Monday

It’s been a minute, as we say. I finally got serious about this book that’s due in five weeks. About time! But still, life goes on. Let’s digest.

Writing: I’m in Living Faith today. Go here for that.

As I said, work on a book due on 1/15 proceeds apace. My goal is to have 2/3 of it done by 12/19, take a week’s break, and then finish it up. Very doable. Shockingly so.

It’s the feast of St. Nicholas, and I would have been hectoring you to take a look at the pamphlet I wrote published by Creative Communications, but they’ve put it out of print. So much for that! You can get a glimpse of the past here, in this pdf sample.

More St. Nicholas, of course, in the Loyola Kids Book of Saints.

And most of all – at the St. Nicholas Center!

I’m also thinking I’m going to add a regular feature to this blog, especially with the end of 7 Quick Takes. I need a space to just indulge my librarian-genes (I wasn’t one, but my mother was, and I would be an excellent one) and share….stuff. Random things. Trifles. So I may make that a daily thing. Let’s meet the other writing goals today and then think about that some more.

Reading: Sadly, not much, except for the research.

Watching: Pickup on South Street, looked at here.

Well, it’s a Monday in the fall, which means a new SEC Shorts is out. I don’t know much about football, but I always enjoy these, partly because of the Birmingham connection – I can usually figure out where the outdoor scenes are filmed, and a couple have been taped in the park across the road from my house. Which is just to say that the Birmingham Bowl Makeover in this one is…on point.

Are you next to a Top Golf, too?

Cooking: I got a smoked turkey from a barbecue place for Thanksgiving – partly because I love smoked turkey and partly because I didn’t want to bother cooking a bird with any method – and the verdict? Initial consumption experience: excellent. But it does dry out a lot more quickly that a brined, roasted bird, plus of course, there’s no roast-produced fat or juice for gravy making (I improvised using a prepared base. Still not as good). And considering there were only three of us, leftovers were a factor. It took me a couple of days to get up the strength, but I finally managed to get as much meat as I could off the bones, freeze that, and then make stock with the rest.

The point being – first use of leftovers was turkey tetrazzini, using a recipe from the Fannie Farmer cookbook that can be found here. It’s a staple around here (either with chicken or turkey around this time of year), and it’s delicious.

Last night, something unusual happened: I made something that I have absolutely no desire to eat. It was requested that I attempt Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese – so I used this recipe. It was deemed a success, but I wouldn’t know because after small in-process tastings, I was done. Just too much. Too, too much.

I also had some pork chops in the freezer that I just wanted to get rid of, so I improvised a stew of sorts. Browned the chops, removed. Sauteed onions for a while, dumped in some mushrooms, sauteed that, dumped in some red wine, cooked it down. Put in a combination of beef and vegetable stock, cooked that down for a bit, returned the chops to the mix, threw in potatoes, carrots and celery, brought to a boil, took down to a simmer, cooked in the oven for a while. I was shocked at how good it was. Much better that gross buffalo chicken mac n cheese. Shudder.

Listen: It’s crazy around here. Forget Advent. From now until Christmas, it’s High Church and Recital Season. A blur. But since I’m not the driver anymore, I’m not the one who’s busy.

That’s his schedule…..