Hibernation is Not an Option: The Stir-Crazy Guide to Winter

Winter. It's cold, bitter, windy. And it's only January. So far, this winter has been rather wicked and most days, I'll walk into work wearing my fabulous Penguin hat, smile and explain that it's really warm to the fashionably impaired co-workers and sit down at my cube, huddling over my keyboard as if it were an oil drum filled with fire (ok, the hat can give off that Cousin Eddie vibe if worn with the wrong outfit).

Despite the slap in your face winter doles out each time I step out my door, I don't mind these wintry months, as long as the sun continues to shine. Hibernation through these weather conditions is indeed an option; one I respect, but can not fully get behind, no matter how hard it colds. That being said, there are activities done in warm weather that are just ludicrous in every way shape and form when placed in cold weather. Such as walking your puppy (for the fourth time) on a work night, when your dinner has just been scooped and the steam rising off it smells of heaven. I curse Winter then. I admit, I've become victim to the laziness that Winter curses you with and have let my dog out on my snow covered deck, trying to convince myself that allowing it isn't the most disgusting thing I've ever done. Well my friends, when you find yourself shoveling your deck in shame so the neighbors don't judge you, then you know that Winter has won.

So, yes, Winter can be a beast that beats you out of leaving your house, but only if you let it. Being cut out of the stir-crazy cloth, I look at this season as a challenge, one I will come out of victoriously. I have had to tag-team the challenge though, with someone who shares the same mindset: Hibernation is not an option!

Brad and I really started tackling Winter last weekend, when Saturday night brought us into Manayunk. Known for it's god-awful parking and cobblestone streets, we knew what we were getting ourselves into and laughed in the face of Winter. Wearing my highest of heels, bringing a jacket (I've left behind the days of running to the bar without a coat), we marched into Bourbon Blue without hesitation. Go big or Go home.

Sunday continued the Winter fun, and we moseyed into Philadelphia, with skating on the brain.

Being my first time at the Blue Cross Riverrink, the thought of ice skating on the river on this beautifully sunny day all but made me giggle out loud. With Music pumping through the outside speakers, my rented skates did me proud. Bundled in my winter garb, it was a Zamboni of an afternoon.

Having skated our tuchcuses off, we needed warmth and a Winter Night Cap, so headed to Eulogy, a Belgium Bar I had walked past a dozen times, yet never ventured into. Stories of their beer selection resonated as I opened the massive volume that was their beer menu. Oh, rejoice, for Winter hath brought me to this haven.

During the week, I am, however, guilty of being Winter Whipped. Monday night, I surrendered to the treadmill, running two miles while Winter winds howled with laughter. Tuesday reared it's ugly seasonality with ice and freezing rain. Yes, I remained inside that day, Winter, you bastard. Working from home, I cut my losses, not even leaving for the gym. Doing floor exercises with a small puppy proved to be quite a challenge. How I do love a challenge.

Wednesday found me indoors as well, but I had actually planned it that way. My family room doubles as a Yoga studio on Wednesday evenings, and my girl Jess and I stretch and bend with Sting's wife and her Indian friend, who in our opinion, should wear some looser pants. Post Om, my dad came for Turkey Sloppy Joes (wad up Manwich!). Cooking during the days where going out either isn't an option or is a choice, will forever be a go-to. New recipes (or throw-backs) offer much needed relief from the hum-drum of Winter nights.

Thursday came in the nick of time and Restaurant Week beckoned. Despite the frigid temps, I headed to the train, walked the 9 blocks to 3rd and Market and parked my cold rump on Fork's bar stool to warm up with some wine while I waited for Brad. A warm room filled with hipster waiters, beautifully dressed patrons, I noted that I'd need to head back to dine one day. The smell alone could coerce you from your Winter warmth. After enjoying some sips, we marched the hundred feet to Bistro 7 . Frog green walls, similar to my kitchen, warm lighting, delicious aromas. The Restaurant Week menu offered a small selection that varied from their menu, and all seemed delicious. My winter greens & granny smith apple salad, cut-with-a-fork tender pork and sweet potato and chocolate malted pot de creme exceeded my expectations. The Calluna wine we brought didn't hurt the splendor either!

Arrive Friday, a night of Baggataway's wings and allagash white, followed by Chinese food and On Demand...this wasn't a Winter surrender, this was a perfect night. Saturday promised a full plate of Winter fun and my appetite was huge. After running 4 miles at the gym (longest distance I've yet to run, thank you very much), we ran some errands (bought my first pair of running shoes I've ever bough with the sole purpose of running) then headed out for an afternoon of Winery Hopping.

