I tend to underuse my Instant Pot. I use it mostly to make yogurt, to prep boiled eggs, to make broth, baked potatoes, and mashed potatoes, but I don't often just use it to make a meal.  IMHO, it takes all the flavor out of most vegetables, so I hesitate to make anything with vegetables in it, and it's not my first choice for preparing meats, either.  So when I ran across this super easy recipe for Instant Pot Tamale Pie, I was intrigued. And of course, I can't just follow a recipe, I have to make additions, delete things, and generally change it up.  It took a couple of "practice" runs, but I think this is the final version.  Enjoy!

Instant Pot Tamale Pie

2 cups Masa Harina

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup oil

1-1/2 t. salt

1-1/2 t. Chili powder

1-1/2 t. Smoked paprika

1 t. cumin

1 t. baking soda

Filling

2 cups shredded chicken---pork or beef will also work

1 cup enchilada sauce

1 small sweet onion, chopped

Use a mixer to mix together the masa water, oil, spices, and baking soda. Whip this mixture for at least 3-4 minutes until it is light and fluffy

Grease a 7 inch springform pan. Spread half the masa batter on the bottom of the pan. Top with all of the meat and sauce, then add the remaining masa batter and smooth out the top. Cover the pie loosely with foil. You are doing this to keep water from dripping into the tamale pie.

Pour 1-1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot. Place a trivet in the pot. Place the pan on the trivet.

Secure the lid on the pot and set the Instant Pot at High pressure for 35 minutes. When cook time is complete, let pot release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, and then release all remaining pressure.

Allow the pie to rest for 10 minutes, and then unclasp the sides of the springform pan.

I served this with some black beans and some plain, chopped lettuce with a sour cream/chipotle dressing. 

Gringa Tamales

I've been putting off posting my tamale recipe because it is complicated and I want to make sure I get it right. In November 2010, we visited the Mayan Riviera in Mexico with our good friends Debbie, Butch, Sandi & Mike. Of course, we ate a ton of really good food. When Christmas rolled around, we decided to try to make tamales for our Christmas dinner. I had been thinking about trying to make them and collecting various recipes for quite some time, so I gathered the recipes and set about combining them into a tasty, but easy version. That first year, they were well received, so last Christmas we decided to make them again. This time, of course, we had the basics down pat and tweaked the recipe a bit. Today, Deb and I are making them again, joined by our good friend DeNise. DeNise has been bugging us to make them and her BUSY schedule is finally allowing us all a day in the kitchen. Deb cooked the pork ahead of time and shredded it, so this morning we made the chile sauce and the masa dough. We're now just waiting for DeNise to show up with the makings for ceviche (YUM!!!).

Rosemary-Asiago Gnocchi

1-1/2 lbs russet potatoes

1/2 cup flour
1/4 c. grated Asiago cheese
2 egg yolks
1/4 t. allspice
2 T. finely chopped rosemary
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Boil potatoes whole until soft enough to mash--20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.  When they are tender, remove from water and cool until you can handle them.  Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.  Run through a potato ricer into a mixing bowl.  Add flour, cheese, egg yolks, allspice, rosemary, salt & pepper and mix well.  Add more flour if needed.

Flour your hands, pick up a chunk of dough and roll it into a rope about 1/2 inch thick.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.  Cut the ropes into 1/2-3/4 inch lengths, flouring the pieces as you go.  Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to cook. 
To cook:  Place gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water. They will rise to the top when they are done.  Remove from the pot with a large slotted spoon. 

Cheese sauce

1 cup milk
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. grated cheese asiago cheese.

Mix milk and cornstarch, heat until thickened.  Remove from heat and add cheese.  Mix until blended. 
Mix with gnocchi to serve.

Thanksgiving

There is much to be thankful for this year.  Thirty thanksgivings ago, I welcomed my firstborn, Sara, into the world.  Although she doesn't often celebrate her birthday on Turkey Day, I am reminded of one of the most special days of my life every year on Thanksgiving.  Happy Birthday, tomorrow, Turkey Girl! 

