Last Night's Leek-tastic Dinner

I don't want to encroach on Rug's Bug's territory, but I thought I'd share with y'all the recipe I used for last night's dinner. Not too shabby. (I have lots of leeks leftover -- let me know if you want some!)

Rachael Ray's Leek-y Chicken and Couscous (from Express Lane Meals)

Serves 4

1-1/2 cups chicken stock
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1-1/2 cups plain couscous
2 T EVOO
1-1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into large bite-size pieces
salt and black pepper
2 medium or 1 large leek(s)
1 cup dry white wine
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the chicken stock and 1 T of the butter in a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid. When the liquid boils, add the raisins and couscous. Take the pan off the heat. Stir the couscous and place the lid on the pot. Let it stand.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the EVOO. Add the chicken in a single layer and season it with salt and pepper. While the chicken browns on all sides, trim the rough tops and the root ends off the leeks.

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then cute them into 1-inch half moons. Place the leeks in a colander and run them under cold water. Separate the layers to release the dirt and grit. Rinse well, then drain well.

Add the leeks to the chicken and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and let it cook down by half, 3 to 4 minutes. The leeks should still have some color but should be tender and the chicken should be cooked through. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl into the sauce.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the parsley. Place a bed of couscous on each dinner plate and top it with the chicken and leeks.

(Interesting how typing out the recipe showed me the many steps I neglected or didn't exactly follow. Hmm. Well, it turned out just fine, despite my poor comprehension skills.)

Tune In

I spent this afternoon at WBEZ's studio on Chicago's Navy Pier. My choir recorded a selection of songs from our upcoming holiday concert, to be broadcast Friday, December 15, between 9:00 am and 10:00 am Central time (on Eight-Forty-Eight with Steve Edwards, who so doesn't look like what I thought he'd look like).

If you live in WBEZ's broadcast area, you have no excuse not to listen (it's 91.5 on your FM dial). And those of you who live outside the area -- you also have no excuse. You can listen to a live streaming broadcast by visiting wbez.org and choosing "Listen Now."

Don't worry, I'll remind you.

Holiday Gift Guide

I've seen lots of holiday gift guides on the web lately. I think I'm uniquely qualified to put together a list that should be useful to most (if not all!) of you, a compilation of gift suggestions for a very special person with specific tastes and preferences. You guessed it: This is My Guide to Buying Gifts for Me! I hope you all put it to good use.

Gifts to Buy Me for Less than $10

Seriously, you can't shell out any more than that for me? Fine. This will do nicely, thank you very much. (Baby, it's cold outside. But hopefully it's at least 170 degrees F inside that pork roast!)

Less than $20

Doesn't every editor need this shirt? And every blogger needs this one.

And the ultimate in fromage -- my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Less than $30

Chocolate. What more do I have to say?

Less than $40

If you're at all interested in strategy board games, you'll pick this one up for yourself, too.

Less than $50

I need layers to make it through a Chicago winter.

Less than $70

Don't these look cozy?

Less than $90

These should look fab on my curvy hips. Size 8, please.

Less than $200

I have a family to feed, people!

And every girl needs some bling.

$25,000 or more

It's not for me -- it's for the kids! The old Focus wagon just doesn't have the cargo space I need.

Okay, that should be enough to get you started. Happy shopping!

(Unbeknownst to me when writing this post, Shannon tagged me with a Dear Santa meme. I'm thrilled to note that I fulfilled the requirements of the meme without even knowing I was doing it! That's efficiency for you.)

Shovel This

Dear people in Chicagoland (and elsewhere) who don't shovel your sidewalks (specifically, the next-door-neighbors -- damn pigeon lovers! -- and assorted homeowners in Lincoln Park):

I hate you! I hate you! Get off your lazy bum and shovel your sidewalk! Or pay someone to do it for you! Do you have any idea how hard it is to push a fully loaded twin stroller through the icy, slushy obstacle course you've created? Do you? How do you think people in wheelchairs navigate that mess? Huh? Well? What do you have to say for yourself? No -- I don't want to hear it. Just take this shovel and get to work. Yes, I know it's much harder to shovel now that the snow has melted and refrozen into a rock-solid mass. You should have thought of that last week when you were too lazy to shovel the fresh, fluffy, newly fallen snow, all two inches of it.

Did I mention that I hate you?

Movie Review: Happy Feet

(What? What's that you say? You think I should have to see more than 20 minutes of a movie before writing a review? Well, if you feel so strongly about it, you might as well just skip this post.)

We took Evelyn and Sophia to see Happy Feet this weekend because Sophie is obsessed with penguins (or "bee-dees," as she calls them). We knew going in that it was highly unlikely we'd be staying for the whole movie. The girls did astonishingly well -- if there hadn't been 20 minutes of freakin' previews, we could have stayed for most of the movie. Sophie had a lovely time and seemed to be just about ready to nod off right before we left. Evie, however, became bored with the show and decided she'd rather play peek-a-boo with mommy, flirt with the people sitting behind us, and grumble and groan about not being able to crawl around. We decided it was best to head out before things got ugly.

