Post apple picking dinner...whadda we got?

Apple picking was fun, fun, fun. It was a fine fall day and a nice drive down to the orchard. Riley and I were feeling good--we had both exceeded our job applications for the morning. See? Look, apple picking enjoyment!



For dinner later we were sort of planning on Eggplant Parmesan and Mushroom Risotto. We had leftover eggplants from a party we had for my Mom's birthday the day after we got here, but unfortunately the gifted plants had gone bad. But, we were hoping to find some replacement eggplant from the small farmers market in the town we're staying in, St. Croix Falls, WI. Instead we walked away from the market with habaneros and green onions. So, when we got home, we began one of our favorite games...what's for dinner? Well, whadda we got in the fridge and pantry honey!?

[a little explanation here. when we get to this point in the evening and we are wondering what we have for dinner it usually falls on me, the boyfriend, to come up with ideas. i'm not complaining, i love doing this, but i just want to make sure you all understand this. "whadda we got in the fridge" means, "what are you making for dinner, honey, cause you haven't said anything about it yet and i'm starving." oh, and sometimes i even get vetoed.]

THE PROCESS, of whadda we got, in dialogue:

"Well, we were going to make Mushroom Risotto and Eggplant Parmesan. The Eggplant Parmesan had Marinara sauce in it right, so we still have those ingredients, right?"

Tentatively, "Yes."

"Let's see, what else do we have? Hmmm..." Brats, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, Zucchini, mushrooms (for the risotto, of course), cherry tomatoes, onion, potato, beer, hummus, wine, rice, pasta, soup, cake, oatmeal, eggs, habanero, cheese, feta cheese, romano cheese, yogurt, flat bread, lots and lots and lots of apples, and... "...what do you think of this? Mushroom Risotto, fried brats, mushroom and green onion on top with a little Marinara over that!" [my college roommates would have been cheering at this point.]

*a very quizzical, apprehensive, scared, yet still starving look*

"Hey, risotto's good. Brats are good. Marinara is good............risotto with brats and marinara.....not so good?"

*meek, still starving and apprehensive look* "yeah...not so good?" **VETOED**

"Well--"

"--we have pasta don't we? What about that and marinara? And we have chicken in the freezer don't we?"

"But I want to use up what we have. And what about the brats and mushrooms?"

"Okay." [not really an answer, but in this situation it'll do.]

THE DINNER: Spaghetti Marinara, with veggies and brats.

Of course the land locked (and, obviously, in love) gorgeous gal loved it. She shredded some fresh Romano (a staple in our household) right beforehand and was ready and waiting when it was all served up. [i had to suggest taking the picture before she dug in and thus the discussion about this blog that led me to finally write my first contribution.] The whole thing was readily consumed before we could even really think about how good it actually was. There were some leftovers, and--naturally--we have some purposely spared mushrooms for my [i like to think] famous mushroom risotto...

David's Marinara

• one whole chopped onion
• a slightly less than equal amount of chopped carrot
• about two cloves of minced garlic
• approximately 1/4 cup red wine
  
• one can tomato paste
  
• four fresh tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• a very healthy amount of dried basil, and then some
  
• some oregano
  
• two teaspoons of sugar
• two teaspoons of salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Saute onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until soft. Add wine, saute for a few more minutes. Add everything else, plus about a quarter cup of water and simmer on low-med for about 20 min. Cool, then puree. Once you have the texture you desire put it back on the low-med heat (here you should taste it and add whatever you think it might need. tonight it was a little more salt and basil.) for about 10 min (just enough time to boil the pasta, if you started the water boiling when you set the sauce to cool.)

Veggies and Brat

• two brats, cooked and chopped
  
• two green onion, sliced
• one zucchini, chopped
• four mushrooms, chopped
• sugar, salt, ground black pepper

Toss everything together first and let sit for a few minutes. [whenever you fry/saute/whatever fresh veggies, always, ALWAYS, toss them with salt and sugar a few minutes ahead of time to "cut them" and open up the flavor.] Heat a frying pan (not non-stick) with a little olive oil to high heat. Add everything and stir continuously until the mushrooms are done and the brats are lightly browned. Done.

One Should Always Eat Muffins Quite Calmly. It Is The Only Way To Eat Them. *

There's a few things about the fall that really make it my favorite season. I love the crisp, sunny weather. I love all the colors of the foliage. And I really love apple picking.

Apple picking rocks. And last week, David and I went out to Aamodt's Apple Farm. It was everything an apple orchard should be, which both delighted and surprised me.