Yesterday, we shared Thanksgiving with very good friends and family.  Around here, it's like Thanksgiving Day cook-off!  We shared some good wine, some great food, and good laughs! 

A few of the recipes:

Cranberry Chutney

I really, really, despise the stuff that comes out of the can, so a few years ago, I found a recipe that I tweaked a bit and here is the result.  It's great with dinner, but especially good on those next day turkey and cream cheese sandwiches! This is so easy and so good that you will never tolerate that canned stuff again!

1/4 c dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c golden raisins
1 c water
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 t grated lemon zest
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c chopped crystallized ginger (don't leave this out!  Find it in with the spices or cheaper in the bulk food bins)
1/2 t red pepper flakes (doesn't make it spicy, just brings out the flavors of the fruits)

Combine apricots, brown sugar, raisins and water in a small pan; bring to a boil.  Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in cranberries, apple and lemon zest; simmer for 10 minutes more. 
Stir lemon juice, ginger and pepper flakes into the mixture, then remove from heat.
Cool on the stovetop, then refrigerate or serve at room temperature.


Oven Roasted Bacon-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Serves 8-10

This recipe has earned the approval of several friends and family members who normally turn their noses up at the little cabbages. 

2 lbs brussells sprouts
1/2 lb bacon, sliced thinly crosswise
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 T. good balsamic vinegar
6-10 cloves roasted garlic
2-3 t sugar
Salt and coarsely ground pepper

Line a baking dish with foil, add the garlic cloves and a bit of olive oil.  Roast in a 350 degree oven about an hour, or until very soft.  Set aside.
Put the bacon in a large frying pan and fry until crispy, adding the onions when the bacon is about halfway done.  Set aside. 
Remove the stem ends from the sprouts and cut in half, then place them in a large baking dish.  Add the garlic and the bacon/onion mix. Drain off a bit of the bacon grease first if you like. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper and roast for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees--the sauce should be dark and carmelized. 

Northwest Waldorf Salad
6-8 servings

I got the original recipe from Cooking Light magazine, and of course, tweaked it a bit.  This is a nice way to add local produce to the holiday spread and it's healthy, too!

3/4 c finely sliced celery
1/2 c chopped dried cherries
1/2 c chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 c  plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (or just use plain yogurt)
1/3 c low-fat sour cream
2-3 T agave sweetener (honey would also work)
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t salt
2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and chopped

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and sweetener and whisk until smooth.  Pour over celery mixture.  Add pears and apple and toss gently to mix.  Chill at least 1 hour. 


Gingerbread Pudding

Hands down our favorite dessert--the one my husband asks for on his birthday--even though that is just two days before Christmas!  We first had a similar dish at the 42nd Street Cafe at the beach and liked it so much I just had to try my hand at making it!  Make the gingerbread a day early and leave it on the counter to dry out a bit before cubing it up for the pudding!  In a pinch, I suppose you could use a gingerbread mix to make the pudding, but I admit I haven't tried that. 

Gingerbread:
2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c milk
2 t ginger
1 c molasses
2 t baking soda
1/2 c butter
2 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and ginger in a large mixing bowl.  Heat the butter, molasses and brown sugar on low heat until the butter is melted and mixed with the other ingredients.  Stir the milk, eggs and melted mixture into the flour mixture and mix well.  Pour into a greased 9" x 13" cake pan and bake at 325 for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

To make into pudding.

Cut the gingerbread into 1" cubes and place in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk together 3 eggs, 1 c milk and 1/2 c sugar and add to the gingerbread pieces until coated thoroughly, then return to the cake pan.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve with  caramel sauce, whipping cream, or both!

Caramel sauce:
1/2 c butter
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 c brown sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the brown sugar and mix well. While still heating, slowly add the whipping cream and continue to mix until the sauce has absorbed all the cream.  Remove from heat and serve over the gingerbread pudding.  Cover and refrigerate any leftovers to use over ice cream or in your coffee drinks!



