Today I went to three stores looking for a replacement 4X4 Rubik’s cube. Turns out they’re hard to find the day after Christmas. Eventually I realized that I was going to have to put my broken one back together again if I wanted to solve it by 2010. You might be wondering why I didn’t do this in the first place. The truth is, building things is my third least favorite thing in the world (after moving and racism). But I faced my fears, found a YouTube tutorial, and put the thing back together. w00t!
My own personal Mt. Everest.
This part is harder than it looks.
Take 2
And then I spent two hours solving it. Hooray!
I may not be good at parallel parking...but I can do this. Check me out!
I realize photos aren’t incontrovertible proof, but my mom vouches for me, and I know you’re not calling her a liar.
Now I feel like I accomplished something in 2009. On to the 5X5!
Another year is coming to a close, and another baking marathon has come and gone. Last night my mom, sister, niece and I put the finishing touches on our holiday cookie tins. They are exceptionally delicious this year, if I do say so myself. Each tin includes two raspberry/chocolate/pecan meringues, two coconut/chocolate meringues, a small loaf of chocolate chai banana bread, two oatmeal raisin cookies, three chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies, two pieces of three-layer peppermint bark, four white chocolate-dipped pretzels, and an ample serving of holiday cheer.
This is the part where J was mixing in the holiday cheer.
In other news, I bought myself a 4X4 Rubik’s Cube, and since solving it was on my New Year’s resolutions list from last year, I’d better get started now if I want to finish it before 2010. Yikes.
On Saturday my family celebrated an early Christmas, and, just for fun, we used the works of Charles Dickens as our inspiration.
“There never was such a goose. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration.”
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
We had a real Christmas goose, along with bangers and mash, minted peas, glazed ham, stuffing, mince pies, roasted chestnuts, and Christmas wassail. For dessert we had baked apples, plum pudding, and Victorian coffee.
My dad carving the goose
We had Christmas crackers filled with treats and riddles (here are instructions for making your own), sang Christmas carols (accompanied by a concertina player), and learned the history of several English Christmas traditions (via the internet, but confirmed by an actual Englishman).
Christmas crackers!
Kris playing the concertina
We strayed a bit from the Dickens theme when my father and brother-in-law re-enacted this totally surreal scene and duet between David Bowie and Bing Crosby from 1977:
Chocolate-covered Oreo Cake by Flickr user ginnerobot
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day is a real thing (where “real” means that if you Google it, you’ll find some stuff), so let’s celebrate! Indulge in chocolate covered fruit, nuts, cookies, meat, pickles…you name it!
To honor the occasion, my sister and I are adding chocolate-dipped pretzels to this year’s Great Cookie Bake-Off menu (GCBO is an annual event in our family, though it’s becoming more and more of a misnomer each year, as we add non-cookie items to the list). Here’s a preview of the rest of the selections:
Three Layer Peppermint Bark
Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chocolate and Chai Banana Bread
Raspberry Chocolate Pecan Meringues
Chocolate and Butterscotch Chip Cookies
This year’s GCBO will take place over the course of three days, starting on Sunday. I’ll keep you posted!
I'm writing for Nobel Laureate and prisoner of conscience Aung San Suu Kyi
Warning: It’s about to get political up in here. Though this is part of my series on Holidays in 2009, this is neither festive nor fun. But, believe me, everybody is definitely invited to be an advocate for human rights.
December 5th marks the start of Amnesty International’s Global Write-a-thon, an event to mark International Human Rights Day (December 10th). Participants write letters of support for human rights defenders, prisoners of conscience, and other victims of human rights violations. It’s the largest event of its kind; tens of thousands of people from 30 different countries will write letters. Visit amnestyusa.org for a list of cases you may be interested in writing about.
I am one year and one day old today. Thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, guest blogging, taking pictures, cooking, eating, planning, decorating, being an expert, scavenging, and celebrating with me!
I think I’ve achieved several of my goals: I’ve posted entries regularly; I’ve covered a diverse array of topics including theme parties, scavenger hunts, holidays and vacations; and I’ve managed to keep “cubes” the number one tag.
Here are some of my favorite entries from the past year:
I Made It Myself is a series where I document my attempts to cook food that I would normally pay someone else to make, or buy in a package.
I haven’t written about any baking adventures in IMIM so far, because it’s not really a new challenge, so I didn’t think it should count. However, I’ve decided that my most recent effort warrants consideration because it involved the double effort of gluten-free baking (something I’ve been experimenting with for awhile, and feel like I finally got right with this recipe) and red velvet (something I’ve never tried before).