Black Walnut Winery paired signature wines with delectable, locally grown goat cheese. The Chardonnay 2007 and Herb de Provence Chevre....oh yes. My Favorite? Pinot Noir 2008 and the Crottin aged cheese. Cheese and wine...could you do anything better on a Winter day!? Post goat, we headed to Kog Hill, a winery that looks like the boxed wine of wineries from the outside. If there was ever a time to not judge a book by its cover or a winery by it's box-filled store-front! Inside, we were handed glasses and told that for the $5 dollar tasting fee, we were able to taste all wines made on premises and keep the glass! My frugality leaped for joy! Now, for someone with a decent palate, again, the tasting room lacked in luster, so the deal needed to put it's grapes where it's wine was. I soon bit my tongue, as almost all wines sampled were tasty! About 20 wine samplings later (we closed the tasting room down!), I left with 6 bottles of Kog and a smile on my Wintry Chapped face.

Take that Winter!

Weekly Dish

The third week in January has crept up on me and looking back on last week, I realize 2011 has been good thus far! A bit of a pre-mature statement maybe, seeing as the winter weather has just started, but with a VPN enabled laptop, I say bring on the weather! When you're able to work from home, a whole new perspective creeps in...and going into the office, well, that's just creepy. Two work from home days (thank you mother nature), yoga with miss Jess, make your own taco night with M & J, plus a happy hour with my work people (the not-so-creepy ones), last week was quite all right.

So, rear view mirroring it, last week flew by and while work filled my days, my nights were spent with substance. It went a little something like this...

Starting with a 2 1/2 mile run on Monday, my appetite for meat grew ferociously...chops to be exact.

This delightfully simple recipe made my night. And when we noticed we didn't have pork chops, we hacked up a pork loin into 1/4 inch slices and did it up. Improvising at its finest. These babies were coated in salt, pepper & paprika, then browned on both sides. Once cooked, they were smothered in a Dijon sauce that wouldn't quit - it was tangy, creamy goodness. Sided with long grain rice mixed with chopped almonds...a Monday night worthy of a Thursday.

Tuesday promised Zen, with the weekly Yoga session I've been having with Jess. Despite the downward facing dog with an actual dog in your face, we practiced beautifully. I can't speak for her, but our Yoga nights help propel my motion forward (and listening to Sting instrumentals doesn't hurt either). Thank you Trudie Styler. I'm still not sure how you're able to put your head on the ground from a standing position.

I spent Wednesday working from home due to Tuesday's snow (see Brad in shorts, shoveling, below). This proved useful for prepping that night's dinner party dish early, allowing for a quickie at the gym...and by quickie, I mean only 2 miles. And to be honest, that was a stretch! How the hell am I ever going to run Broad Street!

After surviving my embarrassing run, we returned home to prepare for make your own taco night with Meg & Justin. Using the extremely adorable polka dotted bowls I received for Christmas (I love being an adult, getting excited by glass wear with as much zest as a Cabbage Patch doll once had), we put all fixins out and prepared the filling: black beans & rice with lime & garlic shrimp, for the vegetarian and chicken & peppers for us carnivores. Word to the wise...never use Trader Joe's no-defrost necessary chicken. I do not mean to speak ill of this sacred store, but we followed all cooking instructions, following the 'no thawing necessary' note, and it took an hour and a half to cook. No thawing my ass!

But, despite having to start the meal pre-main course, the night turned out extremely well. Talk turned wedding (on my que, actually) as they are 6 months from their wedding date. Calm, Cool, Collected and Matter-of-Fact, Meg answered questions and discussed their magical date. I, on the other hand, admitted to my wedding jitters...for the wedding I hadn't even planned yet. More wine please!

Happy Hour followed suite on Thursday and my work chums and I headed to the Brick House, where the waitresses wore mid-driffs and the beer towers were shotty. A fun night indeed.

Friday, happy Friday, with Chicken Rollatini and huge glasses of Coppala. Perfect end to the week.

Looking out the window currently, I'm having deja vu of last Tuesday's snow, although I could do without the freezing rain. It was a beautiful winter night, one filled with snowy craziness outside and comfort food inside.



So, a slight glance back at the week in meals. What better way to spend a week, but filled with good food, wine and wintry weather?

Cheap Cate A Penny Pinching Fiance

It's inevitable. Unavoidable. Blatantly obvious, yet naively forgotten. Instills nausea, rash, shaking, uncontrollable outbursts of 'Oh My God!'