So those are just a few of our Thanksgiving Day staples.  I got hungry while typing this, so I am heading for the kitchen to pull some leftovers out of the 'fridge for breakfast! 

Crockpot Pork & Green Chile Stew

Fall weather always makes me crave warm, spicy food.  Here's my take on a recipe that I've seen a few times, but am trying today for the first time.  It smells fabulous! 

2 T. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

Small Pork tenderloin, cut into 1” cubes

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks

3 poblano peppers, cut into 1” pieces

½ t. cumin

¼ t. ground coriander

1-1-1/2 lbs small potatoes

Optional: carrots

Season pork and brown pork and garlic in olive oil. Place browned meat and garlic in crockpot. Add broth to deglaze pan and then add it to the crockpot. Place the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for about 6 hours.

If you like it hotter, add a few other peppers, such as jalepeno. For a smokier flavor, add a canned chipotle or a bit of liquid smoke. A bit of frozen corn, added at the end of cooking would be good in this, too.

Serve with fresh tortillas if you can find them, sour cream and cilantro.

Super Secret Kick Ass Salsa

I haven't often shared my salsa recipe, partly because it has developed over the years and I have never really written it down, and partly because I get lots of compliments on it and am being kind of selfish :) But I have been giving it out quite often lately and it seems that I write it down a bit differently each time, so I thought that I would post it here and then just direct people here when they ask for it. So here it is!

This salsa is pretty quick to make and it is easy to have the ingredients on hand all the time in case you have unexpected company or a really big snack attack! This and a bag of tortilla chips are also my mainstay when invited to something potluck-like and I get asked to bring it quite often. A few years back I went on a houseboat vacation with 9 of my closest friends and we made a gallon of this salsa, chopped entirely by hand because we didn't have a processor. We consumed every bit of it and could have eaten a lot more! But be forewarned, some people have not been able to recreate my salsa, probably due to the haphazard way I cook! Adjust the heat to suit yourself--I make it hotter at home but tone it down a bit when I take it somewhere. I'll also soon be posting some other recipes, one for pineapple salsa and another for Chipotle Salsa (burn your eyebrows off HOT!!!) But in the meantime, here is Twylla' s Super Secret, Kick Ass Salsa! Enjoy!!!



1 large can diced tomatoes--I like to use organic--and when you have ripe tomatoes in your garden, use them either by themselves, or added to the canned

1 small can chopped green chiles

2 or more chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (buy a can in the Mexican foods section, use what you will and store the rest in a ziploc in the fridge or freezer until next time you need them) These are dried, smoked jalepenos and give the salsa its zing and smokey flavor

1 bunch green onions, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch cilantro, stems cut off

Seasoning salt, or sea salt to taste

2t-2T sugar



Place all the above ingredients in a food processor (I like to place the fresh vegetables in first with the rest on top so that they process better) Process until you get the consistency you like.

Make sure and taste it before you take it out of the processor so you can adjust it if you want to.

Tamale Pie

Tamale pie is one of those foods that remind me of my childhood. Back in the 70s, I thought this was pretty exotic fare and my mom made a pretty good one. I think she got her recipe off the back of the Bisquick box or something. I saw this recipe the other day in a newsletter that I get from the Washington State Extension Agency and decided to try it. It didn't go together as fast as I might have liked--if you decide to make it on a work night, you might want to do some prep work the night before so you can just throw it together when you get home. I made some changes to the original recipe, of course, and I've noted those. Sorry I didn't think to take a picture when it came out of the oven, but I was SO hungry and it smelled so good that all I wanted to do was to dig right in! If anyone who makes this wants to send me a photo, I will be happy to post it. Enjoy!!