I loved the first 20 minutes! The music, the characters, the animation -- so much fun. I loved the way they used pop songs for the penguins' heart songs. It reminded me a lot of the use of popular music in Moulin Rouge, except that I liked it in Happy Feet (not so much in Moulin Rouge). And you gotta give mad props to a kids' movie that so prominently features a Prince song.

Someday, I hope to see the rest of Happy Feet. For now, please don't tell me how it ends.

Season of Giving

Now is the time of year when we think about giving, both to our friends and loved ones and to the charities that work to improve our lives and the lives of others. As you think about your charitable giving this year, consider these organizations near and dear to my heart.

• You don't really understand just how good the work being done by the Shriners Hospitals is until you have a kid (or two) who benefit from it. The Shriners offer world-class, top-notch healthcare to children at their orthopedic and burn hospitals, all at no cost to the parents. The Shriners are amazing people who do incredible work.
  
  
• As a mother of preemies, I am of course a fan of the March of Dimes. Their tireless work to prevent birth defects and prematurity benefits countless children every year.
  
  
• The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation is of special importance to us, seeing as three-quarters of my nuclear family (and many members of my extended family) have OI. Great research studies are underway to find treatments for OI (studies that are benefiting greatly from stem cell research, by the way), and I hope that someday soon they'll have a treatment the twins can take to lessen their risk for broken bones and other OI-related complications.
  
  
• The work being done by Cure Autism Now deserves everyone's support. Autism is nearly an epidemic in this country, but great work is being done to clear away the mysteries of this disease and bring about treatments and, hopefully soon, a cure.
  
  
• Doctors Without Borders works around the world with the sick, injured, and malnourished, as well as refugees and displaced people, providing assistance in some of the most dangerous places on Earth.
  
  
• Closer to home, the Chicago Chamber Choir, of which I am a member, shares the gift of music with everyone in our community, singing in schools, homeless shelters, and retirement homes in addition to our regular concerts. I believe beautiful music is well worth supporting.
  
  
• And let's not forget our furry friends this holiday season! (Thanks for reminding me, Nanette!) Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society and other organizations like it look out for the well-being of abandoned and abused pets, caring for them and helping them find loving homes. These groups are doing great and necessary work.
  

Tell us, which are your favorite charitable organizations?

Twins? Or Triplets?

Anatomy of a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

The Parts of a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner:

1) Turkey: In this case, a smoked turkey breast. Dee-lish.

2) Gravy: The usual.

3) Stuffing/dressing: Cornbread/sausage stuffing.

4) Bread: Parker House rolls -- it's not Thanksgiving without them.

5) Potato: Garlic mashed potatoes. (This year we decided to follow the recipe and not use six times as much salt as the recipe calls for.)

6) Cranberry: We went with AB's tart cranberry dipping sauce, a turkey condiment. It goes quite well with smoked turkey.

7) Sweet potato: Grated sweet potato pudding. It doesn't look like much, but it tastes divine. (Me, I love canned sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, but I must be the only one who does.)

8) Green: We strayed from the usual green bean casserole and went with garlic-roasted asparagus. Yum.

9) Palate cleanser: As we've had every year for the last I don't know how many years, avocado-pear sorbet. Refreshing. (Or, in the words of Sophia, "Mmmm.")

10) Dessert: We bucked tradition this year -- no pumpkin pie. Instead, peppermint ice cream pie with an Oreo crust and Cool Whip on top.


(For links to recipes, see the previous post.)

Unfortunately, poor Evelyn is quite ill (thus my absence from the blog for many days) and didn't partake in the dinner much. Her favorite dish, despite illness: the tart cranberry sauce. Can't say I blame her.

What I'm I thankful for? I'm thankful for Thanksgiving dinner (and the fact that I'm no longer cooking it). Oh, yeah, and I'm thankful for the fact that I have the most awesome family on the planet.

T-Day Approaches

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. I spend the whole day in the kitchen cooking and baking enough food for an army, even though it's usually just Airan, David, and me (and now the girls). I can hardly wait for this year's festivities. Here's how the menu is shaping up:

Smoked turkey breast
Cornbread/sausage/sage stuffing
Turkey gravy
Cranberry dipping sauce (For the turkey! Strange, I know. This is a new one for us.)
Parker House rolls
Garlic mashed potatoes
Garlic-roasted asparagus
Sweet potato pudding
Avocado-pear sorbet (Our traditional palate cleanser -- don't knock it 'til you try it!)
Peppermint ice cream pie

Don't you all wish you were coming to our place for T-Day?

Fashionistas

A pox upon you, A Payne, for introducing me to Gymboree.