December 2007 Archives

Well, sort of. Ann's off today, so I'll only be doing a little bit of "real" work. We've got plans to do a bit of yard work and go for a walk. And we'll be struggling to stay up until 12:01 tonight. Hoping we can make it.

I'm working on a logo for the Alabama Scenic Byways program--haven't gotten it just where I wanted it, but there is interest in showcasing the pine tree somehow on the signage, so here's one of the designs I've come up with so far. The font for "Alabama" is the standard font used by the Tourism Department, so I went with that for the whole sign. I've also done another using a sans serif font for readability. I'll talk with the sign department at ALDOT on what they think will work.

Wow. We took down the Christmas Tree today. Hauling the decorations up from the basement makes it seem like we have a million ornaments. Once they get on our tree, it seems like we  have 10 or so. Putting them all up and taking them back to the basement, again--seems like we have a million. We have boxes and boxes, but the tree seems bare. Oh well. We'll get more before they go off sale this winter.

It is always fun to take the tree down, though. I think I have at least 1 picture of each of our trees. I'll have to check. Happy New Year to everyone!!!

The other day I was thinking back on all the recipes that I created when I worked at Southern Progress for Weight Watchers Magazine. I hardly use any of the recipes I created and only a handful of those that I tasted. Not sure why, as there really were some pretty tasty ones. My all-time favorite and most used recipe from those days is the Shrimp Gumbo recipe posted a few days ago. The recipe that I use most often now is for homemade pizza. I start with a sourdough starter (purchased from King Arthur Flour after I killed the starter my sister Margaret gave me). Into that cup of starter goes the following:
1.5 cups of bottled water
3 cups all purpose unbleached flour

Mix well and let sit in a warm place for 2-4 hours, until it starts to bubble.
Add:
1 cup bread flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1-2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

I use my Kitchenaid mixer at this point to make the dough and to knead it, adding up to 1.5 cups more unbleached flour as I go until I get the consistency right (this is what has taken me a bit of time to understand just what the right consistency is). Usually, I mix it for 8-10 minutes, though. Turn this out into a bowl coated with olive oil. Let rise for 1 hour. I then separate the dough into 3 balls of more or less equal size. One goes into a bowl to rise a little longer. The other two go into ziploc bags for later and into the fridge.

At this point, turn the oven to 450 with a pizza stone in it. I've tried rolling the dough out and hand shaping it (hand shaping works okay and works even better if you use a cup of Italian 00 flour to soften the dough up instead of some of the bread and whole wheat flour). I like to roll it out though--easier and more even.

Once rolled, it should make about a 12 inch thin crust pizza dough. Now is a good time to get together your ingredients to top the pizza. I use mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses as I favorite cheeses, along with the occasional feta.  Fresh garlic is also great. Fresh tomatoes when in season along with some fresh herbs like basil and that's about all you need. You can also add some good Italian meats, mushrooms, fresh spinach, whatever, but this isn't a Pizza Hut pizza, so double the toppings aren't good.

Brush dough with olive oil and slip onto the heated stone (I sprinkle the pizza stone with grits to keep it from sticking). Let bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven to pizza peel. Increase oven temp to 525.

Top the pizza with a sprinkle of cheese, garlic and herbs, then the veggies and finally with the remaining cheese. Back into the oven for 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on it--you want a little golden color on the top, but don't burn. Remove and slice. Yum!

Well, most of them anyway. I planted all sorts of bulbs all around the house today. It took about 2 hours of constant work, but it will be beautiful, I hope, in a couple of years. It was lots more work to plant them than it was to dig them up, though. Ann's mom gave me a game for the Playstation 3 (Call of Duty 4), so I'm off to play that shortly. First, I have to run to the store to pick up some cheese for our pizza tonight. Made homemade sourdough bread for Christmas yesterday and pulled enough dough out to make a pizza tonight.

Well, Christmas has come and just about gone. Ann and I had a great time in Octagon. Going down the day before was wonderful--I got a touch of the OCD and dug about 150 bulbs--not even sure where I'll find a place for them all, but will do that this coming weekend, assuming good weather. Most excited about the few bulbs I dug that came from Mama's mother's mother's house. That's pretty cool.

