A year of lessons

Justin and I have had quite a year! As of December 29th, we've been in California for a year. We rang in 2009 in the hotel in which we were living down in Morgan Hill. This year we rang in 2010 in our apartment in Mountain View and even took a stroll down to Castro Street for a brew at our favorite pub.

To celebrate the start of 2010 we've put together a list of things we've learned in the last year. We'll probably make additions later, but here's a start:

In 2009, Team Thompson learned:

• There are too many people to go somewhere and be alone. Even on a hike or a mountain biking adventure many miles from civilization. There is always at least one other person who thought that was a great place to get away.
• It's best to check the drain before turning on the disposal. Especially if you love your new silverware. Or measuring spoons.
• The horrible smell that takes over the town of Morgan Hill from time to time is from mushrooms. The smell is so vile it almost knocks you out cold...only if you're an out-of-towner. Residents are are apparently immune...similar to how people in the Yakima Valley don't know what stink you're talkin' about when you say it smells like manure.
• How to take a "navy shower" to conserve hot water.
• We are truly blessed. The Lord works in mysterious ways!
• If Christine pays as much attention to our future children as she does to the deck garden plants, she'll be a wonderful mom.
  
• Justin really doesn't, and probably never will, like squash.
  
• Advise your brother not to reciprocate the "mean face" the woman made at the fact that your moving van was kind of in the way at your new apartment complex. Chances are she's your neighbor...
• Dishwashers are a luxury.
• There are no back ways or short cuts in the Bay Area. Everyone else knows them, too.
• Creepers in California follow me around just as much as the creepers in Washington.
• Camping is different in California.
  
• El Toro Brewery in Morgan Hill makes the best burgers.
  
• Never get on a Sicilian's bad side.
• Lizards like to swim, too.
  
• If you've asked Justin to put something away and later you can't find it, look up high, like on top of the wardrobe or hutch. I don't know why...
• Not everyone is amazed with the fact that Oracle, Yahoo, MSFT, Google, Salesforce, IBM, Adobe, etc., etc., are what we call "the sights" around Silicon Valley. I guess you have to be a former Tech PR nerd or technology junkie to truly appreciate these "sights."
• If you and your partner are both over the age of 70, it's mandatory that you wear matching velor suits to Costco. And don't forget your small dog, either.
• You might live 12 miles from work, but it can take 2 hours to get there. Rain or shine.
• Everyone goes to Half Moon Bay during the weekends in October so you should never go to Half Moon Bay at this time. Even if you leave at the crack of dawn. You'll only get there in time to turn around because it'll be dark by the time you get there.
  
• If the sign says Happy Feet Spa, it doesn't mean this is where you go for a pedicure.
  
• It's not a good idea to go to Walmart in Mountain View past dusk on a Sunday.
• Life is short. Love like there is no tomorrow.
  
• Never ask your wife if a Pamprin will help her feel better. Even if you're 100% sure about some things. She'll never, ever think it's appropriate or funny.
  
• People ride horses down the street in Morgan Hill.
• Keep this in mind next time you look at a sink full of dishes:
  

  Thank God for dirty dishes,

  They have a tale to tell.

  While others may go hungry

  When we are eating well.

  With home, health, happiness,

  I shouldn't want to fuss,

  By the stack of evidence,

  God's been very good to us. (Thanks, Aunt Camille!)
  
• Always hold down the pooper tube with your foot while emptying the black tank in an RV.
• And last but not least...it's best to empty the black tank at night, under a veil of darkness, so if the pooper tube does blast out of the hole and splatters fun all over the lot for the neighboring RV, they won't know where it came from.

Kann ich ein Bier haben?

We cheated big time on Friday...but I guess you could say knowing what was happening Friday was a reason we did salad week.

We went to Oktoberfest by the Bay in San Francisco! My boss invited Justin and me as his guests on the Spaten-sponsored bus with our store sales rep. We were all given Spaten beer mugs on the bus and got special access to the Spaten VIP area once we were inside the event arena.

It wasn't only the special Oktober brews we were given for free with our VIP pass, but Spaten had an entire buffet for us, complete with schnitzel, sausages, sauerkraut, ribs, salads, rolls and strudel! Ohhh man. Talk about a treat after salad week. This is a fuzzy picture, but you can just see how happy JT was with mug o' brew and a plate full of schnitzel. You know he's happy when his eyes are just about closed!

JT at SF's Oktoberfest (please excuse Miss well-endowed in the background)

After dinner, we walked the grounds to take in the sights. There were balloon artists making hats that looked like foaming mugs of brew, plenty of participants wearing traditional lederhosen and tracht, a German-style brass band and, of course, Polka dancers! I'm not sure John Denver conjures up sweet memories of Oktoberfests past, but I think they sang, "Take me home, country roads" at least 3 times - could be because we all know the words to that one! Can't quite figure out the connection.

