Do you make New Year’s resolutions?  I almost always do, and I’ve been known to actually stick to them although most of the time I don’t.  The New Year is here, and it is nice to think about new beginnings.  There’s something about a new year beginning that gives us hope and an eagerness to start fresh.  That freshness usually has a quick expiration date, but for at least a few days, it’s nice.

What do I want to do differently in 2008?  The old standbys are diet and exercise.  Maybe that’s why I’ve always needed to be concerned about weight loss and exercise.  Everything else in my life is pretty much on target.  I need SOMETHING to obsess about.  That’s not it, but it sounds good and is as good an excuse as I’ve heard from others.

I have one new goal this year.  Since I received a beautiful piano as a Christmas gift from RT, I want to practice the piano.  My goal is to select one song each week and practice it enough that I can play it well.  That way, I will soon be able to sit down at the piano and have a repertoire of music that I can play well.

Two years ago I started the Monthly Marathon - with the goal of walking the equivalent of a marathon (26 miles) each month.  That’s a very do-able goal.   I’m thinking seriously of getting the Monthly Marathon blog going again.  What do you think?  Any takers?

Another goal is to make more money from my blogging.  I was doing really well there for a few weeks, and then Google did a page rank re-assessment and zipped my page rank to zero - and having that low a page rank pretty much dried up all my money-making possibilities.  So I want to work on making a little bit of money from this pasttime of mine.

I feel sorry for the 6-year old girl whose mother helped her lie her way to winning tickets to a Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert.   The mother has deliberately taught her daughter to lie and cheat in order to get something she wants.  What a morally corrupt woman!   The mother was on TV this morning defending her actions by claiming that she was simply writing an essay.  She declared that she’d written essays in school.  This was just another essay.  Since when is an essay defined as a lie?

According to this story the girl (or the mother) wrote an essay in which she claimed that her father had died in Iraq this past April in a roadside bomb attack. 

 The girl won a makeover that included a blonde Hannah Montana wig, as well as the grand prize: airfare for four to Albany, N.Y., and four tickets to the sold-out Hannah Montana concert on Jan. 9.

The opening line in the essay was: “My daddy died this year in Iraq.”

The girl’s mother had told Club Libby Lu officials that the girl’s father died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq, company spokeswoman Robyn Caulfield said. But the mother, Priscilla Ceballos, admitted later Friday that the essay and the military information she provided about her daughter’s father were untrue.

Here is part of the mother’s explanation:

“We did the essay and that’s what we did to win. We did whatever we could do to win,” Ceballos said in an interview Friday with KDFW-TV of Dallas. “But when (Caulfield) asked me if this essay is true, I said `No, this essay is not true.’”

This parent has taught her child all the wrong lessons in life.  She failed miserably in her role as a parent.  Hopefully, by seeing the resuls of the deception, the little girl will have learned a valuable lesson about the importance of truth and trust, and she will decide to not follow in her mother’s footsteps.

Others writing on this topic: TMZ,  Snafu-ed….Situation Normal

This morning I read Blue Star Chronicles (as I do every day) and found an amazing story.  A psycho anti-military Chicago lawyer, Jay Grodner, saw a car with military stickers and decided to key it - causing $2400 in damages.  When the Marine Sgt Mike McNulty saw Grodner keying his car, he confronted him.  Grodner immediately took on the victim role by claiming he was being picked on because he’s Jewish.  You know,  McNulty wouldn’t mind if a Christian, atheist, Buddhist, Muslim or agnostic keyed his car, but since it was a Jew who did it . . .  I’m wondering if Grodner is really going to get away with this offense. 

Black Five originated the story and has updates.  Click over to BSC or Black Five to read the entire story.  Baldilocks makes a prediction. Moonbattery tells us what Grodner will see in the mirror.   Conservative Belle asks “What do you get when a bad lawyer . . . .?” Fausta says it’s a hate crime. Volokh Conspiracy wants answers about the legal issues in the case. Planck’s Constant  says Grodner is an idiot and he has the photos to prove it.

On December 31, 1974, RT and I were thrilled to become the parents of our precious Larisa, affectionately nicknamed Stinkeroo by her Grandshaw.  Before her birth, RT and I would listen to her heartbeat with a stethoscope.  1974 was before the days of periodic sonograms.  So we had no idea whether or not our baby would be a boy or a girl until after the birth.  We went into the labor room at the hospital knowing that we’d either walk out with a Paul or a Larisa - we didn’t know which.  Ever since I had seen the movie Dr. Zhivago, I knew that I wanted to name the daughter I hoped to have someday Larisa.  For awhile we toyed around with calling her by the nickname for Larisa - Lara - but then decided to stick with Larisa.  When she was born and we found out that our first child was a girl, we were so happy and we knew immediately her name.  The baby was our Larisa that we had been looking forward to for years.  She was basically bald for the first three years of her life, but as she grew, she also grew dark curly hair and beautiful brown eyes.  She was happy and energetic and a parent’s dream.  She thoroughly wrapped her dad and me around her little finger.