Tamale Pie

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey breast to keep it low-fat, AND that is what I had on hand!)
1 can kidney beans (the original says black or pinto would also work, but I LOVE kidney beans)
2 T. cornstarch
1- 1/2 c. chopped onion
4 t. chili powder ( I substituted in 1 of the teaspoons with chipotle chili powder, which is available at Safeway and will make it quite a bit warmer with a smoky flavor)
1 clove garlic, minced
1- 28 oz can of tomatoes, diced (I buy the already diced ones)
1- 4 oz can green chiles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil, add meat, brown and drain off fat, if any. Add beans. Put cornstarch in a small bowl and add the juice drained from the tomatoes. Whisk together. Add to onion/meat/bean mixture over heat and stir well. Stir in
tomatoes, green chiles and chili powder. Cook until mixture is thick. Shouldn't take long.
Spoon into 13 x 9 pan . Spread cornbread topping over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cornbread topping

1- 1/2 c. cornmeal
1-1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
5 T. sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. + 2 T. oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir briskly until just mixed. Pour over meat mixture and bake as above.

Lack of planning

Sometimes I go to the idea cupboard and it is bare. Last night was a good example. With a hungry husband at my elbow, I rooted around and found a few staples in the freezer and pantry and came up with a meal that sated our hunger but would inspire no one. Frozen chicken breasts, frozen baby brussel sprouts and baby yukon gold potatoes. On another day I might have found a new chicken recipe or grilled the chicken, and added some fresh herbs to the potatoes, but on this day, I had little left to give, so I breaded the chicken with my old stand-by, Krusteaz, and threw it in the oven, added a little butter and balsamic and zapped the sprouts, and dropped the potatoes in a pot of boiling water. The outcome certainly wasn't a particularly pretty meal, or one that left us making sounds of pleasure, but the meal was a good example of what happens in many households at the end of a long day. It is likely that different circumstances of the day might have led to a different result, but I had a long, full day working on my thesis, and didn't have much brain power left to come up with something more interesting. There are a few hardy herbs still growing in my backdoor garden, along with a few tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse, so I will attempt to make good use of them over the next few days. My lovely eldest daughter and I were discussing the problem of "meal inspiration" today and agreed that sometimes meals get thrown together in the "5 o'clock" panic! She had the good idea of setting up a meal plan for a week or a month, thereby making life a bit easier when 5 o'clock rolls around, like it just keeps doing. Of course, with a new baby in the house, she has all the more reason to stay organized and on top of things.

Sushi!

A good day, in my book, is any day that I get to have sushi, and today was one of those days. We drove to Vancouver late this afternoon to drop some things off with our accountant and to purchase a kitty carrier at PetSmart. Before we left, I looked for a couple of the restaurants on Yelp that I have been wanting to try. One of them was a "conveyor belt" style sushi place in Hazel Dell called Sushi Tsunami. The reviews were good and it turned out that it was right on our way. The sushi gods were smiling upon me. My dear husband, though, is not such a fan of sushi as I. He goes along because he sees how much I really love it--thank you, honey! The concept behind the conveyor belt sushi restaurant is that instead of a sushi chef who makes your sushi to order, a wide variety of sushi rolls around the room and each person is free to pluck what they want from the belt. Each plate is a different color and each color is a different price. Dwain ordered a bento dinner that had a salad, veggie tempura, teriyaki chicken & rice, and two pieces of what looked like California roll. We shared a plate of edamame and some sort of tempura appetizer that was very light & tasty. Then I rolled my sleeves up and got busy choosing: I had tuna, shrimp, octopus and yellowtail, and they were all very, very good. Curiously, at both of the conveyor belt sushi places I've visited I was surprised to see plates of sesame balls, which I thought were a Chinese dish and had previously had only at dim sum restaurants. Sushi and sesame balls at the same meal! How did I get this lucky? Oh, and Dwain's favorite part of the meal? Our whole meal was around $30, beverages and tip included. I'll be going back to Sushi Tsunami, and if you want to go, you'll find it at 7415 NE Highway 99, Vancouver, WA.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Not only one of my favorite movies of all time, preparing and eating Fried Green Tomatoes is a fall ritual for me. Somehow, preparing and eating the last of the tomato harvest in this way marks a transition from the warm summer months to a cooler fall. My kids will tell you that I am a bit nuts about this dish. They didn't like tomatoes at all as children, and to eat the dastardly fruit before it was ripe must have seemed like lunacy. Yesterday at the Farmer's Market, Brynn was quick to remind me how I used to "make" my daughters eat them. I remember it a little differently, of course. My mother-in-law introduced me to fried green tomatoes when I was young and newly married and I've prepared them nearly every fall since. I played around with the recipe a bit this year and it turned out quite good. Tonight I served them with large scallops, fried, using the same coating mixture and mashed baby red potatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4 or 5 large green tomatoes