I know it's a bit narrow-minded of me, but apples come from New England. That's just always how I've thought about it. Apples are a New England thing. And going apple picking is something I remember doing as a kid, and then again sporadically in my adolescence.

A truly great apple picking experience requires two things: hot apple cider, and apple cider donuts. Aamodt's, clearly a worthy apple orchard, had both. In addition to the two bags of apples that we picked ourselves, we bought an additional bag at the store in the barn. We also bought some local honey (which I have been enjoying immensely in my morning tea) and I bought one tiny old fashioned caramel (which was out of this world).

But before the shopping, naturally, I insisted that we get to the heart of the whole apple picking experience: the cider and the donuts.

I like apples as much as the next gal, but the whole point of apple picking is going inside the barn, with your cheeks red from the crisp cool air, and sitting down on a wooden bench with a cup of hot apple cider and an apple cider donut to dunk in it. Mmmmm... I'm ready to go apple picking all over again!

...Not that we need to. We certainly picked our fill. We got a bit overzealous, actually, and wound up with way more apples than we could possible need. So I have been doing a LOT of baking. Apple butter, applesauce, German applecake.  Apple pies, apple crisp, and apple dumplings are forthcoming. And yet still we have apples upon apples upon apples in our kitchen.

One of my favorite recipes ever (and this is saying something) is my recipe for Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins. You must, I mean, you really, really must make these muffins. Soon. They are a perfect bite of autumn. So aromatic, so flavorful, so GOOD. You can make them for a big brunch like I did two weeks ago, or you can make a batch for you and your family, like I'm about to do. These freeze extremely well, so you don't have to worry about devouring them all in one sitting, which is a very real danger because these muffins are THAT DELICIOUS.

Best Ever Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour (up to half can be whole wheat)
• 2 cups of sugar (brown or white. I prefer brown, personally)
• 1/2 cup of applesauce (I'm using homemade applesauce this time around, but store bought works just as well). 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can of pumpkin puree; not pumpkin pie filling. (You can also use 1 cup of homemade pumpkin puree which I swear to try out myself sometime soon. In the meantime I'm a fan of Libby's).
• Several apples, peeled, cored, and chopped. (Depending on size the number will vary. I used about 6 smallish-medium apples today. I like a lot of apple in my muffins!)
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp of ginger
• scant 1/2 tsp of nutmeg

Directions


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, pumpkin puree, and applesauce in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gently fold in the apples. Grease a muffin tin well (I recently discovered Baker's Joy and I'm in LOVE! I also like using cupcake liners). For nicely domed bakery-esque muffins, fill tin to the top with batter. This method will produce roughly 18 regular sized muffins. If you fill each tin 3/4 of the way full,  you can get 24 regular sized muffins. Personally, I prefer the pretty domes. Plus, more muffin! You can sprinkle some sugar over the tops for some crunch and sparkle if you like! Place muffin tin on the center rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack, and enjoy!

Keep your eyes peeled for the next Land Locked (and in Love!) post, which will be written by a very special guest!

* Lots of love, and perhaps a prize, if you can identify the source of the quote in the title!

are we there yet?

We made it! We're in Minnesota!

Ok, so technically we're in Wisconsin right now. Details, details.

I know this post comes a bit later than we'd all like, but things have been hectic! I'm going to do my very best to give you a run-down of everything that's happened in the eleven days since we left New York City.

But before I get into the adventures of the last few days, let me put you all at ease by answering the number one question on everyone's mind: HOW COLD IS IT?!

Oh, no. Sorry. The number one question everyone's asking me is: How are you doing?!

Answer: I am doing great (and it is pretty. damn. cold)!

We hired movers to load the truck up with all of our stuff, which was the best $75 I ever spent, seriously. David helped them because he's incapable of sitting still when he's impatient and anxious to get going. I sat in the truck like a total princess and didn't lift a finger. You know, I ought to be embarrassed about that, but I'm not gonna lie. It was awesome.

We went up to Boston on Sunday and stayed over Sunday night and Monday night. We took David out for a real Roast Beef sandwich ("What, is it like Arby's or something?" "NO.") We got chinese food because I had been CRAVING crab rangoon for about four years and THEY DON'T HAVE IT IN NEW YORK. If anyone ever asks me why I left NYC, I'm going to look them dead in the eye and say that I left because of the crab rangoon shortage. Appalling.

It was really wonderful to stop off in Massachusetts one last time. Everyone was so happy for us, and took the trouble to remind me what I'm getting into. You know, like "I hear it's REALLY COLD out there! Love you! Miss you! DON'T FREEZE TO DEATH!"