The Wedding Budget.

After the ring, the romance, the presenting of the left hand at all functions, after a bit of the excitment dies down, the actuality of the big event settles in. This huge romantic gesture that has just transpired, the asking of the most beautiful question to the one person you see yourself with, by your side, for the remainder of your days, all of that takes a back seat to the next step in the story. Rapid fire questions follow, from those who were just gushing about how, 'You have to remember every moment of this exciting time!' It's only natural to ask certain things in the hubbub...

When are you getting married?

During our time in Ireland, no wedding talk had been allowed, being as I didn't want that to overshadow our amazing journey. Live in the moment, enjoy this beautiful country and plan only the roads we'll travel that day. A marvelous way to live, while we could. Flying home from Ireland, after the first (of what we'll spend the rest of our lives making many) international vacation, we started discussing, just for fun, the wedding list. This will determine a lot in the overall scheme of wedding shennanigans. So, we allowed ourselves to drink from the wedding goblet, to see how easily we swallowed. But, having never been exposed to such an elixir, I was soon woozy, as I had been drinking the meade at Bunratty Castle.

Needless to say, I've learned quite a bit about the whole engagement process, how to handle the finances of being engaged, and what to do when the spreadsheet that lays before you has many line items on it. What exactly have I learned? To keep it simple, like most financial decisions I make.

Being betrothed to a financial minded man, a man who works with numbers and figures, a man who has done my taxes the past two years and who manages my small, but wildly optimistic portfolio, well, this man and I see eye to eye on most financial situations. Experiencing joy has never been as sweet as when someone else shares your hobby of penny pinching.

Put a sweater on if you're cold. Is the restaurant byo? What's on sale this week at the groccery store? Happy Hour speacials at Baggataways. Oh, I can feel the love.

So, as I sat next to this wonderfully, fiscally responsible man, with a budget inbetween us I had hopes that he too would share my passion to hang onto those dollar signs, to slash and edit the numbers to a total that did not make me dizzy. Were his palms as sweaty? Was he kidding when he agreed to use construction paper to make our own invitations? Did he also want to serve hamburgers and hot dogs, while an ipod shuffled in the background?

Well, what he did when all of my money neurosis came bubbling to the surface exceeds all bars I may have set. He patiently shut down the laptop that held that horrid number, looked me right in the eye and uttered music to my ears...

"Let's party."

All the questions, concerns, figures, venues, head counts, all the other 'stuff' that weasels its way into the equation doesn't matter. There's no rush, no deadline, no clock ticking. Life continues without plans and sometimes, makes more sense that way. I took a deep breathe, grabbed my goblet of wine and cheersed the man who knew what I needed.

As a little girl, I never dreamed of my wedding....maybe I knew the real thing was worth waiting for.

Let's party, indeed!

Let Me Entertain Me

Sunday night blues don't happen to me often. Those of a certain age or lifestyle that no longer seems to fit me, may think I'm referring to the Sunday Scarries. This whole other state of mind need only one remedy I can remember: sleep, hair of the dog, hindsight. In college, I was afforded the luxury of sleep and did so with ease on those post weekend night days. As I grew slightly older and sot-of up, functioning on the weekends became a necessity and brunch bloodymary’s seemed to help for a short period of time. Finally, I arrived at hind-sight, where the nostalgic nausea remained in the forefront of my Friday and Saturday nights, allowing me enjoyment without morning regret. Now, every now and then hindsight can’t be found, no matter how hard I look, and I’m awoken by my little puppy, lapping my face at 7:30am (rain, shine, or Sunday Scarries) as if to say, “Mommy, Mommy, what were you thinking!? Now, let’s play!”

Sunday Blues don’t require sleep (although that often leads to the diagnosis) and the hair of the dog won’t cure them, as there never was a dog. They can be summed up as a weekend where you had every good intention of being productive, imaginative and adventurous, but somehow, fell short of the pedestal you had originally put these two coveted days on. Hindsight arrives and you are left wanting those days back, not to erase the mistakes you made, but to fill in the wholes that have led you with an anti-climatic Sunday night. I may be suffering from the over-ambitious, need for constant stimulation disease, or I may need to start doing more things alone, for lack of a partner in crime that feels the need to fill every moment. Jury's still out. Here's how it unfolded...





Sunday Blues, in this particular case, washed over me earlier in the day, as I was driving home from my Winter Series 5k in West Chester. Yes, I ran in this 27 degree weather and have the chapped cheeks to prove it! The race had been postponed from it's original date, Saturday. Saturday, for those on the east coast, brought freezing temperatures and snow flurries. A Winter Wonderland.....of Boredom it turned out (although that term is highly subjective for those who are content to just sit and be and not spazzes, as I am trying to recognize about myself).

