What is in your cup?

[poohbear_nc]

"Foo-Kay" I believe

Very close: "Fyooo-Kway"

[cromag]

Just back from a beeeg family get together. I'm burned out.

And thinking of having a late-in-the-day mug of tea.

[CRussel]

2001 Rincon Vineyard Pinot Noir from Talley Vineyards. The very last from Talley, and delightful. The fruit has softened a bit, and the terroir is very much there. Perfect with the seared duck breast and polenta.

[poohbear_nc]

Talisker on the rocks .... *sip* *sip*

[Stitchawl]

There's got to be a morning after
If we can hold on through the night
We have a chance to find the sunshine
Let's keep on lookin' for the light

Oh, can't you see the morning after
It's waiting right outside the storm
Why don't we cross the bridge together
And find a place that's safe and warm

It's not too late, we should be giving
Only with love can we climb
It's not too late, not while we're living
Let's put our hands out in time

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KClpLzFftU )

Thank God for Tylenol and Pepto Bismol...

Good morning, everyone! It's a bright and beautiful Boxing Day, what ever that is. (I'm gonna go look that up.. Great... now I need a boss so I can get presents today too. Nah.. I'll pass. ) I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did, and that Santa stopped off to deliver just what you asked for. (I think the Little Man going to get a baby sister this year!) I'm drinking a Boxing Day mug of PG Tips tea, just to keep things British, and have two mikans awaiting unpeeling! It's the start of mikan season here and although the prices are high ($1.25 per kilo,) the taste is wonderful! Excuse me while I go peel...


Stitchawl

[dreams]

I'm home, exhausted, and have left everything still packed; I'm too tired to unpack. Time to make some coffee, curl up with some leftover Christmas dessert, and just stare at the TV (after roaming around MR a bit, as I'm too tired to actually read a book).

I had a great two days and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Lots of food, people, conversation, big time chaos, and phoned in Merry Christmas calls to be put on speaker for everyone to share in. The kids went crazy tearing paper off presents and I think that was the most exciting thing for them. We only had to dig for 3 "lost" gifts in all the paper this year. Leftovers were sent home and cranky kids were packed into cars to take naps on the return home drives.

Time to start planning for next year.... just kidding. There is still New Year's Eve and Day to come.

pooh and ProfCrash, your mention of those beers gave me a great idea for some presents next year.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

A duck? Not a goose? Really? I'll eat duck, but it's just not up there in my special meals, let alone favorite meats

Definitely Duck. Goose is too much for two people. And duck, when cooked right, and with good ducks, is hard to beat. A single duck breast each, and the legs and wings get made into confit for later. A bed of polenta, made with duck stock, has just the right bland richness to set off the duck, and braised fennel in some more of the stock is a good complement. And then there are the "nasty bits", which get cooked up and made into rillets. And all that lovely duck fat I rendered off to fry potatoes in.

Too many people are put off duck because they have it poorly prepared and think it is fatty and dry at the same time. But done right, it is lovely. I learned to enjoy and cook duck from Michael Wild, at the Bay Wolf http://www.baywolf.com/, in Oakland. My favourite all time restaurant.

[cromag]

Tea #1. I'm up way too early, and it's way too cold out there! But ... the contractor is still on schedule to arrive today and replace the roof.

I'll nap later, no matter how loud it is!

[ProfCrash]

We had duck a few nights ago and now have a big tub of duck broth waiting to be frozen.

Next month we will do some rotisserie chickens and add some chicken broth to our collection. Then homemade soup on the weekends through the winter.

[Cyclops]

Had some of this for Christmas
Very bland but the amaretto biscuits were nice!

[cromag]

Third mug of tea while the roofers work.

Man, it's noisy in here!

[Stitchawl]

Bombay Sapphire, a bowl of popcorn, and thee....


Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

Third mug of Genmaicha while at work. Short day today so I can go home and watch the LM while DH heads to work. Day care is closed today otherwise he would have gone there. He is back to his normal happy self. My cough and nose have cleared up so I am happy.

That said, I will be taking my asthma preventative meds for the rest of the season just as a precaution. I learned the hard way last year I cannot afford to let anything take root in my chest. Bad things happen when I slack off.

[cromag]

I'm deciding whether this will be my last tea of the day, or not. The roofers are finishing off, and I'm beat!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

That said, I will be taking my asthma preventative meds for the rest of the season just as a precaution. I learned the hard way last year I cannot afford to let anything take root in my chest. Bad things happen when I slack off.

Oh, yeah. When I was younger, I had "Exercised Induced Asthma". A nuisance, but not debilitating. But every year since I turned 50 it's gotten a bit worse, and I now must take my inhaler every day, morning and night, without fail or it goes downhill fast. And when any little thing hits, like a cold or even just the weather switching? Double up on the inhaler to stay ahead. And trying to cheap out on the inhaler and taking it less? A false economy, since I end up having to double or triple the dose for several days to get back under control. Sigh.

Ah, well. Today is supposed to be a work day, but I'm not getting much accomplished. I think I'm going to take the rest of the afternoon off and read while sipping one of my First Flush Darjeelings. They make a lovely, light, afternoon tea.