Ann combined two of my loves for a most excellent Christmas gift--a beautiful, handmade Damascus steel kitchen knife. Really, really beautiful and amazingly useful. Love it. Anyway, here are some photos from our trip to Octagon. Merry Christmas to everyone!
Christmas 2007

Ann and I are getting ready to head south. Last night I made a little gumbo to take with us (and for us to eat last night). It is a recipe I developed back in 1998 or so for Weight Watchers Magazine that has never been used. I've changed it around a bit since those days, adding a little more oil and flour to my roux, adding more vegetables and seasoning. The original called for using bacon grease as part of the oil for making the roux. Overall, I think it is a really tasty gumbo recipe. I serve it with file powder, tobasco sauce and saltine crackers.

Shrimp Gumbo

3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups hot water, divided
1 1/2 cup cut okra
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 - 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
3 bay leaves
1 1/4 pounds medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1( 8-ounce) container standard oysters, undrained  
2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
5 cups hot cooked long grain rice

Add oil and flour to large Dutch oven; cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, 10-20 minutes or until very brown. (the color of rich milk chocolate is the color I look for)

Slowly add onion and next 3 ingredients; reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes. Very slowly add 2 cups hot water, stirring well. Add okra, and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add shrimp and oysters; cook 10 minutes or until seafood is done. Stir in hot sauce. Discard bay leaves. Spoon 1/2-cup rice into each serving bowl; add 1 cup gumbo. Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup gumbo, 1/2 cup rice).

Ann and I are getting ready to head to Octagon for the annual Watts Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. It will be different this year, but it will still be good to see all the family and enjoy some good quality togetherness. It always seems better to me when we are all together. I'm really excited over some of the stuff Ann and I have picked out as gifts. I hope everyone else likes them, too.

Here are some memories of Christmas Past:
Christmas 2002
Christmas 2003
Christmas 2004
Christmas 2005
Christmas 2006
Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

If you ever happen to hear a baby crying when talking to me on the phone, have no fear--we haven't had children. Burmese cats sound a lot like crying babies. Roxy, in the photo, is the worst about creating a fuss.

She'll sit outside my office for half an hour or more and howl until I come out. At that point, she hurls herself up towards my chest and starts to purr.

It can get a little old, but overall it makes you feel pretty good. You just can't get that kind of "urgent, got to have it" love from anything else. And yes, she does stroll around with her tongue sticking out, though she does it less lately.

Ann took this photo earlier this summer shortly after we got a new lens (a wide angle 17-40). Thus the distortion.

Here's an idea for a last minute Christmas gift, and one that really can make a difference. Give someone a calendar for 2008 from Alzheimer's of Central Alabama. Okay, it's a plug for something I worked on, but still, pretty worthy when you think about it. The proceeds from the calendar sales go to fund the mission of ACA--which is to help people with Alzheimer's and the people who care for them. Visit www.alzca.org and you can buy the calendar online (using paypal, so you are safe as can be).
The brightly colored flowers of the cover art were created by 86 year old Dapsie, who was born in Briarwood. Her family of four children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren tell us that she was a wonderful seamstress and cook.  Dapsie, who has lived in Tuscaloosa for over fifty years, is known for having a smile as bright as this artwork and for being very generous with hugs!

All the art is created by Alzheimer's patients--several area nursing homes have art therapy programs and reportedly the creation of art gives the patients something rewarding to work on and can help them have a more enjoyable life.

Just a thought!

Ever since I can remember, my Aunt Gladys made chocolate chip cookies for me every Christmas. She passed away several years ago and hadn't been able to make cookies for a few years before that, but every time I bite into a chocolate chip cookie, I think of her. There was really nothing like watching her pull those trays of cookies out of the oven.

She was one of those people that lived an amazing life, another of those folks from the greatest generation. She moved to Alaska before World War II and lived there for over 20 years. She taught school and met her husband (Uncle Edward) while in Alaska.  They even used a dog sled to commute sometimes. This is her in an early photo (I have tray upon tray of Uncle Edward's photos--his love of photography is something I picked up too). A different world...