We loaded the truck up with even more stuff. Highlights include: an electric blanket ("isn't it really cold up there, or something?"), a food processor, and a shiny, red, KITCHENAID. Also among my old things that have been packed up since my college days I found THE UGLIEST AFGHAN EVER! "So ugly it's pretty!" as I used to say back in high school to describe everything I owned. Of course this monstrosity is my FAVORITE blanket ever and you can bet that when David and I get our stuff out of storage I will take tons of pictures to show you. Perhaps I'll even dedicate a blog post entirely to that ratty thing. It will rock!

So, anyway. Saying goodbye was a lot more difficult than I expected it to be. I cried and cried saying goodbye to each of my parents. I'm still pretty homesick, actually. It's funny; I haven't really lived at home in years and years, but this is the first time I really feel like I'm leaving home, you know?

And then it was just us and the open road! David, me....and Durpalug. Yeah. See that picture of the extremely perturbed cat on the right? That's Durp. When she wasn't sleeping or trying to make a break for it by attempting to jump out the window at a toll booth in Illinois and instead getting her claws stuck in my hair while I was driving, she looked like that. To be fair, I can't really blame her. By the end of the trip I pretty much looked like that, too. But with more frizz.

What did we do on the drive, you ask? We drove. No stopping off at the world's largest ball of yarn for us! It was pedal to the metal. We drove from Boston (2 hours of nearly stand-still traffic on the Mass Pike!) to just past Cleveland, OH on Tuesday. Then from there to Minnesota on Wednesday. Pretty much every time I hopped in the driver's seat it started raining. We were wise enough to bring a fully stocked cooler with us, so we had plenty of carrots, apples, peanut butter, tortillas, hummus, trail mix, granola bars, and, most importantly, red bull to last us. We only stopped for dinner. (The first night: Applebee's. And I swear, I was so excited to get out of the truck and eat something other than the rabbit food listed above that I was practically jumping up and down. Never mind that our waiter did a magic trick every time he came to the table. Never mind that the air conditioner was on full blast in September. Never mind that it was freaking Applebee's--it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The second night: Chili's. Not such a great time there. No magic tricks, for one thing).

A few rest stops here and there, but mostly we just drove, drove, drove. Despite the photographic evidence showing that Durp was a pretty miserable kitty-cat, I must say that she was surprisingly well behaved for the most part. She developed a particular interest in big rig trucks. Every time we got near to one on the highway she would perk up and put her paws on the window and start sniffing at it. Cute!

We got in Wednesday night and almost hit two deer on the way to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin where we're staying! Yes, I moved to Minnesota, but I'm staying in Wisconsin. David's Aunt Katie was generous enough to let us use her basement apartment until we can get our own place. It's a completely separate two bedroom apartment in the basement of her house. We have our own entrance, bathroom, and kitchen. Have I mentioned how extremely fortunate we are, and how super grateful we are to David's family for helping us out so much? Because we are.  St. Croix Falls is right on the border of Minnesota, and with luck we'll be moving to Minneapolis soon.

It's been an adjustment for sure. This is more "country" even than Ithaca ever was. It's by far the most rural environment I've ever lived in. It's beautiful, though. Very quiet and peaceful, and very scenic. The leaves are absolutely stunning up here, which surprised me. I always think of Autumn as a New England thing.

I'm homesick, for sure. Way more so than I've ever been moving to any other place. David has been worried about me. He's so anxious, and wants to make sure that I adjust and that I'm happy here. I keep telling him, "I am so happy to be here! It's just going to take a little while to adjust. And you have to adjust to being back here, yourself!" And it's true. We have each other, and that has made this transition so much easier. Even being in an unfamiliar place, with all our things packed up in storage, it helps so much that his family has been so kind and welcoming. And having him here to look out for me makes all the difference in the world. We've finally begun to settle into a routine and have begun job searching. That helps a lot, too. In the meantime, I've been keeping myself busy in all sorts of ways! But those stories are for future posts to come! And I promise there won't be such a long dry spell next time!

I love and miss you all so much! And you New Yorkers--do me a favor and really relish the next bagel you get, ok? God, I miss those.

if i can make it there, i'll make it anywhere

There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these trembling cities the greatest is the last--the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion. And whether it is a farmer arriving from a small town in Mississippi to escape the indignity of being observed by her neighbors, or a boy arriving from the Corn Belt with a manuscript in his suitcase and a pain in his heart, it makes no difference: each embraces New York with the intense excitement of first love, each absorbs New York with the fresh yes of an adventurer, each generates heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison Company. . . .

