FaLaLaLaLa...LaLa...Bye Bye!

Tis the season to be merrily taking down the decorations and putting them away for one more year. Unless, of course, you decide to throw a Christmas In July party which does hold its own allure.
My schedule this year is such that I couldn't wait until after the twelve days were over and I spent a good part of January 2nd dismantling the tree, wreath, etc.
I also have an odd habit of trawling the after-holiday sales on festive decor and packing whatever I find away with this year's ornaments and lights so that come next November, when the decorations make their yearly appearance again, there are things in those boxes that I don't remember purchasing! It makes it seem almost like...well...um...Christmas!

This holiday season was great. Jae and I got our greeting cards out before Valentine's Day, we had another couple over for dinner on Christmas Day, we had our annual Holiday Open House on New Year's Day and it was wonderful seeing so many friends come by to share the festivities.

Yes. It was all marvelous. But am I glad it's OVER!!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm no Ebeneezer Scrooge and I'm just as excited to celebrate as the next reveler, but you have to admit, the holidays are exhausting! You have your normal life and then all the other stuff layered on top of that. I love it, but I'm just as happy going back to routine and calm and cooking regular meals and having a clean house and the poor cats not freaking out because their favorite sleeping spot is occupied by some stranger's butt or coat or bag.

So, happy new year and let's get down to the work at hand. The storage challenge.
This year we were lucky enough to purchase the perfect artificial tree. Tall but narrow so as not to take up valuable floor space. It also came in a box that is strong and actually big enough to get the tree BACK INTO without damage or excessive bending. Not only that but it was also big enough to pack the lights and lighted garland in as well...great space saver.
I also did something this year that I had never thought to do before (I have no idea why not, knowing who I am). I decided to take everything off the tree and pack it in separate piles before combining it all in the bigger boxes. It was sort of like a 3D jigsaw puzzle but I managed to get it all (including my new sale items) in one less box! Cool, huh? A great boon to New York apartment dwellers with limited storage space.

Tomorrow, everything goes into the long-term storage closet from which I will chose the "Three Wise Sacrifices". These are three, usually bulky, items whose time has come and gone in our home and have been in the long term closet for over a year. I know already that one of the TWS's is going to be a huge fax machine in its original box that we have never used and kept "just in case". In case of what?! In case we ever get a landline? In case we forget how to use email? Out it goes!

It's sort of a New Year's resolution and sort of spring cleaning run amok and WAY ahead of schedule but it works and I highly recommend the feeling of comfort and joy it affords!

Meanwhile, dear readers, I will continue to try to offer you suggestions and ideas and maybe a laugh or two during, what I hope will prove to be, a spectacular 2011.

-SSG

A Happy and Safe New Year

My friendly readers - and can you believe that I JUST found out that the number of readers can be VASTLY different than your number of followers?! My little ego-driven soul just exploded over that little tidbit of news - I wanted to take an opportunity to wish you the happiest, healthiest, most productive and love-filled of New Years ever known to the world.

I'd also like to take a minute to caution you about one tiny thing....EXCESS

For those who know me (and for those who have only seen my pictures or heard of my exploits) you know that I am a BIG fan of excess. Excessive beauty, excessive fun, excessive enjoyment of life that seems, all too often, not to supply us with the excesses that we would like.

Enjoy your celebrations but, please, enjoy them in a way that keeps you and those around you safe.

So, as I continue my New Year's Eve Day with preparations for tomorrow's Holiday Open House - baking, cooking, mulling of cider, etc. - I wish you all again a....

Happy New Year!

Joy To The World!

To those who celebrate the holiday today I wish the best that Christmas can bring to you. And, to those whose beliefs don't include this particular holiday, I wish that you feel the love, joy, and peace that it represents in your lives.
I would apologize for not blogging more about the season's dealings but as I'm sure you know, this is one of the most time consuming and stressful times of year for everyone and I am definitely included in that group.
Between holiday concerts in Pennsylvania, finding perfect gifts, train travel, teaching, cards and letters, decorating trees and planning menus, this one has been....well....let's just say it - NUTS!
But I am happy it all was done when it had to be. Now on to our annual Holiday Open House on January 1st. This gives me time to enjoy this holiday, have a slight breather, re-group and throw a beautiful, cozy shindig that we all can enjoy.
Tonight, however, we're having another couple over for dinner - a tradition of Jae's and mine that, unfortunately, has been on hiatus for far too long - where I get to spend the day in the kitchen making something special.
In this case tonight's menu includes a prune, apple, rosemary and pecan stuffed pork roast with a spicy mustard crust, braised red cabbage (supplied by our guests) and roasted potatoes. Actual utensils at an actual dining table, candle (and tree) light and a fire in the fireplace - and by that I mean the fire DVD on the wide screen!
It should be festive and satisfying.