The above photo is one of my favorites.  It shows her enthusiastic and mischievous nature.  I’ve always loved her smile.

This picture is also a favorite.  It shows Larisa with her younger brother, Joey.  The pigtails were typical.  She was an athletic go-getter child - always interested in life, sports, being with friends, and she was/is a great sister to her brother.  They had their spats, but have always remained close to each other.

This is how she often slept as a baby - on her back with her arms flung out to her sides. As in everything, she put herself wholeheartedly into sleep, too.  She was confident and happy.

This is one of the photos from her wedding to Steve - along with their “baby” (at the time), Caesar.   Caesar passed on to doggie heaven quite a few years ago, and they now have two human babies - my wonderful grandgirls - pictured below. 

I first wrote about Stinkeroo’s birthday on December 31, 2005, and then on December 31, 2006, I wrote about her again.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday, my precious Larisa!

It is so nice having the house completed.  It feels like home now, and I awaken each morning thankful for living in such a beautiful place.

Now that the house is finished, it’s time to start working on the interior of the barn.  The barn has been invaluable during this move.  We had it built last summer - just the floor and the exterior.  It holds all those things that we don’t want to put in the house.  It will be a workshop for RT once we’re finished with it.  Before RT can start working on the interior this winter, however, we have to find a way to heat it.

I’ve looked online and found a site, DESA Online Outlet, that has a wide variety of heaters.   I was particularly interested in the wall heater to the left.  It would work well to heat the barn while we finish the interior.   They also have vent free gas logs.  Although we already have a fireplace in the house and can’t use gas logs in the barn, I thought they looked really nice.  One of the items I’m most interested in is a patio heater they feature.  Wouldn’t that be cool out on the patio when we have guests over?

As a Tennessean, I’m embarrassed for Tennessee.  The pompous windbag, Al Gore, has been named the 2007 Tennessean of the year.  Today’s newspaper had pages about him.  I tried to read most of it, but he is so insufferably and unwarrantedly self-righteous, it was difficult.  He and his disciples see him akin to Jesus - saving the world.  My gag reflex worked overtime getting through all the praises for this silly man.  His only claim to fame is that he lost the 2000 election and he and his supporters have spent the past eight years trying to prove that he isn’t really the loser he is. 

I made this for RT’s company party last week.  It is delicious, and it makes a lot.  This is for 5-6 servings.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

First prepare the chicken:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. chicken (I used boneless chicken breasts and thighs)

1 rib celery, chopped

1 small onion, quartered

2 bay leaves

Combine the chicken, celery, onion and bay leaves.  Cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken from broth, cool, debone (if needed) and chop.  Set the chicken aside.  Discard the bay leaves.  Save the broth, onion and celery.

Now it’s time to make the gumbo:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups diced onion

1 cup chopped celery 

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound sliced okra

1/2 pound turkey link sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices

Hot cooked rice

In a large pan, combine the oil and flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is a dark brown.  This will take about 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the diced onion and chopped celery.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Add 6 cups of the reserved broth (including the onion and celery that was cooked earlier with the chicken), the chopped chicken, okra and sausage.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer for an hour or longer.  Serve over the cooked rice. 

This is REALLY delicious gumbo, and by using chicken and turkey sausage, it’s on the healthy side, too.

A couple weeks ago we had a friend over for dinner.  During the conversation he mentioned that his doctor had recommended that he have a “LapBand” procedure.  At the time I had no idea what he was talking about, and the topic was changed almost as soon as he mentioned the word “lapband” and we never got back to it.  So I had to look it up and find out what it is.  I found that JourneyLite for Life is the place to find out about LapBand surgery.  There are facilities for LapBand surgery in Los Angeles, Houston, and lapband Tampa.  Using laparoscopic techniques, the surgery is a temporary way to control hunger and eating. 

Last year I wrote about what I make for a New Year’s Day meal.  The meal is filled with tradition and symbolism.  I can’t think of a better way to start a new year of living. Since I enjoyed last year’s New Year’s Day meal so much, I thought I would re-print that menu and description of symbolism here.  Enjoy!