After news of the race postponement that Saturday morning at 8:00 am, I found myself all dressed and ready with the whole day spreading before me. Joy?! Being the planner that I am, with no errands to run, no agenda's to adhere to that morning, we decided to take a long, wintry walk with our pup, followed by a mile run at the gym paired with a floor circuit. A great way to start the snowy morning! Now what? Most normal people would probably enjoy the winter solitude, the instant snow day lax you're allowed in that kind of weather. Not me. I immediately, almost frantically thought of indoor activities to partake in and came up with one of my favorite. Food. Leafing through my recipe bible, I found several recipes to create that week, formed a shopping list of necessary ingredients and proclaimed, "We need to go to the store!" Instant plan.




Heading to our local Giant, we gathered the food morsels needed for the coming week and stumbled upon an amazing discovery. The grocery store florist. We've recently flirted with the topic of Wedding, so unearthing this major piece of the wedding puzzle blew me away. Sending the above photo immediately to my mom with a "Found my Boutque" description had the satisfaction that came with crossing off a to do list item. Her response? "Very funny. You're not getting your flowers from Giant." Oh, mother, how the wheels of completion have already started spinning! The savings will be astronomical!

After the floral goldmind, we headed home to hang for the remainder of the day. Watched the flyers, did some wash, drank some Shock Tops. Just a snowy afternoon menagery of activity. Dinner arrived and Brad made Mega Bagel Burgers topped with provolone cheese & gucamole, sided with cajun brussel sprouts. It hit the spot. That evening we were heading to Mad River in Manayunk to catch up with some of my old Kutztwon buds, so got ready and hit the R6. Good times.

Sunday morning arrived and I hit the road for my 5K, leaving the Sunday Scarries home.

So, as I type out the things I accomplished, ate, saw, ran, planned this weekend, I am re-thinking my initial purpose of posting and considering myself a bit, well, nutty. Constant stimulation through back-to-back activity has many forms. What one person may see as a under-rated, couch-filled, in the house way too much weekend, another may see as a much needed break from an over-indulgent activity driven life, sprinkled with some pretty impressive (if I do say so myself) excercise, tasty treats, much needed reunions and an amazing partner in crime to share it with. I'm leaning toward the latter myself.



Happy Sunday!

Weekly Dish

Food, glorious food. It's a wonderful thing. Fuel for the mind & body. The centerpiece for gathering around family and loved ones. A creative outlet where herbs and spices paint the picture. Delicious bursts of wonderment with each bite...and I've gotten carried away.


In the past few years, I've fallen in love with food in a borderline Foodie way. Eating, the obvious, easiest way to lap up the goodness and cooking, which has become one of my favorite things to do. When the excitement I feel for planning a vacation mirrors that I feel when selecting a recipe, well, I know the extent of this love affair. I flip feverishly through each month's subscription to Cooking Light, searching for those have to make dishes that will liven my week and inspire my taste buds. I may have a problem.

Since I've adopted this let's just call it 'hobby' (so not to seem creepy) I've acquired quite a collection of magazines that hold these nuggets of gold we foodies use to make our masterpieces. Needless to say, after years of a loving, adoring relationship, the stacks of pages piled up, overflowed and cramped much of my living spaces. What to do with these momentum's, collected through the years together? As I was told, so I did. "Throw them out!"


It was not a heartless parting, mind you. Quite the opposite. Hours were spent extracting these gems, seperating the piles into appetizers, chicken, meat, pasta, pizza, salad, dessert, vegetables, sauces...oh there was definitely a method to my madness. A big black binder, stuffed with these chapters of menu bliss, came into my life. It was an end to my weekday angst, an end to the endless search for fullfilment in a last minute creation. I now had my Food Bible.


From then on, I would sit down on a Sunday night and choose two or three new recipes to make that week. Now, religiously? No, not every week. In lieu of actual plans? No, if Brad and I made plans with friends, family, or each other, we'd forgo our cooking ritual to explore outside the kitchen. But this helped keep my love for cooking moving forward. Which happens to be what I'd need to do after all those meals...move forward.


Here's the past week of dishes painted in pictures...minus Wednesday's meal, where I was too hungry to take a picture (homemade split pea soup & turkey bacon, apple and provolone grilled cheese) and Thursday (spent at StoneRose, with lots of wine & wedding talk...a subject that deserves it's own post).





