52 Recipes in 25

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As we enter the inevitable hellscape of 2025, I am trying to think of things that I can do to keep my mind occupied. Last night I had this idea for the blog to try a new recipe every week — 52 in 25 — and post about it. I’ve been in a cooking rut, so this would hopefully inspired me to crack open my cookbooks and also go through all of my Pinterest boards. I’m pretty excited about it!

Here are some contenders:

One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Caramelized Lemon (NY Times Cooking)

Green Salad with Sour Cream & Onion Dressing (NY Times Cooking)

Nantucket Cranberry Tart ( A Family Feast)

Cannellini Beans Piccata (Umami Girl)

Pepperoncini Chicken (Tipsy Housewife)

Malagasy Coconut Lentils (Food & Wine)

Tiramisu Overnight Oats (Eating Well)

… I’m sure I’ll have no problem finding a new recipe to try every week!

 

Wintery weather

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red barn, staatsburg ny

The weather sure has changed around here. Dare I say it actually feels right for this time of year? Yesterday afternoon we were hit with a bit of snow and when I picked up Jake from his job at a local farm I just had to take this photo. There are a million reasons I feel lucky to live in New York, and the beauty of the Hudson Valley is definitely right at the top.

Hello December

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Well, here we are… December 2nd. I guess it’s officially Christmas season now. We had a nice, though busy, Thanksgiving weekend over here. Thanksgiving Day my MIL came up for dinner. Saturday was my parent’s 50th anniversary, so we drove up to Western Mass. and met them and my brother’s family at this wonderful German restaurant Munich Haus for a celebratory lunch. It was super fun catching up with everyone and because we were at a restaurant I think everyone could actually relax — no stressing about how clean the house is or cooking for 11 people. 

After that Drew headed out to our condo on the Cape (since he was just about halfway there already) so he could work on a few projects and go to the cable store today to get our service set up. Yesterday was back to college for Mr. Music, so most of my afternoon was spend on the highways of New York and Connecticut. And now it’s back to work.

I was able to get just about all my Christmas shopping done this weekend, and while all the kids were home I got a photo for cards, too. I’ll try to get those mailed out next week. This year I definitely feel like everything is just an item to be checked off a list. Actually, a lot of people I know feel similar. Not sure if it’s because Thanksgiving was so late this year or what, but I know for sure I’m not alone. 

Nevertheless, I do have a lot of holiday activities coming up:

  • my daughter’s winter band concert
  • the town tree & menorah lighting
  • baking 4 dozen (!) anise cookies for the Friends of the Library cookie sale
  • gingerbread house program and cookie sale at work
  • staff appreciation lunch

Tomorrow Jake has an interview for a job he really wants so I am crossing my fingers and toes. It’s at a hospital in NYC, which is perfect. Close enough to hop on a train to visit, but far enough for him to be on his own. Public transportation. And it would be great work experience in his field before applying to grad school. His goal is to be a credentialed LCSW (licensed clinical social worker), and CUNY Hunter has a great program so any positive vibes are appreciated.

I have some crochet projects on deck, so I am looking forward to starting those. I’m also trying to find some lighter books to read this month, to try to get my mind off, well… everything. I’m almost done with Exit West, which is for my Global Lit book club. After that I am putting aside all of my history and political non-fiction until next year. So, I downloaded The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore for my Kindle. I figure it is probably cutesy and won’t take a lot of brain power to read. Plus it sounds like the main character has my attitude problem, LOL! Lesser Ruins by Mark Haber also just came in for me as a hold, so hopefully those will keep me occupied.

Well, I guess that is about it. On to another busy week!

Advice for those holiday dinners

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One of my favorite quotes is “Silence is the best reply to a fool.” It is attributed to Imam Ali. I’ll see if I can take this advice to heart over the next few days. Godspeed to those of you who have to deal with, shall we say difficult relatives. And if you feel like you really can’t stay quiet, well… Sadly, facts are unlikely to sway them so maybe just double-down on their ridiculous claims and say something even more insane just to mess with them! This reel from Dan Donohue explains it better than I can.

Thanksgiving Menu 2024

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As I mentioned in my last post, I bought my turkey last weekend and today I remembered to take it out of the freezer to thaw. (It’s the little victories, right?) I enjoy cooking Thanksgiving dinner and truly, I do not find it to be a big deal. Cooking a turkey is just like roasting a big chicken, right? My mom often made turkey when I was a kid — not just at Thanksgiving — so I guess it just never seemed like a big thing to me. We have a small group — just 6 of us — so I suppose that certainly helps!

