Paradise Bound

Starting tomorrow and until Friday I will be at the location pictured below. I will mostly likely not be checking my email while I'm there.

Yummy!

Scavenger Hunt

My friend Kellie sent me a link to the website for a company called Ravenchase Adventures. They create custom adventure races for any size group, occasion and level. Using riddles, anagrams, puzzles, actors, the far reaches of imagination and more, the races lead people through almost any city's landmarks and institutions (or any countryside's hidden secrets). They apparently also have "public events" in many locations, including: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington DC. Check it out!

Happy 2nd Anniversary

Happy 2nd Blogging Anniversary to my blogging friend and fellow Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers fan Mr. Shife of Confessions of a dumb white guy.

Ridiculous Real Estate

I thought the real estate market here in Northern Virginia was outrageous until I read this news story out of London.

Restaurant Week Winter 2007

Last week was Restaurant Week here in Washington DC. Restaurant Week is a semiannual event usually occurring in January and August. It is a really great chance to go to some wonderful (but other outrageously expensive) restaurants for “cheap.” You get a 3-course meal for $20.07 at lunch and $30.07 at dinner. Of course you have to pay for drinks, tax, and tip, but if you pick the right restaurant it is totally worth it.

The winter week usually falls around my sister Anna’s birthday (January 10th), so this year on her birthday we (me, Anna, her boyfriend Trevor, and my parents) went to Willow in Arlington. The service was somewhat lackluster, but the food was pretty good and the portions were by far the biggest. I had the following:

• Appetizer = Butternut Squash Bisque
• Entrée = Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Swiss Chard and Spicy Rosemary Dipping Sauce
• Dessert = Pear and Hazelnut Crumble with Danish Cream Ice Cream

On Saturday, I went to Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington DC with Anna and Trevor. This place is totally swank and we definitely felt a little out of our league, but then that’s probably what they expect during Restaurant Week. There were legions of different levels of servers. One to take our order, one two bring us our food, one to take it away. It was a little much and our “sous” waiter was actually better than our real waiter. I was pleased that they noted the note I made on my OpenTable reservation about it being a celebration for Anna’s birthday. They included a little strawberry with a candle stuck in it on her dessert plate. Willow was not so thoughtful. The food was great, but then I wouldn’t have expected anything less of a place that offers an entrée on their a la carte menu called “Porterhouse for 2” costing $82! I had the following:

• Appetizer = Potato and Leek Chowder
• Entrée = Pan Seared Halibut with Maryland Lump Crab Risotto and Beurre Blanc Sauce
• Dessert = Classic New York Style Cheesecake with Citrus Scented Blueberry Compote

On Sunday, I went to Colvin Run Tavern in Tyson’s Corner with my coworkers Jeff, Kellie, Therese and Hadley. We had all sorts of things to celebrate; Hadley and Kellie’s birthdays, Therese’s recent promotion and my graduation in December. I had to been Colvin Run twice before and knew it would be a good bet to satisfy everyone. I don’t think it disappointed this time. We all split a great bottle of wine (Riesling Kabinett, Weingut Rudolf Eilenz, Ayler Kupp, Mosel, 2005) and had a great time talking. I had the following:

• Appetizer = Salmon Tartar, Grav Lax and Herbed Crème fraîche, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
• Entrée = Roast Pork Loin with Apples, Red Cabbage, and Spoonbread
• Dessert = Warm Chocolate Soufflé with Vanilla Ice Cream

Fifty in Six?

Can you name all fifty US states in six minutes? Get a piece of paper and write the numbers 1 through 50 on it. Then set a timer for 6 minutes and see how you do. When I did it I had thirty seconds left and three blank spaces. I racked my brain, trying to picture a map in my head, but still couldn't come up with the last three. It's harder than you would think.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

The other night my parents, sister, her boyfriend and I enjoyed the following "gourmet" grilled cheese sandwiches. They are both from the cookbook "Grilled Cheese: 50 Recipes To Make You Melt" by Marlena Spieler (ISBN 0-8118-4129-4). Both were excellent and a departure from the standard grilled cheese sandwich, which is why I share them with you now.

Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and Fig Jam

4 soft French or Italian rolls (or half-baked if available)
10 - 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced
8 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
¼ - ½ cup fig jam or fig preserves, to taste
Soft butter for spreading on bread

Split each roll, and layer with mozzarella and prosciutto. Spread the top slices with the fig jam, then close up.

Lightly butter the outside of each sandwich.

Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or panini press over medium-high heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan, working in two batches depending on the size of the pan. Press the sandwiches or close the grill and brown, turning once or twice, until the bread is crisp and the cheese has melted. Though the rolls start off as round, one pressed they are considerably flatter and can be easily turned, albeit carefully.

Serve right away, cut on the diagonal.

Smoky Bacon and Cheddar with Chipotle Relish

Chipotle Relish
½ onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
6 tablespoons ketchup
¼ cup mild vinegar, such as white wine
3 tablespoons sugar
6 large cloves garlic, sliced
Generous pinch of ground cumin
Generous pinch of dried oregano leaves, crushed between the hands
Small pinch of cinnamon
Small pinch of ground cloves or allspice
Black pepper
Several big shakes of Worcestershire sauce
About 4 tablespoons chipotle sauce such as Tabasco or Buffala

Sandwiches
8 pieces smoky bacon, preferably meaty lean bacon such as Canadian
8 large slices rustic country bread such as sourdough, sliced medium thick
About 1 tablespoon brown mustard
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, thinly sliced
Olive oil for brushing bread
1 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

To make the Chipotle Relish (this can be done up to 2 days ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator): In a small heavy saucepan, combine the onions, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, then simmer a few minutes, until the onions begin to soften and the liquid thickens.

Remove from the heat and add the garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and as much chipotle sauce as you dare (best to taste as you go). Makes ½ to ¾ cup.

To make the sandwiches: Brown the bacon in a heavy nonstick pan until it is cooked but not crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and place on a piece of paper towel to drain.

Spread the mustard onto 1 side of 4 pieces of the bread. Top with the cheese, bacon, a smear of the Chipotle relish, and the second pieces of bread. Press together well to seal the filling in.

Brush the outside of each sandwich with olive oil. Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or a sandwich press over medium high heat. Lower heat to medium-low and brown the sandwiches, turning once or twice, pressing on the sandwiches gently with your spatula every so often if using a skillet, until the bread is crisp and golden and the cheese has melted.

Eat right away, with dabs of extra Chipotle Relish to taste, and a sprinkling of cilantro as garnish.

Happy New Year!

I realize that I've been a little lax in posting recently as it has been over two months since my last post. But don't think that I've just been sitting around twiddling my thumbs. In December I finally finished my Master's Degree program. It has been a long two and a half years and I am so glad to be done at last! Starting next week I'll be going to part time at my L&D job and starting a part time paid internship at a women's health clinic. Because my program was a Family Nurse Practitioner program and not a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program I didn't get quite as much obstetrics and gynecology experience as I would have hoped. I think the clinic will be a good place to get that experience. I have already done some clinical hours there during my last semester and really liked working the staff and patients there.

Everybody Knows That The World Is Full Of Stupid People

...and those people are the ones who weren't at the State Theatre Thursday night. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers put on a fantastic show. Although there was a pretty good sized crowd there, it seems that people around here don't quite understand how awesome this band is. I think many people are skeptical because they think RCPM is a country band, and while there is an element of country to some their songs, RCPM is a rock band too. The rock part is the driving beats and the sharp hooks and the country part is how you can dance to just about every song.

Roger Clyne is a fabulous performer live. He puts more into his performances that most performers I've seen. He has a good heart and a good demeanor and that comes through in his music and in his interactions with the audience. The man does tequila shots with the audience throughout the show and actually plays requests when people ask. The people at the show Thursday night were all clearly from the band's fiercely loyal fan base, singing along to every song. I know I'm a little hoarse this morning.

I'll leave you with a little YouTube video so that you know what you missed Thursday night if you weren't there. The video is actually from the show that RCPM did at the State Theatre back in April. That thing Roger throws behind him at the beginning of the video is a cup that was just seconds before filled with tequila. Enjoy!

Dagens Namn -- Vecka 43 (23 Oktober - 29 Oktober)

The name days for Week 43 (October 23 - October 29) are:

Monday, October 23 = Severin, Soren
Tuesday, October 24 = Evert, Ellert
Wednesday, October 25 = Inga, Ingalill
Thursday, October 26 = Amanda, Rasmus
Friday, October 27 = Sabina
Saturday, October 28 = Simon, Simone
Sunday, October 29 = Viola

Dagens Namn -- Vecka 42 (16 Oktober - 22 Oktober)

The name days for Week 42 (October 16 - October 22) are:

Monday, October 16 = Finn
Tuesday, October 17 = Antonia, Toini
Wednesday, October 18 = Lukas
Thursday, October 19 = Tore, Tor
Friday, October 20 = Sibylla
Saturday, October 21 = Ursula, Yrsa
Sunday, October 22 = Marika, Marita

Why are people so dumb? Resurrected!

