2011
Today is the last day of 2011, and so I'm looking back on the year and reflecting on everything has has happened.
This year has been amazing in many ways, though it has also been incredibly difficult.
I started off the year as a probationary deputy defender, still in training and still learning how to do my job. Though I finished my probationary training period in February, this year constantly presented new professional challenges and experiences. I argued my first case in the Court of Appeals. I filed my first Petition for Review in the Oregon Supreme Court. I won my first case. I won my second case! I lost a few, too. I am finally feeling like I have settled into my job and, happily enough, I love the work more and more as I go along.
This was a year of personal accomplishments, too. I ran my second half marathon, and with the help of my running buddy, ran it in under 2 hours. I ran my first marathon, in just shy of 5 hours, and it was a wonderful and harrowing day for me. I ran as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and I ran the race in memory of my Uncle David, who passed away in September from lung cancer.
I spent many many hours on planes in 2011. We went to Mexico in April and had a lovely lovely beach vacation which involved doing absolutely nothing. Later in the summer, I flew home to Colorado for my sister's bridal shower. Then I went to Maryland to visit my uncle. And then, Colorado again, for my sister's wedding, then Wisconsin for my cousin's wedding, and finally, back to Colorado for a high altitude Christmas with my family.
In 2012, I am looking forward to more running adventures, more time with good friends, slightly less travel.
Many thanks to my wonderful friends and family for all your support and encouragement this year; you are the best.
This year has been amazing in many ways, though it has also been incredibly difficult.
I started off the year as a probationary deputy defender, still in training and still learning how to do my job. Though I finished my probationary training period in February, this year constantly presented new professional challenges and experiences. I argued my first case in the Court of Appeals. I filed my first Petition for Review in the Oregon Supreme Court. I won my first case. I won my second case! I lost a few, too. I am finally feeling like I have settled into my job and, happily enough, I love the work more and more as I go along.
This was a year of personal accomplishments, too. I ran my second half marathon, and with the help of my running buddy, ran it in under 2 hours. I ran my first marathon, in just shy of 5 hours, and it was a wonderful and harrowing day for me. I ran as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and I ran the race in memory of my Uncle David, who passed away in September from lung cancer.
I spent many many hours on planes in 2011. We went to Mexico in April and had a lovely lovely beach vacation which involved doing absolutely nothing. Later in the summer, I flew home to Colorado for my sister's bridal shower. Then I went to Maryland to visit my uncle. And then, Colorado again, for my sister's wedding, then Wisconsin for my cousin's wedding, and finally, back to Colorado for a high altitude Christmas with my family.
In 2012, I am looking forward to more running adventures, more time with good friends, slightly less travel.
Many thanks to my wonderful friends and family for all your support and encouragement this year; you are the best.
Challah!
I modified the Smitten Kitchen Recipe here, and this is what I came up with:
Challah Back, Girrrrl!
Nouns-
1 1/2 tbsps instant yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 tsbp salt
8 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups warm water
Verbs-
Combine the water, oil, honey, salt and yeast in your mixer or stir by hand. Add four eggs, one at a time. Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Once the dough comes together, transfer to a floured board and knead until smooth, about ten minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl covered in saran wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in volume. Punch down the dough and let rise another 30 minutes. At this point, the dough can be formed into loaves. I did six small loaves, but three large loaves works as well, with a longer baking time. I did simple 3-strand braids, but directions for a fancier 6-strand braid can be found on the Smitten Kitchen page I linked to above. Here are directions for basic braid loaves: divide your dough into equal sized sections for as many loaves as you want to bake. Take one of those sections and cut it in thirds. Roll each third into a long rope on your cutting board. Join the top end of all three ropes and braid them, pinching the ends together at the end of the loaf. Repeat with each section of dough.
Place the loaves on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and let rise for one hour. Preheat the oven to 375. When loaves have risen for an hour, whisk the remaining egg in a bowl and spread it over the surface of the loaves so they'll be nice and shiny. Bake for 30 minutes for large loaves, or 15-20 minutes for the small ones, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.
Challah Back, Girrrrl!
Nouns-
1 1/2 tbsps instant yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 tsbp salt
8 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups warm water
Verbs-
Combine the water, oil, honey, salt and yeast in your mixer or stir by hand. Add four eggs, one at a time. Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Once the dough comes together, transfer to a floured board and knead until smooth, about ten minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl covered in saran wrap and let rise in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in volume. Punch down the dough and let rise another 30 minutes. At this point, the dough can be formed into loaves. I did six small loaves, but three large loaves works as well, with a longer baking time. I did simple 3-strand braids, but directions for a fancier 6-strand braid can be found on the Smitten Kitchen page I linked to above. Here are directions for basic braid loaves: divide your dough into equal sized sections for as many loaves as you want to bake. Take one of those sections and cut it in thirds. Roll each third into a long rope on your cutting board. Join the top end of all three ropes and braid them, pinching the ends together at the end of the loaf. Repeat with each section of dough.
