Sunday, Sunday...Monday, Monday...

....If the Mamas and the Papas can sing about Monday, I guess I can too. At least sometimes.
I will combine my Sunday and Monday posts. Sunday, I was very busy preparing for a dinner party with my neighbors on Monday night.

But, I still managed to make some delicious salmon for lunch:

And I put together these fine barstools:

And added another coat of oil/wax to my table:

And I hung up photos and arranged my new plants.... I guess I am all settled now?

For dinner on Monday night, I served three courses. Salad, arugula with scallops and mushrooms in a delicious balsamic vinaigrette. Main course, pork roulade stuff with fuji apples and onions over cheesy grits.

And dessert, french silk pie:

Test Kitchen Saturday

Yesterday we got 12.5 inches of snow. But, the roads were clear by this morning so I ran my errands and came back with grocery bags filled with items ready to be transformed in my "test kitchen" (open alternating Saturdays and Sundays at my whim).  Take a peek at what came out of it today!

First things first: Lunch. 

 Broiled ocean perch, atop sauteed kale, with a side of butternut squash. 

Quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious.

Once I was properly fed, I focused on...

My mom's chicken dumpling soup.

It can't be beat.

Next up: French Silk Pie. 

This one has a twist... it's peanut butter-chocolate french silk pie. 

The base recipe came from here.

I have to wait until tomorrow try it since it has to set for 4-24 hours.... 

and I'll add whipped cream then.

Finally, I tried a pork roulade for dinner.

It's stuffed with kale, apple, and onion sauteed with garlic, rosemary, and cider vinegar.

Snowy, Snow, Snow.

Ah, I walked to work in the snow this morning....
and this was my walk home.... in no particular order:

Tree Neighborhood

I live in the "Tree" neighborhood of Worcester. Just like I kind of used to live in the "President's" Neighborhood in another city. In my my new neighborhood, all of the streets nearby (including mine) are named after trees (Chestnut, Elm, Linden, Oak, Cedar, Walnut, Maple). It's a small neighborhood. But, I like it.  When the spring comes, I will have to take some pictures.

For now, here is a link to some other interesting historical sites in Worcester: National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Worcester_Massachusetts(wiki)



And an organization trying to save some: Preservation Worcester (click me!)

Soggy Socks

So, my commute to work is about 6 miles round trip. The forecast was rain. It was sprinkling when I left for work in the morning...and it was coming down with a good amount of gusto when I left work at 5:30.

 That is a recipe for soggy socks, at least when you walk and you don't wear rain boots.  I have them, but they aren't really acceptable for a 6 mile trek. So I wore these:

But do you know what goes really well with soggy socks? 

Pizza! 

Pizza goes well with everything =)

So, I stopped at Volturno on my way home. 

 I had heard VERY good things about Volturno's pizza. And it did not disappoint. 

And neither did the glass of wine.

I highly recommend it. We can go there when you come and visit.

Ordinary Progress

Today was pretty ordinary, which is okay by me. It's actually an improvement to have things feel 'ordinary'... The most notable things in my day were: 1) I was busier in my new position than I have been to date. A good thing.  Progress. 2) I badly burned the top of my thumb when I spilled hot tomato sauce on it. OUCH. Burns while cooking are pretty normal for me (despite being a pretty good cook, I tend to grab hot pans, or scorch my skin on the top of the oven, regularly), but this is a weird one, even for me. It's going to blister, too. Not sure that is progress. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Now, speaking of progress... I want to share some history of Worcester and its progress. As I've been walking to work each day and home each evening, I've started to notice more interesting details about the history of Worcester, and also progress the that the city is making on repairs that are needed due to its less prosperous eras. Commendable- renovate, rebuild, reinvent- celebrate the history of change, rather than consider it forever lost, un-savable, or scars to be erased through destruction.

If you look closely, you'll see this building, now home to several restaurants, was once a Buick Dealership. The name is etched above the doorway, and there are stained glass windows proudly proclaiming "Buick".

As for this place, I don't know exactly what it is home to today (but it's home to something.... the lights are on!), but clearly Coca-Cola was part of its past. And most of us can say that is true (really, who HASN'T had a Coke at some point??). 

Gorgeous train station day or night. Any city would be jealous, and Worcester is able to proudly call it "theirs".... (ours?? too soon?? maybe =) ).

A city rich in mills, huge, beautiful red-brick buildings, reinventing them as restaurants, dance studios, and loft living spaces.

A city preserving the tiny little diner.

A city with a magnificent skyline of old and new.

And finally, a city that recognizes, it's not done making progress yet.

We all should be so smart.

Here's to hoping.

(Now's the time to get a glass of wine and think about how tomorrow is a new day).

How Do You Like 'em Apples??

Tasty ideas, I need to try out! I don't follow Rachel Ray much (but I'm a bit smitten with Smitten Kitchen for many good reasons)...but this article has a lot of good ideas to try out!

8 Stay-Fresh Tips for Apple-tastic Lunches (click me!)