green noise

So it’s nearly time for Thanksgiving. A time to join together with family, to give thanks for the joys in our lives,  to over indulge in all manner of gastric delights, to zone out watching football, and finally succumb to some of the sweetest napping one can achieve. I do so love this season.
I consider this my first “grown up” Thanksgiving. Not because of my new outlook on life, or my recent joy in discovering that I can enjoy responsibility. No, it’s nothing like that. It’s because this year, for the first time in my 28 years, I will actually be contributing to the family feast.
I am, by no means a cook. I can follow a recipe, if left to my own devices, I wouldn’t starve. But living with Mom always meant that I didn’t have to cook, and I’d still eat wonderful food. And now that Sean’s in the picture, he’s taken on the role of family chef (and a damn fine one, at that). But since this year’s been so crazy for the fam, it was asked that everyone bring something along for the meal.
Sean’s already made his absolutely mind-blowing, life-altering, holy-crap-I’d-kill-for-this-recipe-and-not-think-twice cheesecake, but I wanted to bring something else along, something for the main meal.
After browsing the internet, my many cookbooks that until now have just been gathering dust, and other sources, I finally came upon the perfect recipe – Sweet Potato Biscuits. Seasonal, a nice twist on a classic ingredient…and it meant that I’d get to use the wonderful, powerful, (dare I say?) sexy Kitchen Aid mixer that has been perched atop my fridge lo these many months. And, as an added bonus, since this wasn’t a totally original idea, I figured I’d go the extra mile and go for broke – homemade maple butter.
Tonight was my trial run. And I have to say, for someone who doesn’t cook, I’m damn proud. The biscuit mixture could have used a little more moisture (in the form of the liquid from the canned sweet potatoes) and I should have taken them out of the oven maybe 60 to 90 seconds sooner, but the final result was definitely enjoyable. And topped with the maple butter (a slightly improvised recipe), there is most certainly the potential for heavenly-ness.
So this year, I go into Thanksgiving armed with my first grown up contribution to the holidays, and feeling no worse for wear, despite the fact that it’ll probably take me a solid week to get the flour and sweet potatoes out from under my fingernails. That aside, I look forward to spending time gorging and napping with my loved ones, and to sweet dreams of my culinary contribution for Christmas!

Autumn has arrived as if out of nowhere. One day, it was sunny and warm, and the next brought winds and chill. For the first time since last winter, I’ve brought out my woolen pea-coat, and have at night, added a blanket to the bed. The time has been flying past, and shows no signs of slowing. It seems like yesterday that we were moving into our apartment, choosing curtains, and getting to know the neighborhood – now it’s been over a year and so much has changed. Molly passed away in the summer; we briefly knew the trials and tribulations of dog ownership; we adopted a new kitten. And even outside the realm of pet ownership, so much has changed. My job no longer frustrates me as it used to. There are new frustrations to deal with, but I’m starting to see the payoff to a lot of my efforts. Sean is almost done his Masters program, and will soon have so much more time to just live a normal life. We finally have some money put away, and we saved about a grand that we would have spent on a TV when I won one at DigitalLife (thank you, ESPN!). As fast as things are going, it does feel like life has fallen into a rhythm at last. I never thought I’d be able to live so happily, so far from home, but I’m carving out my niche, and quite nicely, I think. I’ve adopted the role of domestic overseer, much to my own surprise, and even though I’m “growing up”, I feel more and more like a kid each day – it’s amazing how living in a city like this changes your perspective on the world around you. I’m always seeing something new, and the opportunities to grow and experience are never ending. As much as autumn is seen by many as the beginning of the end (of a season, of a year, of whatever) I feel that the chill in the air, the school buses that whiz by on city streets, the turning of the leaves, are all signs of my new world blossoming before me. Autumn is good.