Place the loaves on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and let rise for one hour. Preheat the oven to 375. When loaves have risen for an hour, whisk the remaining egg in a bowl and spread it over the surface of the loaves so they'll be nice and shiny. Bake for 30 minutes for large loaves, or 15-20 minutes for the small ones, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.
Meal Plan
Here's the week:
Schnitzel and Spaetzle
Husband Soup
Falafel
Chicken Salad
Lemony Spaghetti
Schnitzel and Spaetzle
Husband Soup
Falafel
Chicken Salad
Lemony Spaghetti
Something to do with leftover cranberry sauce
This is not a full recipe, just a nubbin:
If you have leftover cranberry sauce, I instruct you to do the following: acquire turkey burgers, buns and chevre. Schmear some chevre and some cranberry sauce on the toasted buns, and stack a turkey burger with maybe some red onions and lettuce on there, and eat. This is the most profoundly delicious creation ever. I might like them even better than the apples and brie turkey burgers I usually make. El fin.
Turkey
This is how I make my holiday turkey. It is a method I borrowed in part from my Uncle George and in part from Alton Brown. It seems odd, but trust me, it works. Once again I didn't get photos of the process, so you'll just have to trust me.
Holiday Turkey and Gravy
Nouns-
1 Turkey, preferably free range young hen, 1-2 lbs per person
For the Brine--
1.25 cups kosher salt
1 gallon apple cider
1/4 cup allspice berries
10 bay leaves
10 sprigs thyme
1/4 cup brown sugar
Ginger, fresh or candied
1/4 cup peppercorns
1 bag party ice
1 gallon water
For the Roasting-
1 stick butter
5 cloves garlic, peeled and partially crushed
3 sprigs rosemary
8 sprigs thyme
2 apples, sliced
2 onions, quartered
kosher salt
pepper
1 large paper bag, with nothing printed on it
olive oil
1 stapler
kitchen string
1 meat thermometer (it really is worth the $15 at Target to get the remote thermometer that you leave in the bird connected to the readout on the stovetop by a wire and beeps when you reach the temperature you have set... it is the bestest thing ever.
For the Gravy-
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 onion, quartered
Thyme and Garlic, optional
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
Verbs-
18 hours before you plan to roast your bird, get it ready to brine. Remove the neck, giblets and other unmentionables from the cavities and reserve them. DO NOT WASTE THEM, even if you think they are gross. You are right. They are. But, magic can be made from them. Rinse the bird. Thoroughly wash a cooler or other large waterproof receptacle. Fill it with the ice and water. On the stovetop, heat the cider and all remaining brine ingredients until bubbly and fragrant and all the salt is dissolved. Cool the liquid to room temperature and add to the cooler. Add the bird and additional ice or water if needed. Brine for 12-18 hours.
While you're brining, make some delicious turkey stock. Take the neck and other unmentionables and saute them in a saucepot in butter until brown. Then add the onion, thyme and garlic to the pot, and pour the chicken stock over the top. Simmer for at least an hour, preferably several. Strain and reserve the resulting liquid. NOW you may discard the yucky turkey bits.
When it is time to roast, preheat oven to 325 and remove the bird from the brine. Rinse and pat dry. In the microwave on low, heat the butter, a clove of garlic, a sprig of thyme and a sprig of rosemary until melted and fragrant. Position the bird on your roasting rack and loosely fill the cavity with the apples, onions, and remaining herbs and garlic. Loosely tie the legs together over the cavity and fold the wing tips under the body of the bird to prevent overcooking. Then, brush the melted butter over the entire bird. Once the turkey is coated with herb butter, liberally sprinkle with kosher salt. Here's where it gets weird: thoroughly oil the paper bag and put the turkey, roasting rack and all, inside the bag. Fold the ends of the bag over and staple shut. If you have a remote thermometer, position it deep in the breast with the cord coming out of the bag and staple the bag closed around the wire. Roast at 325 until the thermometer reads 165. Then, cut away the paper bag, making sure that the drippings go into the roasting pan or other container and are not wasted.
Set the turkey and roasting rack on a large cookie sheet or sheet pan to rest.
One the stovetop, you're ready to make gravy. Combine the butter and flour and saute until bubbly and golden brown. Pour in the turkey stock and whisk over medium heat until thickened. Pour in the drippings and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. This is the best gravy ever.
Once your bird has rested, it is ready to carve and serve. (I then make more turkey stock out of the bones and use it for delicious soup, but that's another post.)
Happy Holidays!
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