Here is New York by E.B. White

You'll have to bear with me on this one. I am at a loss. How to give voice to all that I experienced in the 4+ years I lived in this city?

I came here--it's true!--on a whim. I was impetuous and lonely and romantic and needed desperately to be Elsewhere. Isn't that why we all come here, in one way or another? I had one backpack--a red jansport--filled with clothes and a book or two, and $100 to my name. In cash. I am a living, breathing fairy-tale.

The largeness of it all! The wonderment of the cross town buses--I'm not lying. I would slide into a window seat and stare at my own reflection in the dark windows made greenish by the fluorescent lights inside and orangeish from the street lights outside. Cruising through the dark mysteries of Central Park after a closing shift at the vegetarian restaurant I worked in on the Upper East Side.

I am too overwhelmed now to properly answer the question "what will you most miss?" which is the question people are most often curious about. I can only say with certainty that it will likely be the small things. Sitting on the stoop of my first apartment for hours and hours. The quiet, magical walk along Astoria Park after sunset. The trick of knowing exactly which subway car to ride in to a) have the best chance of getting a seat, or b) get off directly in front of my exit. That the wonderment of walking past Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and St. Patrick's Cathedral every morning on my way to work quickly wore off, only to reignite itself more fervently than ever on some unobtrusive morning when the light sparkled just right or the rain held off until I made it inside and the pearly grey clouds reflected beautifully in all the windows. The N train and everything about it. Gramercy Park, which I only ever loved because it looks and feels exactly like Boston. Being called "sweetheart" by every doorman in the city. The rhythm and hum of the city itself.

So, here's a little snippet of the folksinger at 18. She just moved to New York and she’s had her mouth hanging open for about three days. I remember vividly the whole learning process and the prostitutes that were working the little cobblestone street below my window... it was like, 'No Ani, those are not women. They look a lot like women but…' And I was like, 'Wow...They're purty!' And then, and then, and I was like--so, um? There was this deck off of--well it was kind of a roof, really, as, you know, patios in New York are. They’re the roofs of other buildings. And there was chalk outlines of bodies on mine. So I inquired about them one day and they said, 'Oh, I don't know, I think maybe they were a joke...'

-Ani Difranco

Last night--our last in the city--David and I went to Korea Town, which is where we had our first date. After dinner we got frozen yogurt from Red Mango and sat at a little metal table in the middle of Herald Square. There was a small leafy tree overhead, blocking out some--but not all--of the headlights, street lights, and neon signs in and along the street. "I think," said David. "That this is the first and last time I've ever enjoyed listening to taxis."

I will miss so much. So much about this city and this life. So many people. But this morning, I'm off on the greatest adventure of my life. And I absolutely can't wait.

Love.

I have the measles and the mumps. a gash, a rash, and purple bumps

Remember my To Do list? All items are now crossed off. The few things we have left to do literally can't be done until the last few days/hours, so for all intents and purposes David and I are truly ready to go.

Unfortunately we're both sick, so even the few remaining tasks left seem impossibly overwhelming.

I've canceled all my social plans for the week thus far, which really sucks but can't be helped at this point. I've got to recover. There's no way I'm driving all the way to Minnesota feeling like crap the whole way.

I can't wait to go home and make a "sick island" and eat soup and saltines and drink ginger-ale and go to sleep.

i'm really happy for you, and i'mma let you finish, but...

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Beer Garden on Saturday Night for our Goodbye Party! It meant so much to us to have you there. I wish I had taken more pictures (I always wish that in retrospect. Must make more of an effort next time). There were lots of laughs, a few tears, and at least one Kanye West impression. I really couldn't have asked for more.

We're still interviewing for my replacement at work. Pamela swears she will make a decision today and I plan to hold her to it. We really want to get someone in to train with me, moreso than usual because I'm going to be leaving several major projects uncompleted and it will be a rough transition for whomever fills in. I am trying to get my ducks in a row, here, but it's getting really hard to focus.

David and I finally sat down and planned out our driving route. We're driving a u-haul all the way out to Minnesota; did I mentioned that? From New York to Massachusetts to Ohio to Minnesota. About 27ish hours of driving total!

I'm tempted--so tempted!--to buy some kind of ipod car converter device so we'll have some audio control along the way. But it's sort of a foolish waste of money at this point. Not to mention that it's been years, literally, since I've actually spent any time listening to the radio. It will be good for me.