You may recall that last fall I wrote of a number of posts entitled "Why are people so dumb?" After reading the following story this morning, I decided to resurrect the series...

ERIE, Pa. - A woman used her 4-week-old baby as a weapon in a domestic dispute, swinging the infant through the air and striking her boyfriend with the child, authorities said.

The boy was in serious but stable condition Monday at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, police said.

"Never, never, never. I can never remember anything like this," District Attorney Bradley Foulk told the Erie Times-News.

Chytoria Graham, 27, of Erie, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and simple assault. She was held Monday in the Erie County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.

The infant, whose name was not released, suffered a fractured skull and some bleeding in the brain, authorities said. His head hit Graham's boyfriend, the baby's father, police Lt. Dan Spizarny said.

Authorities removed four other children from Graham's home and placed them with the Erie County Office of Children and Youth, Foulk said.

Some peolpe should not be allowed to have children!

Dagens Namn -- Vecka 41 (9 Oktober - 15 Oktober)

The name days for Week 41 (October 9 - October 15) are:

Monday, October 9 = Ingrid, Inger
Tuesday, October 10 = Harry, Harriet
Wednesday, October 11 = Erling, Jarl
Thursday, October 12 = Valfrid, Manfred
Friday, October 13 = Berit, Birgit
Saturday, October 14 = Stellan
Sunday, October 15 = Hedvig, Hillevi

Kanelbullens Dag

In Sweden, today is Kanelbullens Dag (Cinnamon Bun Day). Apparently this is the seventh year it has been celebrated. Swedish cinnamon buns are very good, a little less sticky than your average American cinnamon bun. Not that I am complaining about American ones, they are just different. Sometimes the Swedes even add a little cardamom. My grandmother makes bullar all the time. We generally have them when we fika. Fika is a Swedish verb that roughly means "coffee break". The exact meaning, however, is generally hard to translate to any other language. One of my favortie places to fika is at Vete-Katten in Stockholm. We always go there every time we are in Stockholm. Anyway, if you live near a bakery or a Cinabon, go get yourself a cinnamon bun and celebrate!

Dagens Namn -- Vecka 40 (2 Oktober - 8 Oktober)

The name days for Week 40 (October 2 - October 8) are:

Monday, October 2 = Ludvig, Love
Tuesday, October 3 = Evald, Osvald
Wednesday, October 4 = Frans, Frank
Thursday, October 5 = Bror
Friday, October 6 = Jenny, Jennifer
Saturday, October 7 = Birgitta, Britta
Sunday, October 8 = Nils

Left Handers Unite!

So, my sister and I were at the Georgetown University Bookstore the other morning and I found the coolest thing...a left handed notebook (see below). Where was this when I was still in lecture furiously taking note and always having the spiral binding get in my way?

Dagens Namn -- Vecka 39 (25 September - 1 Oktober)

The name days for Week 39 (September 25 - October 1) are:

Monday, September 25 = Tryggve
Tuesday, September 26 = Enar, Einar
Wednesday, September 27 = Dagmar, Rigmor
Thursday, September 28 = Lennart, Leonard
Friday, September 29 = Mikael, Mikaela
Saturday, September 30 = Helge
Sunday, October 1 = Ragnar, Ragna

Congratulations Ann and Nik!!

I went to Minnesota this past weekend for my cousin Ann's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and I had a wonderful time at the reception. It was really great to see so many of my relatives that I hadn't seen in such a long time.

Speech Accent Archive

I came across this website today which I thought was very very cool. It for a project called the Speech Accent Archive. I think it confirms that I am a dork, but I don't really care. It is hosted by a professor, Steven Weinberger, from the Linguistics program at George Mason University here in Northern Virginia. This is a little description about the website:

The speech accent archive uniformly presents a large set of speech samples from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English read the same paragraph and are carefully transcribed. The archive is used by people who wish to compare and analyze the accents of different English speakers.

They have 576 recorded samples, some from people whose native language I have never even heard of. There are 177 samples for native English speakers alone, covering accents for people from the US, Canada, the UK, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, various Carribean locations, and more. They point out that the archive may be useful not only for teachers, linguists, phoneticians, and speech pathologists, but also for actors who need to learn an accent. Check it out!!!