I hope your holidays are all that you wish for them to be, dear readers, and I will be back very soon with more of my inanities and insanities.

Happy, Happy!
-SSG

HowmanytimesdoIhavetotellyoukidsnottoshakethepresents?!?!

It's OK. These days there are so many of us that do the prudent thing and get our friends and loved ones gift cards so that they can choose something that they have had their heart set on having.

Pros? Well, it IS easier and we all like to be happiness enablers now and again. And the recipient doesn't have to worry that their gift from you will totally suck, But the cons, for me, really outweigh the pros in this situation.

Those cons? When have you ever seen a child jump up and down and scream, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for the Target gift card. It's just what I've always wanted!!!"?

I don't know. I just get a kick out of planning the perfect gift. Something that says that I puzzled long and hard about the person and when I saw this perfect something I thought of them and realized that they would feel that special little tug of our friendship/love/respect/generosity every time they looked/thought of/used that particular item.

Sure, convenience is great but not personal and personal isn't always great or convenient but I have, over the years, learned my lesson when it comes to that saying that 'it's better to give than to receive'.
It's SO true....at least for me. For even as I start to unwrap and open a gift from someone special, it seems that all I can think about is how wonderful I hope my gift to them is going to make them feel.

So this season, sure....go ahead and give me beautifully wrapped boxes filled with cash or fantastical plastic cards with the promise of excitement and shopping joy and, trust me, I will love your gift and not think anything less of the thought that went into it - I'm admittedly tough to shop for - but don't be shocked when you open a gift from me that is surprisingly apropos for you and you alone. That's one of the ways that I am fortunate enough to be able to tell you how much I care.

I hope you're all in the midst of a great holiday season!

-SSG

Maybe This Time - I'll Be Latke

Many times I wonder, loyal readers, how much one man can do with one day.
I don't know if you are aware, but there's lots of stuff to do for the holiday season!
What? You knew? And no one told me?

I'm in the midst of rehearsing a holiday concert series out of town while trying to keep the home fires burning. holiday cards, holiday shopping, arranging for trees and decorations, planning open houses and special meals, travel, communicate with clients, students - fer cryin' out loud!
Who has this kind of energy?! Well, apparently, I must because I tumble into bed at night with song lyrics rushing through my head, fall into a fitful sleep just to start it all over again.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I'm amazed! Why is it that I go months with one or two projects to complete at a time and get overwhelmed or put them off shamefully but then this season rolls around and I manage to get so much more done? Why on earth can I be this productive under pressure but the rest of the year just going down to the corner for a half gallon of milk requires a mid-afternoon nap?!

If I could just harness this "holiday spirit" for use during the rest of the year I could be downright dangerous. I need to figure this out so that, maybe this time, I'll be able to stretch this burst of creative energy for a little longer than just the holiday season.

Meanwhile, I know I haven't given you all a good recipe for a while (Who knows? Some might say I NEVER have!) so I'm including my mom's recipe for AMAZING Potato Latkes...they truly are NOT just for Chanukah anymore!

DEE'S AMAZING POTATO LATKES

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded using the big holes of a hand grater or processor
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated onion, using the smaller holes on grater
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup peanut oil

1. Combine the eggs, flour, onion, salt, and pepper, stirring to blend.

2. I usually do the grating (or processing) of the potatoes after everything else is measured, beaten, etc, so they don't turn black.
3. Using your hands or a clean tea towel, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the potatoes.
4. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture, mixing well.
5. Bring a large, heavy skillet to medium high heat with about a tablespoon or so of oil.
6. Spoon the batter by large spoonfuls into the hot oil, flattening them with the back of the spoon.     DON'T crowd them!
7. Fry until the bottom of the latkes are nicely browned (3 - 4 mins)
Turn the pancakes and cook for about 3 minutes longer. Repeat for the remaining pancakes, adding oil to the skillet as needed.

Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200 degree oven while you make LOTs more.
Serve with apple sauce and sour cream OR for those who like the savory, sour cream and horseradish! YUM!

Let me know how you like them. I'm sure my mom would be proud if you made them.

Enjoy!

Chappy Channukah? Hanukka? Chanukah? Hanaka?