Slice about 1/4" thick and set aside

Mix together:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 T. panko bread crumbs

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. each: chipotle chile powder, mesquite seasoning, & Johnny's seasoning salt

Cover bottom of heavy skillet with peanut oil and heat

Dredge tomato slices in flour mixture and fry, being careful not to burn.

Drain on paper towels before serving.

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Sour cream

Chipotle Chile Powder

Mix as mild or as spicy as you like and serve with tomatoes

Saturday Breakfast

Have you ever tried Greek Yogurt? I picked up some plain, Greek-style yogurt at Trader Joe's last week. The first time I had tried it was at a retreat at The Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth, Washington(http://www.sleepinglady.com/). The Sleeping Lady is a really cool retreat center and famous for their breakfast "buffet." It is quite good and they make good use of their on-site organic garden. At The Sleeping Lady, a bowl of greek-style yogurt was served with reconstituted dried apricots. It appeared that they soaked the apricots in water and perhaps added some honey or agave to thicken the resulting sauce. I doubt that it needed sweetening though. So, this morning I was going to have a bowl of lovely northwest blueberries and spied the greek yogurt container sitting there in the refrigerator. Put a couple of dollops in a bowl and added the previously mentioned blueberries. I can tolerate and occasionally even enjoy regular yogurt, but this stuff is great! I am also going to try it with some of the blackberry jam I made last month mixed in, and it might be good where we might typically use sour cream.

Grilled Pizza--the Experiment

I bought some fresh pizza dough the other day at TJ's, thinking that a grilled pizza would be a great way to use some of my end-of-the season garden bounty. I found several recipes and this helpful video on Allrecipes : http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Grilling-Pizza-Video/Detail.aspx

It makes it look easy, and even though I had my doubts, I proceeded to put things together for a grilled pizza tonight. Grilling pizza sounded like a great idea. A crisp, smoky, charred-just-a-bit crust. Mmmmm. But, let's get one thing clear. I'm a good cook, but I suck at most baking. Including bread. I even screwed up bread with the bread machine. So I was nervous going in, but watching the video made me confident that I could do it. The pizza dough was way too soft to attempt putting it on the grill, so I punted and put it on two baking trays in the oven. Made the kitchen very hot, since it was around 80 today. I made a fresh tomato sauce with oregano, marjoram and rosemary, a dash of sugar, and some mesquite grilling spice for a smoky flavor. I heated it a bit to give it a nice consistency before putting it on the dough. Then I added fresh mozzarella. I had a container of mozzarella "pearls," and used those. Then another addition from my garden, a bit of fresh basil. Toppings I used were shrimp, fresh mushrooms, sweet onion, and red bell pepper, but as you know, you can use most anything on pizza. Use your imagination. The final product was not what I had hoped for, but it was a passable homemade pizza. I think next time I will try grilling an already cooked Boboli crust.

Gorgeous Cupcakes!

Since I seem to be focusing on food, here's a picture of the cupcakes that Gabe's mom, Norma made for the wedding. They had a small cake for the cutting ceremony, but these were for the guests. The pansies on top were sugared and terribly yummy. Everyone was impresssed and the caterer even asked me who made them. So pretty!

Lots and lots of jalepeno ideas!