Sunday Potstickers & Spring Rolls, made with chicken, chopped carrots and shredded zucchini rolled up into wonton wrappers and fried in peanut oil. Oh yes, they were delicious.


Cajun Shrimp & Orzo pasta in a white wine garlic & caper sauce. Interesting combination, with an extremely delicious sauce with a spicey finish.


Mini Meatloaves with a roasted red pepper & artichoke pasta salad. I've never made meatloaf in a muffin pan, but let me tell you, what a managable meal, especially when you are cooking for two or watching your figure. There's no way to over-eat when you have a muffin sized portion.

All-in-all, a fabulously food-filled week!

Filling in all the Blanks in the New Year

Where the heck did 2010 go? As I sit, typing, swearing I will use this space as I first intended to when I set it up a hundred years ago (an outlet for stories, ideas, travels, things I've done and think and all that stuff) I'm reflecting on the past year and honestly, it's been a blur. My fleeting memory has been the cause of oh too many arguments, but honestly, without written proof of accomplishments, although I know there are many, I'm not really sure where the past 365 days have gone. So, I'm going to outline them here, so next year, when sitting down to write the first blog of the New Year I'm not fumbling around my memory (So help me, I will be writing more frequently or else...) Without further hesitation or procrastination here are the momentous occurrences of my 2010:

January
New Year's Eve 2010: a night spent with a few close friends within a 5 mile radius of our home in Conshohocken. When midnight stuck, I toasted my wonderful boyfriend in the comfort of our own home, and came to the realization that there was no where in the world I'd rather be at that particular moment (he could probably argue that that lasted about 5 minutes, at which time I started planning what we would do next).

February
South Africa: 3 weeks took me on a trip of a lifetime, where my eyes were saturated with awesome wonders, both breathtaking and heartbreaking, and my view of the world forever altered.

March & April & May

Music, Restaurants, Cooking, Puppy play dates, Stone Harbor Seafood festival & boat show, Brad's Employment, BBQ's, Parties, Home improvements: a spring filled with forward motion and lots of fun. Special mention to Johnny Brenda's, where the band was loud, Cafette, where the company & ambiance glowed, Ristorante Luciano's, where the food was delicious and Groupons, where the deals were plentiful.

June
The first of the 30's: one of my best girlfriend's turned 30 in NYC and I went to celebrate the occasion. After a 3 hour champagne boat tour around Manhattan, countless buckets of coronas at the Frying Pan and an unforgettable time at the Boat Basin, 30 turned out to be the best kind of birthday.

July & August

Mi Casa es Su Casa y Su puppy's Casa: the summer months were spent with friends and their puppy's and our house became a safe haven for many traveling between circumstances. I loved the company and the dinning al fresco.

September

Birthday's & Bachelorette's: another season and another girlfriend turned over the 30 leaf, where celebration of Aqua proportion ensued, my sweet puppy turned 1, so I threw her a party with all her chums, and a friend's pre-wedding ritual pointed me to the Pocono's, where a lake house weekend made me nostalgic for the beach house days on one hand and thankful for the quiet, grown-up retreat of my town-house. Boy, we sure had fun though!

October
Canoeing, Camping, Carving, Celebrating: one of my favorite season's, fall 2010 did not disappoint. The 4th year in a row I Peddaled, Paddled and Paced, I partnered with Brad for his second Marshalton Triathlon, where we beat our 2009 time. A final camping trip followed with our little Winnie, where a leash incident lit us up with laughter (after we put out the fire that is). Listening to Phils play over the radio, eating smores and sitting around a fire really makes for a good trip. One other fall bullet of course includes pumpkins, apples and dressing up like a giant gingerbread man. Winnie's little puppy face glowed on our porch for all Hallows Eve, while I flexed my muscles. Happy Halloween & Happy Birthday Brad!


November
Momentous Milestones: Turned 30, went to Ireland, Got engaged. Too many words could describe these amazing events, but to sum them up in one: Unforgettable

December

A Flurry of Festivities & Christmas at home: the month started with New York, for a whirlwind week, including a Broadway show, Memphis, Holiday window watching, and eating amazing dinners. Then, with the tree trimmed and the house warm with the smell of home-baked cookies, Brad and I celebrated our first Christmas not only as an engaged couple, but the first holiday spent together. It was how it should be.

So, in a fee simple paragraphs, I've summed up 2010 and have realized, while reviewing each month, my year was packed with goodness. Assuming my obsessive planning will continue into 2011, I'm hoping to fill along the blanks as I go.

Happy New Year!