(On the other hand, maybe this doesn’t qualify, because, as you’ll see in the pictures, I did not in fact make it myself.)
I looked at several recipes for gluten free red velvet cake before settling on this one from the Gluten Free Cooking School. Of course, I had to go to two places to find the specialty ingredients (brown rice flour and xanthan gum are available in many grocery stores I’ve noticed, but sorghum flour and tapioca starch are still hard to find), but in the end it was worth it. These were a big hit at Moulin Rouge and finally made me feel good about my gluten free baking skills. They were good. Not “good for gluten free,” just…good. Hooray for cupcakes! Boo gluten!
I’m in Seattle this week, and last night my family had a Moulin Rouge-themed party. Before the party there was some debate about what exactly Moulin Rouge meant – did it refer to the actual Moulin Rouge in Paris? Or the Baz Luhrman film? Or just French stuff? Or red stuff? After the party, it’s still unclear. Everyone interpreted it differently, so it was a bit of a mish-mash. In a good way!
This was our menu:
Roasted Red Onions with Balsamic
Stuffed Red Peppers
Orange and Beet Salad
19th Century Herbed Potatoes
Red Pepper Pesto Salmon
Cherry Clafouti
Red Velvet Cupcakes (more on this in a later entry)
Red Wine Sangria
Everything went together surprisingly well!
We listened to a combination of musicians who have performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris and songs from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.
For the evening’s activity we had decided to create tableaux vivants – living re-creations of famous paintings from turn of the century artists who worked in Paris, including Renoir, Lautrec, and Van Gogh. Since we are all very competitive, we turned it into a contest. Here are two of the winners:
Ask the Expert is a series where I interview friends and others who are experts in a particular party concept.
For this edition I interviewed Trish Tchume, co-host of the much anticipated annual event known as the Naked Tree Party. Read on for clarification, inspiration, and cultural references.
Everybody’s Invited!: Who exactly is naked at a Naked Tree Party?
Trish Tchume: Ah yes, an important question – as a courtesy to our guests, we do make it clear pretty early on in the invitation that “the tree is naked, not you.” But there is a not-so-secret part of me that hopes against hope every year that we’ll have a ‘Perfect Strangers’-type incident where someone gets confused by the name of the party and hilarity ensues. As such, I do make a point of inviting all friends who live with recently-emigrated cousins from small Greek islands. Then I keep my fingers crossed, and wait…
Oh, we also explain in the invitation that each guest should bring an ornament made of found or gently used items.
EI!: I think I’m offended. Why not call it a Tree Trimming party?
TT: Because a “Tree Trimming Party” is something hosted by people who “summer” or refer to the thing in their living room as a “Davenport.”
EI!: In your opinion, how do NTPs compare to USPs (Ugly Sweater Parties)?
TT: NTPs and USPs are ‘kissing cousins’ as they say (I’ve always wanted to use that phrase – thanks for the opportunity, Everybody’s Invited!) as both are built around a common principle that parties are way better when your friends are encouraged (read: forced) to explore their creative side before they will be let into your apartment.
EI!: Popcorn and cranberry chains – for or against?
TT: For…if the popcorn is found and the cranberries are gently used.
EI!: Top three homemade ornaments of all time?
TT: I am a huge fan in general of the ornaments that do NOT stand the test of time. I have to say, there is absolutely nothing better than pulling out an ornament that was totally relevant at the party but today makes you pause and think, “Oh yeah…Rick James died in 2004.” To me, that’s the true spirit of the holidays.
I also have a special place in my heart for the ones I like to refer to as ‘panic ornaments’ or “P.O.s.” From what I’ve observed, P.O.s are made by hastily looking around your apartment, your desk at work or (my personal favorite) by discreetly peeking into trashbins on the walk from the subway and somehow some crazy David Copperfield magic happens (the Vegas one not the Dickens one.)
But in response to your question, the Naked Tree Party was never technically meant to be a competition. IfI had to pick, though, I’d say my personal top three would be:
Peanut Disco by my friend Tim. A tiny platform made of wood, with 4 peanuts (still in their shells) glued upright to the platform, and a very tiny plastic disco ball suspended overhead. (2004 Naked Tree, Philly)
Aviation Influenza Prevention Cards contributed by my friend Rachael. These were a found item. Playing cards + Bird Flu health tips. Obviously. (2008 Naked Tree, NYC)
Baby Jesus by my friend Katie. An empty birth control wheel coupled with the working Christmas Lights. Genius. (2006 Naked Tree, NYC)
