Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Seekers and Eaters

Occurred to me that I set up this blog intending to  bore entertain you every Monday about my weekend. One day late but I promise something for everyone: pirates, Greek philosophy, chicken livers and succulents. Succulents are totally aweseome, or Tawesome as Tallulah would say, the perfect example of Stoicism, which is being observed (presumably in a reserved and unemotional way) in Britain this week, according to the Telegraph.

Our succulents being stoic and allowing the banana leaves to be Grand Poobahs of  the deck
More stoicism on the other side of the deck

Our succulents emerged unscathed by the recent storms. They accept what they can't change and work on what they can; they chlorophylise while the sun shines and water is plentiful and are lovable while allowing the Grand Poohbahs of the deck - the banana leaves - to be the star of the show. I aim to be more like Stoic succulents.

In our pursuit of Stoicism - basically 3rd century don't sweat the small stuff - Kevin and I decided to outsource Thanksgiving sides for 18 this year, with Kevin doing the turkey. Love the idea of cooking - don't we all dream of amuse-ing the bouche out of our guests? -  but not the actuality. Maybe onedaywhenthekidsaregone. I ordered the basic holiday dinner; I know some people like to fiddle around with the ingredients but I say Classic bird, mashed spuds, gravy and brussels are perfect, why try and Rococo them?

We are doing a total redux of last year, including - stoicism and parsimony: zut alors! - I will also be wearing the same frock.  We just heard Kevin's parents won't make it out of Pennsylvania because of weather so it will be a demi-redux, will miss them.

Tried to persuade Kevin not to do the Ashtanga-practising Camus-reading organic bird from Petaluma who antiques on Saturday morning (so dry last year). My hairdresser Karen (aka Font of All Knowledge) says get a cheap water-filled one from Safeway. Covert conversations have let me to believe Kevin has not taken my advise and am being Stoic in my acceptance of his (flawed) decision.

Kevin and Jackson lost a bet to a Detroit Tigers friend and had to wear orange stuff around all day Saturday. They told me the whole story but I let it release from my memory so I have room for thinking about Jennifer Aniston and how she's aged suddenly in her last movie We're The Millers but I like it. Maybe she will find more challenging roles and not slip into a Meg Ryan-sized hole.


Kevin and Jackson being humiliated by their Detroit Tigers friend

On Saturday night Kevin and I had dinner at Bay Wolf and I had the chicken livers with arugula and bacon. Love everything innards, is that my Manchester heritage? Thoughts from Mancunians?

Storms heralded goodbye to this top, thrashed over the summer

Afterwards we saw Captain Phillips, a true story starring Tom Hanks as a merchant seaman who is held hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Intense movie, bizarre to watch hundreds of millions of American defence money being spent on rescuing Tom from four poor Somali fisherman-turned-pirates high on Khat. Very sad all around.

Intriguing how the Navy Seal negotiator took over. Plus he was a little bit handsome. He established authority and control: "Ship to lifeboat, this is your Negotiator" then gave the pirates their due: "Is this the Captain? Are you authorised to negotiate on behalf of the others? Negotiator Out." Or something like that.

We've been trying for years to get Cy, nine, to make his own lunch. The other kids have been making their own lunch since they were six or seven. "Sorry, no can do, Mama" is his answer "Not in my schedule." Eventually after some nagging, he started tossing random stuff from the fridge into a bag: one time it was a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. Friday, he took a bag of 20 little oranges for his lunch.

Cy and Tallulah off to school. Cy carrying his 20 little oranges for lunch. 

Good as it gets. Negotiator out.




33 comments:

  1. WHAT! You're not deep frying your turkey??? Isn't that what Martha advocates (or advocated one year, I think she changes it every year in a bid to sell magazines redoing the same hackneyed theme). And 18 to thanksgiving? Is Kevin American? Or are you just joining in the experience as expats? I think your plan for dinner sounds v. good. Add in a plum pudding and you're doing Christmas nearly.
    I do love a succulent, although even they struggled when I used to have them on our West facing terrace - in the middle of Summer (43C days) they'd get the full brunt of the afternoon sun for hours. Even they didn't like it.
    Love that pink top xx

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    1. We're not doing the Martha, things change from year to year, including brining and then sticking a beer up its bum and BBQing - cannot keep up!

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  2. Cute that your kid can't still do lunch at nine.
    I really would prefer to do my son's lunch to ensure
    he gets healthy and hearty meal.
    Your succulents are beautiful.