Is there anything better than a holiday one has to EXPLAIN?
YES! A holiday that most of your friends don't know how to SPELL!
And, hey, it's not anyone's fault. Just take a look around at how many different ways there are out there that this holiday can be misspelled....

• Chanuka
• Chanukah
• Chanukkah
• Channukah
• Hanukah
• Hannukah
• Hanukkah
• Hanuka
• Hanukka
• Hanaka
• Haneka
• Hanika
• Khanukkah

Personally, I prefer the 'less is more' approach ... if there's an opportunity to double a letter I just don't. I find it very green. Saves time, energy and ink! And you can recycle those unused letters in other more needy and deserving words. And who doesn't like to be a little more charitable at the holidays, right?
Now, there is one way to never, ever spell this beautiful holiday wrongly:

Very frugal, concise, not even bothering with vowels. Now, THAT's my kind of holiday! It lives up to the beauty and simplicity of the story of the reconsecration of the temple with a jar of oil only big enough for one day that miraculously lasted for eight days. Nice, right?

Well, dear dedicated readers, we are in the midst of this year's celebration of the Festival of Lights and I want to wish you all every bit of beauty and peace of this and all holiday seasons.

My Best,
- SSG 

Safety First! A Christmas Cautionary Tail...um...Tale

I think I may have mentioned, my friends, that I'm a great, big, unabashed fan of Christmas. Not so much of the birth of the baby Jesus and the wise men and all of that stuff, but I have to say that the music and the jovial atmosphere and the general "makin' purty" has always been right up my alley.

Today I'd like to talk to you about the safety issues of having a tree in a home with curious critters.
I'm sure you've seen it on those funny home video shows and plastered on YouTube where the family pet takes a headlong leap onto the decorated tree and all hell breaks loose and many other things just break.
Amusing? I guess. But the first place I always (mentally) go is the bad place. "What happens if they get an electric shock?", "OMIGOD, there's shattered glass everywhere! What if their paws get cut?".

Jae and I had never had cats before in our lives when we got Violetta and Mercedes. We had both grown up with large dogs as little brothers - his a collie named George and mine a black labrador named Duke. Dogs are not, in general, climbing animals and aside from the occasional fascination with a toy, they're not drawn to shiny stuff just so they can swallow it. Cats, however, are pre-programmed to create as much havoc as humanly feline-ly possible. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against that. It's in their DNA.

Our first tree was planned to the very last detail for their safety and our sanity.
First, we decided to get a real tree, so that meant keeping it watered.
We figured that it was best that the bottom branched were as high off the ground as possible to discourage temptation so we propped this nine foot monster in a HUGE cache pot that i filled with about four gallons of water and a whole lot of green food coloring.
Three quarters up the tree I tied mono filament fishing line and connected that to two eye hooks on the wall so that, just in case the girls decided to do an Orville and Wilbur Wright off the mantelpiece, the whole damn thing wouldn't fall right over.

After that I had the most inspired idea that I could imagine. I purchased a HUGE roll of 3/4 inch ribbon and sat down to tie up groups of glass ball ornaments...4...5....6 of varying size and finish in silver and gold leaving enough left over ribbon to TIE these groupings securely to the tree.
Continuing with this inspiration, rather than using those wire ornament hangers I got a roll of green twist ties from a garden store and everything else, fragile or not, got the secure tied-to-the-tree treatment. Believe it or not, the only decorations that got broken that year were ones that I (the family klutz) dropped myself.

I'm sure you all know by now which holiday plants are dangerous to your pets but just in case you don't here is a random link to some information:

http://www.suite101.com/content/christmas-plants-toxic-to-pets-a10644

If you're going to have gatherings of friends and family in your home over the holidays, may I make one little suggestion?
Not to be a pet party pooper,  but just to be on the safe side, ask your guests not to feed any party foods - or especially alcohol - to your pets.
Yeah, I know it sounds stupid to mention, but you'd be surprised how often people who don't have animals at home will think it's OK to give kitty a taste of bourbon or puppy his first hot wing (don't even get me started on the bone issue)!
And try to make sure that there is enough table space and coasters for your guests' drinks. A cocktail on the floor is like a homing beacon to dogs and cats.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far and that it just keeps getting better and better.
Thank you all for being loyal readers. Tell your friends - unless of course you really hate my blog and it's like needles in your eyes each time you catch sight of it. In THAT case.....just tell your enemies and know that I'm happy to help you out!

Ciao for Niao.

- SSG