On January 1, 2008,  I will cook my version of a New Year’s Day meal. Here’s the menu, the recipes and the symbolism - some serious and some definitely tongue-in-cheek:

Menu
Hoppin’ John

Tossed Salad

Cornsticks

Sweet Iced Tea

Recipes

Hoppin’ John

1 can mild tomato/jalopena mixture (RoTel) If you like things a little spicier, use regular RoTel.

2 cans black-eyed peas

1 can diced tomatoes (optional - I love tomatoes)

1/2 lb link of turkey sausage

Cut the turkey sausage into bite-size pieces - dump everything together and cook. You can serve this over rice or mix some rice in it, or eat it by itself with no rice. It’s delicious riceless or not.

Tossed Salad

Lots of lettuce, sliced tomatoes, grated carrots, diced bell peppers with grated cheddar cheese on top.

Cornbread Sticks

2 cups cornmeal MIX

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, well-beaten

buttermilk (enough to make a good batter)

Pour into cast iron cornstick pans that have been sprayed with Pam and pre-heated in a 425 oven. The batter should sizzle when you pour it into the pans. Bake until golden brown. Serve hot. I like to crumble a cornstick or two into my hoppin’ john.

Sweet Iced Tea

4 family-size tea bags

1 gallon distilled water (You don’t HAVE to use distilled water, but that’s what I always use).

1 cup Splenda

Put the tea bags in a 4-cup measuring cup, fill with some of the water and microwave on high for about 6 minutes. Let it sit (steep) for about 5 minutes. Pour into a pitcher and add the remaining water to make one gallon. Add the Splenda and stir. DELICIOUS and refreshing!

SYMBOLISM

The blackeyed peas in the Hoppin’ John symbolize coins - a sign of prosperity for the new year. May there be lots of that in 2008. The turkey sausage symbolizes my American heritage - the wild turkeys from the first Thanksgiving. For me, it also reminds me of the land where RT and I live - dozens of wild turkeys reside here. The tomatoes and jalopenas symbolize good taste and spiciness. May I never grow too old to be spicy.

The leaves of lettuce in the salad are a symbol of folding money - currency. Again, may there be lots of that in 2008. The tomatoes remind me of the fruits of summer, the carrots for year-round bounty, and the cheese for the perfection of aging (I wish!).

The corn in the cornsticks is another symbol of my American heritage. Enough corn for good health, enough oil to smooth out the rough places in life, an egg to remind me of the newness of life, and the buttermilk to remind me that the sour places in life make the good places all the more sweet. Baking the cornsticks in cast-iron pans reminds me of what the American pioneers used in their travels cross country to explore new lands.

The iced tea is symbolic of my Southern roots. Sweet iced tea is pure Southern! The Splenda makes it something I can drink without worrying about calories. RT and I go through a gallon of this tea about every two or three days. I make several gallons every single week. I have to admit that I almost always used decaf tea so I can drink it in the evenings without worrying about it affecting my sleep.

There you have it! A New Year’s day feast with some traditional and some Carol-grown symbolism attached.

There’s a Panera Bread restaurant near us, and RT and I love their Broccoli Cheddar soup.  I did an internet search to find the recipe.  The problem was that there were different recipes that all claimed to be THE Panera Bread recipe.  There were some common ingredients, though, and so I could figure out the basics of the recipe.  Most of the recipes recommended putting all the ingredients in a blender at the end.  However, I like little chunks of veggies in my soup.  Nothing substantial or large, but enough to give the soup a little texture.  So I left out the blending step.  Instead, I diced  all the veggies finely and then sauteed them together before adding them to the soup.

When RT and I had his office Christmas party here last week, we decided to have soup and sandwiches as the mainstays of the dinner.  I took a leap of faith and decided to make two soups I’d never made before:  Chicken and sausage gumbo, along with the broccoli cheddar soup.   I’ll save the gumbo for a later post (it was wonderful!), and I’ll present the broccoli cheddar soup here.   The soup turned out great - and it looked really pretty, too.  After I made the soup and the gumbo, I put each into a crock pot, turned the crock pot on warm, and then set out bowls and spoons and let my guests serve themselves.  It was a great way to handle a dinner party.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 T. butter

1/2 medium onion, diced finely

1/2 pound fresh broccoli, chopped well

1 cup carrots, shredded

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Saute onion in 1 Tablespoon butter.  After about five minutes, add the shredded carrots and chopped broccoli and saute briefly.  Put lid on pan (so veggies will continue to cook) and set aside.  Combine the 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup flour in a large saucepan using a whisk.  Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Slowly add the half-and-half, stirring constantly, until thick.  Add the chicken stock, whisking all the time.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the onion/carrot/broccoli mixture, and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender - about 20-30 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the grated cheese and nutmeg.  Stir until blended.  Enjoy.