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    1. His Anne Just had a comment on Facebook from teacher-friend who says the kids throw away what they don't like anyway...arrgh! Well I suppose he won't suffer from scurvy anyway

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  3. 'I let it release from my memory'....oh how great that saying is...gives you a sense of control ... makes you (well rather me) not feel bad about starting to slip into dementia mode every now and then. Thanks for that ..and the top is very cute.....and how handsome was the navy seal? on a scale of 1-10?

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  4. Steroids are bad but make things so muscly. Brining is the best but I make my friend do it...live the lunch making. I was the opposite as I liked the oddest things as a kid and I brought sardines for lunch with blue cheese and the teacher put a note for my folks..hope you have a great thanksgiving! X

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    1. Actually just got blonderama-ed today and Font of All Knowledge tells me its Butterball turkeys. http://www.butterball.com/ ones people had when they were kids, notice them even have a hotline. (not pretense of being freerange or being organic though) Apparently all sold out in Rockridge Safeway.

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  5. Cy eats like I did when I was single, I once ate a basket of blueberries for dinner. Are Kevin and Jackson Oakland A's fans?

    I say classic bird and traditional sides are perfect too. No Rococo and Thanksgiving is not the time for tough birds.

    You're quite philosophical on this post! Entertaining as usual :)

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    1. They are totally Oakland A's fan, plus Warriors, plus Raiders.

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  6. You can do this with a turkey too to stop it drying out
    http://reluctanthousedad.com/2013/11/26/forget-turkey-christmas-try-phil-truins-4kg-slow-grown-super-chicken/

    Hope you have a stress-free celebration and a delicious dinner.

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    1. Thanks Sarah - will pass onto the Hubster who is currently brining the old bird (the other one)

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  7. I think the Brits are very confused. They like idea of the rest of the World perceiving them as Stoic... reserved, cool in a crisis, unemotional, noble and pure of thought, unruffled, intelligent, etc... but up to 10 million watch I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here each evening.
    Sx

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    1. Never heard of that show, sounds very me (not the celeb part, the watching part)

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  8. Chicken livers?
    Give me shivers
    Yuck to that
    At least to Pat
    Maybe your new exotic tiger pets
    Will avoid such future bets lol

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    1. The pets, they were great
      But disappeared down the plug'ole, mate

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  9. American husband is doing the entire meal, southern style. Fine with me; I don't eat most of it anyway! Sadly we're not allowed Brussels sprouts.
    And 10 year old (newly passionate chef-in-the-making) is making turkey liver pate later in the week!
    Have a good one.

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    1. THis is my fave meal of the year! Wow, you have got a mini Jamie O. on your hands

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  10. Golly I've been garbage at getting my kids to pack lunch. The youngest Griffin is especially bad..He only wants bread and crackers… Looks like a good weekend..I think your friend may be right, the old-school turkeys are probably the best choice for a big dinner! Last year we did two large breast instead and surprisingly they were so good! We had a ton of leftovers too.
    Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving Jody! xo

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    1. Cy will on occasion take a whole box of crackers. I've learned to avert my eyes...

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  11. Sounds like you had a nice weekend. I too love the succulents. They seem to live forever. No patient with pirates.

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  12. Well I am waiting to see what turkey arrives. I'm feeling it's the one that does antiquing on the weekends. I think Cy is brilliant. I used to give my sandwich to my teachers whenever any of the kids made desert offerings. I always got busted--seems nobody wanted corned beef and mayonaise on white bread. Happy Thanksgiving!

    xo Mary Jo

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    1. I used to linger for hours at the table when we had corned beef when we were kids. Now I love it!

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  13. Your outfit looks really cute!

    Kevin & Jackson are a riot in their outfits. At least they were good sports...

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    1. They were down the CVS toot sweet to get that nailpolish off!

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  14. where is that stunning top from please? Luff the succulents x

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    1. Hi FF, Timo Weiland, new designer. This was summer but he seems to have used similar ziggy caggy material again, even in pants which are really cool.
      http://shop.timoweiland.com/pages/collections

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  15. Deelucious post:)
    Eeh lass Manchester?
    One of your forebears could have been one of the children I nursed in Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in the late forties.
    Fancy!

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    1. Could have been Pat! You must have been the most glam nurse out there!

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  16. I thought I commented but it's disappeared! I love the bag of oranges for lunch, my kids eat fruit about twice a year now! I found out this week that number 2 is binning or swapping the healthy stuff in his pack up with the boy at school who has a soda stream (and is taking orders and selling all manner of fizzy) - that may account for his hyper moods!

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  17. I love your Cy - what a character!

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  18. You crack me up with the oranges. Love it.

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