We're really down to the wire now: 6 days until we leave.  The apartment is disheveled and strewn with boxes--some packed, some half-packed, some empty. Our refrigerator is void of everything but condiments and some yogurt. Oh, and some limes.

Speaking of limes (this is actually an unplanned segue, so forgive me. We're venturing off the beaten track here), didn't I promise you the recipe for my favorite summer cocktail a while ago? I definitely did. Might as well do that now, huh?

The Long Vodka

ingredients

• bitters
• vodka
• tonic
• lime
• ice

directions
Shake a few dashes of bitters over ice in a tall glass. Add two shots of vodka, the juice of half a lime, and top off with tonic. Add a slice of lime for garnish if you want to be fancy. Stir, enjoy!


In fact, I'd be tempted to make one myself if I were going directly home this evening. As it is, though, I'm putting on my best Mad Men pearls and hitting the town with Donna Bagdasarian. If we hit up Employees Only for one last farewell--as we are wont to do--I fear there's far more sinister drinks in my future!

belated blogging: where the hell did the last two weeks go?!

Blogging is hard. Apparently, you actually have to be self-disciplined and make a commitment to consistency. No one thought to mention that when I started talking awhile back about starting a blog to document this transition. Thanks, guys.

SO MUCH IS GOING ON. It's crazy.

I can't believe it's already midway through September! David and I leave for Minnesota in 13 days. THIRTEEN DAYS. I'm really beginning to feel the enormity of what we're doing. This decision certainly was not made lightly, but in the initial stages it definitely took on a dream-like quality. As we made our plans we talked about our freedoms and fears and spent a lot of time being cozy and confiding in one another. In a way I felt as though we were in our own private bubble, and that all of the changes were happening within and between us. Now I find that as we're hurtling closer toward our departure date everything has become external. We check things off our To Do lists and suddenly our private hopes and dreams for the future are becoming grounded in reality in a way that is both exhilarating and terrifying. I can honestly say I never imagined myself moving to Minnesota. But I can also say--just as honestly--that there's no where else I'd rather go. I always have been and always will be every bit an emotional romantic, and this is no exception: I want to be where David is and nowhere else.

I haven't just spent these past two weeks in deep existential lovey-dovey thought, however! Initially I had plans to write separate blog posts about all of the things I'm about to mention. I even drafted a few paragraphs and saved them along the way! But time is truly quicker than I am. I thought it better to give you the rundown than to surrender myself to the undertow! So, as Inigo Montoya would say:

Let me s'plain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.

David and I were back in Massachusetts over Labor Day weekend because my wonderful friends Dan and Niccie got MARRIED. Tied the knot. Got hitched. I was so, so happy to be there. Congratulations to you both, and thank you so much for letting me share the day with you!

That trip also served as an opportunity to say goodbye to some of my extended family members. Chances are I won't be back in Boston for any significant length of time until next summer, which feels a little bit strange.

David and I have both given our notice at work, which was a huge weight hanging over us. I feel so relieved now that it's over with! I'm essentially in charge of finding my own replacement so I've been combing through resumes and fielding phone calls for most of the last week. I have this week to really wrap things up as far as projects I'm working on, and then a week to train whomever Pamela decides to hire as my replacement.

I bought my last ever monthly metrocard (and then lost it and had to replace it, but whatever) which was an unexpectedly poignant moment for me.

I've been making the rounds, saying goodbye to friends, getting things done. This Saturday David and I are having our Goodbye Party at the Beer Garden in Astoria! If you're in the city I insist that you stop by.

I also got my hair cut. Now, here's the thing. When we first, first made the decision to move to the midwest, David asked me what I would most miss and regret leaving behind--family and friends being the obvious answer and therefore excluded. "My hair dresser," I replied instantly. I didn't even wait a beat. I've been getting my haircut by Melissa at Devachan for the last three years, and I am not at all exaggerating when I say that this salon changed my life. I'm so upset about the fact that she won't be able to cut my hair regularly anymore that I actually can't think about it. Luckily there is apparently a former Devachan stylist who now works in Chicago, which is a totally reasonable 8 hours away from Minneapolis. So it looks like I'll be getting most of my future haircuts in Chi-town. But whenever I can swing it, Melissa, I'm running right back to you! I'm bound to visit NYC every now and again!

We still have a lot of packing to do, and tonight, I think, we're going to map out our drive from the East Coast to the Mid West! (Midwest? One word or two? These are the things I need to learn, along with being able to identify the Great Lakes and accepting the fact that the Twin Cities are urban as opposed to suburban. I've got my work cut out for me!)