Monthly Archives: January 2018

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Star Wars Costume Exhibit

I am not a huge Star Wars fan. I like the movies, but I don’t think about the universe or small inconsistencies in the films or how this or that wouldn’t happen. I appreciate them for what they are, but Star Wars did not play a major role in my childhood – it didn’t define something in me as it did for other members of my generation. I didn’t love, but also didn’t hate the prequels (please, no hate mail) and I’ve enjoyed the new films as much for the story as the nostalgia. So when Bob said he wanted to see an exhibit on the making of the Star Wars costumes in St. Pete, I happily agreed.

I hate to admit it, but I needed more time at the exhibit. We ended up going later in the day and had about 45 minutes to get through the whole thing. This should have been enough as it was not a huge exhibit, but it wasn’t. I only took a few pictures since I wanted to make sure I saw everything but the few I took, I had a reason for.

IMG_20180102_162129.jpgThis sketch was of an early concept for Princess Leia. The ultimate costume was pretty different, but I love this dress – it reminded me of Erin’s wedding dress and there is something simple, yet incredibly beautiful about the drawing (and her dress). To me, that is hard to pull off and I would have loved to see that dress as a final costume. (If I missed it and it actually is in the movie somewhere, I goofed, but I thought the plaque said it was just an early idea for Leia.

IMG_20180102_163022.jpgThe costumes in the prequels are pretty much why I don’t hate the movies. I love the dressed and the design and the effect the costumes give the character and the worlds. One dress in particular made me drool so I was excited to see the dress in the exhibit. Natalie Portman had a number of amazing costumes in those movies, but this one, the regal dress is the one that really did it for me. I love how elaborate, yet how simple, it is and how the dress itself commands a level of respect. It’s hard to pull off, but this dress does.

And, of course, Yoda. The wise master who could easily have gone too far and been a silly character is just wonderful. The simple costume speaks volumes, but I really think it’s just Yoda that I love.

If I get back and see it again before the exhibit leaves in a few months, I may post an update, but for now, these will have to do.

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Brigadoon, Pinot Noir – 2015

  • Basic info:  Brigadoon “La Choquette Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015
  • Type: Red
  • Price estimate: $30 (from Backcountry Wines)
  • Look: Dark red with a slight brown/orange tint. Mostly opaque, but a little translucent at the edges
  • Smell: Stone, flint, cherry pit
  • Taste: Sour cherry, grape, a little apple. Bob got apple and mineral. Not a long finish and not a wine that changes much over the course of the glass.
  • Conclusions: We liked this wine, but after reading the description, it didn’t live up to expectations.
  • Other notes: I almost didn’t post this one because I was recovering from one cold and acquiring another cold when I drank it, so I’m pretty sure my ability to smell and taste were off. (Hence the lack of posts this month – I’ve spent as many days in January not drinking as I have drinking which I realize makes me sound like a lush, but I do like a glass of wine with dinner.) I loved the look of the wine – the slight brown and orange at the edges of the glass made it more interesting, although that might be a result of some oxidation.
  • From the bottle: The tasting notes: “Very fresh, complex fruit on the nose. Fresh picked strawberries in particular. The structure is striking – very round and all its components well-integrated, especially the skill tannins.” 13.5% alcohol by volume.

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Caramel Swirl Brownies

Brownies are delightful. There is something wonderful and indulgent about brownies. Brownies need to be rich, chocolate-y and goo-y. No cake like brownies here. If you want cake like brownies, make a cake.

IMG_20180101_102825.jpgOver the years I’ve search for the perfect brownie recipe, and I always seem to come back to this recipe from David Leibowitz. I’ve tried others, I’ve modified others and I’ve tried my own, but whenever I want really good brownies, I go to this one. But … I may have stumbled onto the best alteration of these brownies possible – caramel. I made caramel sauce right before Christmas and I had a jar full left over in the fridge, just sitting there, taunting me. (just look at the picture – it taunted me every time I opened the fridge looking for kale or potatoes. So caramel brownies it is.

I am also in inherently lazy baker so I shortened a few steps in the recipe. I mixed all the dry ingredients without sifting, then added the wet and just combined. Pour that into the pan and pour on the caramel (about a quarter cup) and swirl it in. That was it. I baked it for a bout 35-40 minutes – I started checking it at 20 minutes, but it really does take much longer than 20-25. (I also used an 8×11 pan lined with foil, but I don’t think it matters much – no matter the size of the pan, I generally end up needing more than 30 minutes to cook the brownies.)

img_20180101_1350301.jpgThe results – oh my goodness! Talk about a near perfect brownie. These are rich, chocolate-y and goo-y. There is enough caramel in them to taste it, but not so much it overpowers the brownies. I cut them into rather large squares, but that’s ok – I can then “split” a brownie with Bob and feel good that I’m not eating the whole thing. … Or I can just eat the whole thing and call it dinner.

 

 

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Vegetable Barley Soup

During the first week in January Florida, like much of the country, got hit with a cold front that left us feeling pretty miserable. I am not a fan of cold weather in general, but this was just biting. Bob wasn’t feeling well and so I decided to make soup.

One of my favorite soups as a kid was the ham and barley soup mom would make every now and then. I’m not sure if there is a recipe or not for that soup, but I remember it required simmering the ham hock for a while.  I didn’t have a ham hock (and didn’t really want one) so I just made a vegetarian version – this is a basic soup, but it really worked well.

Recipe:

  • 1/2 large sweet onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 3/4 cup barley (I used the instant quick cooking kind)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ~1 tablespoon olive oil

Chop the onion, carrot and celery, mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium to medium high heat. When oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is soft, about 4-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes (with juices), vegetable broth, and bay leaf and stir. Season again with salt and pepper and cook, stirring every now and then, for about 15 minutes. Add the barley and cook ten minutes more. (If using regular barley, you may need to cook this longer.) Adjust seasoning and serve with crackers or some toasted bread if you like.