Here’s what I’m planning on making (and prices if the item was purchased and not in my pantry already):

Turkey

  • Stuffed celery (celery will purchase fresh, olives I have, block of Philly cream cheese $1.99)
  • Cranberry brie bites (need to purchase brie & crescent roll dough)
  • Roast turkey (11.5 lb bird — $5.52. Tops Market always does a great sale for Thanksgiving and frozen turkeys were .48/lb with any purchase of $25)
  • Crab cakes (we have a pescatarian in the family — will buy these fresh next week, planning on 8 @ 1.25 each)
  • Gravy
  • Mashed potatoes (bought a 5-lb bag for $2.50; 1-lb butter for 3.99)
  • Stuffing (mother-in-law brings this)
  • Cranberry sauce (.99/can)
  • Brussels sprouts ($1.99/lb) & Butternut squash ($3.87/3-lb squash) with cranberries (.99/12-oz bag), pecans, and maple syrup
  • Green beans (will purchase fresh next week)
  • Cole slaw (will purchase mix fresh next week)
  • Sourdough bread (Jake will make this with ingredients on hand)
  • Bumbleberry pie (purchased for a school fundraiser — I think $22?)

And I think that’s about it. We have ginger ale and Diet coke, too. And of course coffee for the dessert! My favorite part is a late-night turkey sandwich while watching TV — can’t wait for that!

Nope, Not Yet

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Over the weekend I was driving into town to pick up my daughter and while searching through the radio stations, I landed on one that usually plays 80s and 90s rock, only to find that they are already playing Christmas music. It is absolutely everywhere (and let’s face it, has been since before Halloween) and I’m just not feeling it at all this year. Is anyone else having trouble?

I guess I am just finding it really hard to be in a celebratory mood with all the awful things currently happening (or, at least being talked about for next year). Plus, let’s be real here — the weather has been crazy. I think I’ve worn a jacket only once or twice so far this fall. We’re having a horrible drought on top of it, too (though some rain is forecasted for tomorrow night into Thursday). Not exactly the cozy weather that inspires holiday feelings.

I don’t know. I bought my Thanksgiving turkey on Sunday and I’m working on my menu. We’ll get the tree up next week. Maybe that will help get me in the spirit.

 

Weekend at our Cape Cod Cottage

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Cape Cod

Well, last week was rough, but we ended on a high note… my husband and I closed on a little vacation cottage at the Cape! After our vacation in August we just felt drawn to start looking up there and just when we were about to throw in the towel for a while, this little beauty showed up.

Cape Cod

Isn’t she adorable? The funniest part is that the condo complex on the same street as the hotel we booked back in August! We are looking forward to spending as much time as possible out there. I’m originally from Massachusetts and that is where Drew and I met, so it kind of feels like coming full circle. Who knows? We may even end up out there permanently once all the kids are done with college.

Cape Cod

We had fun shopping for some things for the cottage, enjoying a beautiful sunset, and figuring out where everything is (including the two libraries of course). 

Cape Cod

Cape Cod

The timing could not have been more perfect. A weekend at the beach (literally down the street) was just what we needed. We are so looking forward to enjoying our little Cape Escape for years to come!

Grocery Price Tracker

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Over the last few days I’ve had more than a few conversations with people who voted for him and many cited the price of groceries as a reason for compromising everything else they believe in. I’ve seen the grocery haul posts online — you know the ones “How are these 4 things $150?” Give me a break. We know they’re not. 

I do all the shopping in our house. I know what things cost. I also know that I live in an expensive area of the country (New York), so I can spot a lie a mile away. I also know that the proposed economic policies are unlikely to bring down grocery costs in a meaningful way. I believe the opposite — over the next 12 months they will either rise or stay relatively flat.

But hey — I could be wrong! Unlike many people, I do not have a problem admitting when I am wrong. I am wrong all the time. I also enjoy proving people wrong, LOL. (Yes, I am petty like that). I love data. And I pretty much have a spreadsheet for everything. So I’ve decided to create one that I will update weekly and track the prices of items that I actually purchase on a regular basis. I am tracking the same exact items week to week, using the same stores/gas station to try to be as true as possible.

  1. Unleaded gas
  2. Eggs
  3. Milk
  4. Bread
  5. Coffee

Now, I recognize that prices may fluctuate during the week, especially with gas. And I may not be able to update prices on the same day every week. However, this is just my little pet project so I’m going to give myself a little grace and not worry about absolute perfection. The sheet will be publicly viewable here and I think I am going to add a feature to my sidebar tracking the changes. Let’s see what happens.