Anyway, about 9 years ago, while working at Southern Progress (a publishing company that produces Cooking Light and Southern Living) I submitted a recipe for my Aunt Gladys' Chocolate Chip cookies. It ran, along with a short story about her, in the book Christmas with Southern Living. I, of course, gave a copy to her and lots of family members--she was pleased. Nothing else on that for these 9 years, but then, just last week one of my sisters got the recipe in an email from her recipe a day email newsletter--lo and behold, there it was. Here's a link: cookies

Ann and I recently (well, several months ago, actually) watched the Ken Burns documentary, The War. I'd suggest anyone who hasn't seen it watch it. I have always been interested in WWII, but watching this really got me thinking. These folks really were the greatest generation. And listen to the music that goes along with it--I'd be hard-pressed to find better music than some of the awesome music on the soundtrack. Benny Goodman. I really wish that my father had been around to watch this--and I know that my mother would have been glued to the TV--this would have been an easy Christmas present for them both.

I guess what made me think of this today was that I was chatting with someone yesterday and mentioned the series to them. They hadn't watched it. For some reason, when it was announced I think I thought of it like it was the Super Bowl. I still can't even begin to imagine why anyone didn't watch it, but if you are one of those that hasn't just go ahead and start watching NOW!

If you have not watched this series, you owe it to yourself--and all the men and women who gave their lives, their hearts, and their time to fighting for the world--to watch it. I understand my Dad and my Mom better after having watched it and having seen more about what they went through. (Papa was in the Pacific Theater, who is shown in the photo--he's the fellow on the left--,and was really on the front line. His brothers were in the European Theater--one was shot down over Germany and captured and another was one of the troops that invaded on D-Day. Mama was in college at the time, but worked with the Red Cross and also went to Mobile one summer to work doing her part. And everyone talked about rationing and worrying.)

Just finished designing a website for an insurance company in town. The site still needs to be built out, but the overall layout and template are completed. Now, all that's left is gathering the information and deciding the best way to handle some of the submenus--but that should be pretty straightforward.

I'm also in the process of developing a couple more sites. Got a really nice compliment the other day on one of my personal favorite sites (not so much from the design, but from the actual content.) www.yourtownalabama.org/news/index.php. I was giving part of a presentation on marketing strategies as they relate to tourism and was introducing myself. I explained  what I'd be doing as part of the team of people working on the Southwest Alabama tourism initiative. Someone who knows me also chimed in that I do work for Your Town Alabama, the Alabama Scenic Byways Program and a few other things. About an hour later, we went around the room and asked everyone to talk about themselves and explain what they did. One of the people stood up and said that, before she started talking about herself, she wanted to thank me for the Your Town Alabama newsletter. She went on to say that it was full of useful information--everybody loves to find out about grants they can apply for and what's going on in communities around them. It is always really cool to have someone thank you for something--especially something that you enjoy working on.

Ann and I are getting ready to go south for a day or two and I've been going through old photos of my family. This is really one of my favorites. (I'm the one driving the tractor.)

This year will be a really hard Christmas, but it is great that all 5 of my sisters will be at the house for Christmas, along with Ann, of course.

Well, enough about family--it is 7 a.m. here and time to get to work.

Always excited to finish a project--even though this one comes around fresh each month with a new issue. I've been doing the Sierra Club's newsletter for several years now and it is one of those projects that I really enjoy being involved with--lots of interesting information to read and sort through when deciding what fits. When I started, the newsletter was mostly filled with national, and even international, news. As it has grown and become more a part of the Alabama Chapter, more and more people now contribute to each issue to the point where (other than a little short filler here and there) it is almost entirely about Alabama and the Southeast.

Best of all, as I was finishing this issue up, I got a great compliment sent my way:

"I wanted you to read the message that a long time Sierra Club member sent when she mailed the clip out card regarding improving fisheries management to Gov. Riley.
 
She sent a Sierra Club card (with an adorable sea otter on it) and the clip out regarding fisheries, the card read:
 
I’m using this clip out message to Governor Riley to express my appreciation to all who produce the splendid “Alabama Sierran” newsletter. It is the best publication ever and I always enjoy reading it from cover to cover! The message to the governor is an example of making it easier to contact officials which I don’t always do on my own. As a long time member who is not able to be active thanks for keeping me informed."

That was pretty nice.

Here's our Christmas tree for 2007. We decorated it last Sunday and bought it from the Boy Scouts.

Here goes nothing. Not really a lot to say in this first blog post. Other than that we went out and purchased a tree yesterday for Christmas and discovered that we had discarded the lights so, off this morning to get new lights and finish decorating the tree.