All I Want for Christmas...

is - nothing.

I feel like I have everything I could want or need.

I'm blessed.  But I do know Paul wants to get me something.  I'd like to get him something too.  We are both stumped ... haha  I guess that's better than wanting EVERYTHING.

I voted

Tonight as I filled in little circles on the right of the candidates names I was sure of who I'd select. At the end I was asked my vote on certain issues. One was if I'd vote yes to legalize marajuana use for medical use.

I filled out no. I truly believe its a gateway drug. In a elementary school with signs hung everywhere and thought of their future.

It looks like they are thinking of it too.

Sandy Stinks

That Frankenstorm, Super Storm, or whatever people are calling it was horrendous.  It's aftermath left NY in shambles and left me feeling helpless.

It's not about it ... it shouldn't be, but I'm emotional seeing what my home is going through... for many transplants that left NY ... NY will always be our home.

It irks me how people are calling it a joke... the people who are saying that... I'm quick to delete.  I don't need to associate with people who have zero compassion.

I'm just venting.

Hunkering Down For Sandy

I imagine everyone in the US, Caribbean & most of Europe are well aware of Hurricane Sandy.  I'm sure all the people on the East Coast, particularly in the North East are well aware that as Hurricane Sandy travels North West and is expected to hit land today before it travels up the Eastern Seaboard there is another storm approaching.  A Winter storm from the North that will collide with Sandy creating what Meteorologist have now coined the Frankenstorm.

This is a storm with pressures that the East Coast has never before seen or experienced (at least since such events have been measured & recorded).  I'll be honest - that's what scares me the most.

The part that bothers me the most is my proximity to my family... or lack thereof.

My family is located in Queens, NY.  Thankfully they are a few miles outside of the evacuation zones.  The part that scares me about this is that on Saturday, my Grandma was discharged from the Rehab she was staying at for 1 month, while her broken arm healed.  I don't want her to experience any discomfort or lack of necessary care at home.... that includes losing power or not having enough to eat.  On the good side, she's within very close proximity to 2 of her cousins & 1 of her sons.  The other son is a bit further away, but given decent weather conditions, he would find it easy to get to her if she needed help.  And the saving grace is that my sister & brother in law are in the house with her.  If I was in NY, I'd have definitely hunkered down for the storm at her home with her.

I also worry about my mother & my baby brother and sister.  They live in Putnam county... in lake country surrounded by large trees.  I worry less about flooding because they live at a high elevation compared to the lakes, however, the trees.  Even the smallest storms seem to fall trees causing them to lose power (and thus the ability to cook or have heat!)  A Fireplace only warms the livingroom and even then, only barely.  Thankfully this is the fall and not the winter.

My Mother in Law lives alone... close to my Grandma.  She has a giant tree above her bedroom.  We urged her to sleep in the guest room - because you never know.  I hate that she's alone.

In the end I just hope everyone is safe!

We are prepared here in Boston - Paul & I are working from home.  I made banana bread last night, I bought a case of water and filtered a few pitchers just in case.  I made tuna pasta and a salmon salad - you know, in case I can't use my stove - which I think I still might be able to even without power.  So I think we have what we need... the only thing we don't have is family.

Pomegranates for Chreap

Today I stopped at Aldi to get some staples before the storm And for the week. They had pomegranates for about $1 each so I picked up 2. I never opened one before. They are so weird. This one was on the dry side but still tasty. Paul and I are snacking on them while watching the Giants game.

Seasons: Why I love the North East

I've never lived anywhere other than the North East, but I've traveled quite a bit.  One of my favorite things about home - whether that home be in NY or in MA ... are the seasons!  I don't necessarily LOVE all the seasons, but I do love having seasons.

My favorite is probably early Autumn... I love the cooler mornings and still sunny warm afternoons.  I love the bulky sweaters and thick socks.  I love the colors of the leaves.  I love pumpkins & spice & apples!  I love the afghans sitting on laps while sipping tea.  I really love it all!

Soon comes winter - and I love the quiet of the winter.  Even when living in Manhattan - a snow storm would quiet the whole city leaving a blanket of clean white.  In the country, the snow lasts for days, fluffy & inviting.  Snowboots and wool socks, winter hats & mittens.  The hot cocoa & a treat with a blanket & a book.  The baked pastas & roasted hearty vegetables, the holidays & of course ... the Snowboarding!  I love almost all things winter... but it's a love hate affair.  I hate the mucky slush the day after snow.  I hate the dark mornings & dark nights during the work week.  I hate the draft from our old windows.  I hate digging out my car to get to work.

Spring's longer days become inviting and energizing.  The lime green beginnings of leaves & grass are cheerful.  The warmer days encourage activity and socializing.  But the allergies stink, taxes stink, and the end of snowboard season double stinks!

Summer then comes with it's sweltering humid heat.  This is by far my least favorite season.  Though, beautiful and green, I feel lazy and tired during the heat of summer.  The beaches aren't as entertaining as they were when I was a child.  However, the camping trips, and bike rides & hikes & boats ... and even the beach still excite me during this time of year.  And lets not even get into the fresh produce!  LOVE THAT!

I could never be happy living anywhere else - because I truly enjoy our seasons... I love the change.  I love the cyclical nature of it all.  I love that I know what's next.  I love the variety.  It keeps life interesting!

Butternut Squash & Parsnips Baked Pasta

Last week's CSA share included a butternut squash, parsnips, shallot & leeks... among other yummy vegetables!

My boss mentioned how excited she was to make her favorite pasta dish with her share.  It is a butternut squash baked pasta dish and is a cooking light recipe.  I asked her to share the recipe and it turned out pretty good.  As usual I didn't measure anything - so when the parsnip flavor was a bit overwhelming, I really had no one to blame but myself.

This recipe reminded me a lot about a recipe my friend Jerry made for me a few times.  It was so good and he has taught me to make it but I rarely do because of the thick fattening cream sauce.  While making the recipe from Cooking Light, I realized I can use the same technique in Jerry's recipe & cut much of the fat.  This was a very exciting revelation because I love baked pasta dishes, especially when those pasta dishes consist of squash or sweet potato.  I may just leave the parsnips out and roast those to eat solo from now on.

This is a terrible picture but... at least I took one.... AFTER we ate 1/2 the tray haha