in yesterday’s post to make it extra special.  Have Fun!

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This past weekend, we were traveling yet again, this time to Illinois for our niece’s wedding. This particular niece, Katie Hopkins, who is Dave’s brother’s daughter, just so happened to be our flower girl, 25 years ago, at our wedding. She made an even more beautiful bride than she did an adorable flower girl – hard to imagine!

Thankfully, my jet-setting days are over, done with, and finished, for the rest of 2010. It is exceedingly difficult to put up new blog posts about cooking when one is spending countless hours in airports, having items confiscated by the TSA, and visiting faraway lands all the time! Maybe Canada and Illinois aren’t exactly exotic, but travel is not only exhausting – it is expensive and hazardous to your health! Expensive not only because of ticket prices but also paying for bags (which was necessary on the week-long Canada trip – luckily not so on the Chicago weekender) and having to replace those confiscated nail scissors and hairspray -oops! Unhealthy because I (and only I) had to go through the x-ray body scanner, 3 out of the 4 trips through security, these last couple of weeks. That just can’t be good for you. Even at the dentist, one is shielded from the harmful rays – but not at the airport – “Here is a tasty plate of cancer, cooked up, especially for you, Bon Appetit,” is what I imagine the TSA is saying to me!

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One of the many things I love about Europe, and now Quebec, are the adorable store signs. The one above wasn’t one of those, but I just couldn’t pass it up. It was painted on the side of a building in Montreal and I think it is the cleverest thing. I have saved the best for last, be certain to scroll to the end… enjoy!

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