We had a great time and it was nice to hang out with some co-workers outside the biz.

Salad Week: Day 4

We're back on track now! Last night I tried a more fall-focused salad, compliments again of Rachael Ray's magazine. Justin said he actually like this one, but I think it's because I served his with a side of leftover soup :) Well, I think it was more or less the cupcake I picked up for him at Sprinkles Cupcakes on my way home yesterday. Justin had a bad day at work so I wanted to cheer him up...I think it was knowing there was a yummy cupcake for dessert that prompted him to say he really did like this salad ;)

While the recipe doesn't indicate whether or not to use raw pumpkin seeds, I opted for the roasted/salted, just so we'd get a little more flavor with this dish. Otherwise, I stuck to this recipe and even used Braeburn apples.

Autumn Greens and Apple Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 crisp apples, such as Braeburn or gala, unpeeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small head red leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces (about 8 cups)
• 1/2 small head green leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Smart move
Add the lettuce at the last minute so it doesn't get soggy.

Directions:

1. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the celery and apples and toss. Add the lettuces and toss again. Top with the seeds.

Salad Week: Day 3

Ok, we already cheated...instead of salad we had a soup yesterday. It's getting colder here and there's nothing better to warm up than a soup. I tried one I've been pimpin' at work all summer that a customer sent in to the store: Summertime Minestrone.

Let's just say Justin was excited about the soup until he watched me put in a HUGE pile of Swiss chard...I believe he thought it was a pile of lettuce for a side salad. Oh how I wish you could have seen his face...it was like he was a little kid and I had just popped his balloon or broke his favorite toy.

The soup was fantastic, though. I had my doubts at first, simply because I'd never heard of or had cranberry beans before. Justin helped me shell the beans on Monday - they were so cool! Turns out cranberry beans are equivalent to Romano beans, also called Borlotti in Italy. Here's a picture I got from another blog:

Here's the minestrone recipe. I put in a little garlic powder (I would have used minced garlic, but I realized I wanted to add it after I sauted the veggies) and I also removed the red bell pepper because I'm allergic to them. As a replacement filler, I put in a little celery because I had it on hand...You should try it!

Summer Minestrone

(aka, summer-in-a-bowl)

• 1 lb fresh cranberry beans, (shelled about 2 cups)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tbsp fresh)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• handful of fresh basil, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion, carrot and pancetta. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the shelled beans, thyme and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add chard and pepper with a good pinch of salt, cover again and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until beans are done (squeeze to test). Turn off heat and add basil; let soup sit for 5-10 minutes. Salt to taste, ladle into bowls.

A nice touch is to drizzle with a very good olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Salad Week: Day 2

Last night's salad was another Rachael Ray dish, this time it was the Green Harvest Couscous salad. Mom...I'm sure you remember the night you made couscous...so when Justin spotted it on our counter you can imagine the look on his face. Pure unhappiness... :) I used Lebanese couscous though. It's much bigger than itty bitty couscous.

Well, wouldn't you know, JT was lucky enough to have to go back to work last night so he got off easy with a non-salad snack before he left. I made it for myself though - I'm not sure I'd saute the zucchini next time, but I liked it! I used feta instead of goat cheese because, try as I might, I just don't like goat cheese. It's the aftertaste...

Here's the recipe:

Green Harvest Couscous

Ingredients:

• One 10-ounce box couscous
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped
• Salt and pepper
• One 5-ounce package baby arugula, chopped
• 1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pecans (about 4 ounces), toasted and chopped
• 8 ounces goat cheese crumbles

Nice serve
Take the meal outdoors and use lettuce wraps instead of plates.

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the couscous and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon peel and lemon juice, then fluff with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and cook until golden, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, zucchini, arugula, cucumber, scallions, pecans and half of the cheese; season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining cheese.

Salad Week: Day 1

It's salad week at casa de Team Thompson. Justin is not pleased, but it must be done. The gym is so far not helping us on its own, so we're acknowledging the balanced diet tangent of living a healthy lifestyle. Not to say that we ate a bunch of junk food before, but I do enjoy cooking...and then eating what I cook. The curse of my favorite form of happiness, I suppose.

Last night we had a chicken salad, compliments of my Rachael Ray magazine (note to self, my subscription is almost up...). You too make this dish, but if you do, I suggest cutting back a bit on the red onion. Unless you love smelling like onion all night and even the next day.

Greek-Style Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt (I used Fage)
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts)
  
• 3 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 English cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I used assorted heirlooms, they added more levels of flavor and color as each is different)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Finely chop enough of the onion to yield 2 tablespoons and transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the yogurt, dill, lemon peel, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

2. Brush the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the grill, cover and cook, turning once, until golden and grill marks appear, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle the remaining lemon juice on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

3. In a bowl, toss the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes and remaining onion with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper; top with the sliced chicken.

Source: Every Day by Rachael Ray