The Cold Cold North

I got married in 2008 and Obama got elected so some aspects of the year have been truly swell indeed. But the last few months of 2008 have made me more than ready to bid farewell to the year. 2008 can suck it. 2008 has been a year of contrasts for me, so with that in mind here is my top ten list of the best and worst of 2008.

Read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/sports/ncaabasketball/10player.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

I love this story so much and it comes at the perfect time when I am in the middle of end-of-semester grading and hating every little bit ot teaching.

This story reminds me of all the reasons I love teaching at a community college: second chances and space for everyone. And middlebrow, this could be you some day!

Even though I live in the cold, cold north I did not celebrate the October Thanksgiving. I had to work and all that. Besides, I think Canadian Thanksgiving is much less the big deal that it is in the southerly land. And I need a meal that's a big deal.

Luckily? my in-laws visited over Thanksgiving, so I had an excuse to cook a big deal Thanksgiving meal. This is only the second Thanksgiving that I've done completely by myself, and I have to say I am a much better cook than I was the last time. My in-laws insisted on baking some bread, but otherwise I wouldn't let anyone contribute because I am a kitchen tyrant. I did allow some help with mashing potatoes and carving the turkey.

• delicious cocktails made with calvados and cranberries and sugar. way too strong, though. i found the recipe on the NY Times, I think they are called Normandy

• some kind of dip (ok, it was green goddess) with carrots, endive, and radishes
  
• chicory and fennel salad with an apple cider vinaigrette (the recipe calls for escarole which I'm sure would be just as good)


• roasted sweet potatoes with garlic oil and fried sage


• leek, chestnut, and apple stuffing


• a turkey (which was organic and local and all that, the farmer delivered it)




• gravy, which was not a bit lumpy thank you very much


• mashed potatoes which would have had way more cream if I had mashed them


• cranberry sauce with vodka and triple sec (finally, cranberry sauce I can appreciate!)


• pumpkin pie
  
• apple pie
  
• oh, i also made pumpkin muffins for breakfast.

I just want to thank Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Martha Stewart for all of the awesome recipes. And I also want to add that in the process of making this Thanksgiving meal, I roasted the chestnuts myself, cracked all the walnuts, made turkey stock, etc.

I love Thanksgiving so, so much. I love the process of menu planning and prepping and getting cranky because people are in your way in your small kitchen. I love seeing all the pieces come together and the chaos and the pile of dishes and the first bite and the final bite that you can barely stomach and the fatigue and the sighs. And the leftovers.