Quick, simple soup. It gets better the second day and made 6-8 servings – enough for Bob and I for several lunches. Best part about this soup is that I had everything on hand when I decided to make it – something that very rarely happens in this house.

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Michael Pozzan – Chardonnay, 2014

  • Basic info: Michael Poznan “Annabella” Chardonnay, Napa, CA – 2014
  • Type: white
  • Price estimate: $13 (local wine store)
  • Look: Light straw colored with good legs after it warmed a little.
  • Smell: Apple, pear, lemon flower
  • Taste: Lemon, lime, vanilla and a little jasmine. Good acid with a medium finish. Tart, but pleasant.
  • Conclusions: I like this wine, especially for a Chardonnay. It has a soft texture and a silky mouthfeel, but it isn’t oily or oaky. It went well with the Thai peanut sauce I made with dinner. Is it a memorable wine? Probably not, but it is very drinkable.
  • Other notes: Ever since Kate brought over the 2009 Cakebread Chardonnay, I’ve been trying to try more chardonnay. It isn’t a varietal I gravitate to as I associate it with heavy, okay oily wines. We tasted the Annabella a few months ago and really liked it so when I needed a nice, clean white for dinner this was the one I went to open.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from the winery, “The Annabella 2014 Napa Valley Chardonnay is a bright, light straw color in the glass. Youthful but sophisticated, the wine entices with aromas of honeydew melon, juicy tangerine, and a slight hint of butterscotch. In the mouth, the wine strikes an impossible balance between voluptuous and delicate – with a silky, weighty mouth feel playing counterpoint to fine-spun flavors of citrus blossom and a hint of cinnamon. The slight structure provided by oak frames the wine’s delicacy perfectly, providing length and depth to its elegance.” 14.5% alcohol by volume.

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The plant that would not die

I can’t remember when I got the Bougainvillea but it was a while ago – either right before or right after Bob and I got married. In the years since I got this plant I have pretty much neglected it, especially in the last few years. It has sat on the back patio and pretty much been ignored and it just hung on barely alive. Before Irma came through we moved it to the corner between the house and the fence – it is a REALLY heavy pot and we figured that it would be safe there. I never moved it back to its spot after Irma, so it sat in that corner, unattended for the last few months. This week, I finally got around to moving it into the sun again, watering it and cutting the dead branches off. I’m hoping that if I actually pay some attention to it, I might be rewarded with pretty peach flowers.

I also moved the mini garden to a spot where it would get a little more sun, and planted some cat grass and catnip for the kitties. I don’t know if they will play in them or not, but they are kind of pretty.

I’m hoping to get the actual garden back in the fall, but for now, I think the pots will work. The pets seem to enjoy the back yard and it is a nice place for Bob and I to have a glass of wine in the evening (weather and bugs permitting).

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Vieilles Vignes – Chinon, 2014

  • Basic info: Vieilles Vignes Chinon, Cabernet Franc, Chinon, France, 2014
  • Type: Red
  • Price estimate: $15 (from Chamber Street Wines)
  • Look: dark red, almost blackberry in color and opaque. Legs not noticeable early, but becomes more prominent as the wine warms and opens.
  • Smell: Cherry and red candy
  • Taste: Not much of a specific taste up front, but tart with a little black cherry, spice and mineral notes after a few seconds. Medium finish, but not many layers.
  • Conclusions: I liked this wine. It was a good, drinking wine. It was easy to sip and didn’t require a lot of thinking to enjoy. It isn’t very memorable, but still a lovely wine.
  • Other notes: My first experiences with Cab Franc were not good – tree bark and dirt were the descriptions that come to mind, but a few of the recent Cab Francs have changed my mind. they can be more fruit forward (not sweet) than earthy and it is definitely worth seeking them out.
  • From the bottle: No bottle notes, but from Chamber Street Wines, “The delicious Chinon Vielles Vignes of Patrick Lambert is from 55 year old vines on sandy clay soils over limestone. Hand harvested and fermented with wild yeasts, the wine gets 12 months of aging in oak barrels. The wine shows a deep red/black color and ripe blackberry and strawberry aromas with pepper, earth and citrus. The palate shows earthy blackberry and strawberry compote with prune and bitter chocolate with firm citrus acids.” 12.5% alcohol by volume.

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Vacation at home

Over the last week I’ve had the chance to rest a bit and not think about work or school. Final grades are in and I did well, so now it is just waiting for the diploma and final transcript in the mail. It has been a little weird to not *have* to do anything and I’ve tried to do a little around the house – clean out the fridge and pantry, shred what needs to be shredded, attend to the garden and pets – and just read for fun and relax. It’s been nice.

So the pets … All are good and they are fairly normalized now. I will find Arthas and the kittens on the couch more and more and the kittens are going right up to Arthas and he just sniffs. He is seeking them out every now and then. Tigger is good – he needs his space and quiet time, but he plays with the kittens and curls up with them (or lets them curl up with him) so we know he likes them at least a little.

I’ve also had the chance to cook a little this week. I haven’t ventured too far into experimenting, but it has been nice to think about cooking and have the time (and energy) to make a few things.

If I like my wine, Bob is equally enamored by beer. Oh, he drinks wine with me with dinner, but in the evening, if we are sitting on the couch watching something, he tends to go for beer. He recently (thank you, John) discovered that he can get beer delivered to the house. He is a happy man – with a cat.

Just a few more days off and then it is back to reality. But, I’m enjoying the time while I have it and looking forward to cooking, hanging out with the pets, and maybe looking at a little travel.