I did a little research today about what to do with all my jalepenos. I could: freeze them, can them, pickle them, dry them, make them into jelly, or any number of interesting and tasty alternatives. This website: http://www.pepperfool.com/recipe_home.html has enough pepper recipes to boggle your mind. Me? I'm either going to make jalepeno jelly or a fun sounding recipe I found for Green Apple-Jalepeno Chutney. Here it is:

Green Apple- Jalapeno Chutney
1 1/2 pounds ripe green or yellow apples (about 4)
1 large papaya, seeded -- peeled and chopped
2 medium onion -- cut up
1 medium sweet red pepper -- cut up
8 jalapeno (about 1/2 cup) -- cut up
1 1/4 cups white or cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash, core & cut up apples. Use a food processor to chop the apples, papaya, onions, red pepper & jalapenos, processing the ingredients in about 5 batches. Or, finely chop with sharp knife. You should have about 6 cups total mixture.
In a 4-qt pot, combine the chopped fruits & vegetables, vinegar, sugar, raisins, mustard & salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
NOTES : Makes about 7 half-pint jars.

Food

I made a comment on Facebook today that I needed ideas for things to do with all the jalepenos I have in the greenhouse, and it occured to me how often I make posts on FB about food. In this case, I have an abundant amount of jalepenos growing in my greenhouse, and wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I got some great suggestions: oven-roasting, freezing, jalepeno jelly, drying them into chipotle... I think that I will follow up on those ideas and post what I learn, and any recipes I find here.

The Wedding

The wedding is over, my youngest daughter had the day of her dreams and is beginning her life with her new husband, Gabe. It's been an eventful few weeks. Brynn and Gabe got married at Hoffstadt Bluffs, which is a visitors center near Mt. St. Helens that the county owns and rents out for weddings. The weather here in SW Washington is usually pretty nice in September, but we had an exquisite day. Friends and family came together to celebrate and it really was a perfect day. Dwain and I even headed to the "after party" with the kids for awhile--that was fun.

Costco, Company and New Computer

I was going to make a "quick" run to Costco with Debbie this morning, but she wasn't feeling well and I dinked around for a couple of hours deciding if I wanted to go by myself. Then I found out that Sara and Cameron (my lovely eldest daughter and grand-daughter) were coming this evening rather than tomorrow as I expected. So I threw a pork loin in the crock pot with onions, green chilies and a few spices and headed out. Of course a Costco trip is NEVER quick and I ended up buying a dock for my IPhone that I have been thinking about. When I got back to town I stopped and picked up my new desktop computer that a Jim Gray at Team Electronics built for me. I'm looking forward to getting it set up. He had the coolest thing in his shop--a computer built inside one of those red tool boxes--not the really huge ones, but the kind that you can carry around. He built it for a guy who has a red tool box in his business logo. Pretty cool. He was talking about building computers in other unique boxes like one of those old floor standing wooden radios. It seems that we have integrated computers in our lives to such an extent that customizing them in this way to fit our interests and lifestyles makes a lot of sense.
Sara and Cameron will be here soon, so I think it will be tomorrow before I set the computer up. I'm going to toast some Ciabatta rolls to serve the pork on and cook some corn on the cob. Yum.

Let's Begin!

I've been thinking about blogging for a while now, and was even more intrigued after watching Julie and Julia a couple of weeks ago. What a great movie! I was young when Julia Child was on television, but I remember seeing her occasionally. She was really "bigger than life" and I enjoyed learning more about her. My own life is all about change right now, so I thought that it might be interesting and helpful to try and chronicle it here.

I recently became unemployed after working at a community college for over eight years. Finding a new job here is the same as it is most anywhere right now--difficult at best. So finding a new job is part of the agenda. I'm also trying to complete my thesis for graduate school and finding it difficult to get moving on it. It has to be ready by mid-October and I am still dragging my feet.

Sunday was my 50th birthday. My best attempts at letting it slip by quietly were quashed by the people who love me and thought that I should have a celebration. The party was terrific and I got to spend a lovely evening with people who love me--well, at least like me enough to come by and drink wine with me! We barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs and everyone brought some kind of food--there wasn't a bare space on any counter in my kitchen! I opened and shared the last bottle of 2002 Maryhill Reserve Zinfandel that we have been saving for a special occasion. It was yummy and I got to share it with my favorite winos!