What a wonderful week we had. Started off with celebrating John’s 75th birthday. Monday was a day full of activities. We all managed to get in a good hike over at Proctor where we ran into the helicopter gang that were working on the power lines. We waited while they loaded up just so we could see how they got the man onto the helicopter. Turns out he had a platform to sit on from which he lowers himself down to the towers where he inspects them and then gets airlifted back up again. As we stood there, they took off and came right over to us, almost looked like they would fly right into us but they just came close enough to wave and give us a big smile before they turned and took off in the other direction. What a treat that was and what a nice thing for them to do. We stood there laughing and clapping our hands in appreciation.
When we got home the shopping and cooking began in earnest. When my girls get in the kitchen I get out of the way. My job was to set the table and then leave them to it. Katie decided that her father had to have Lobster Bisque for his birthday and therefore spent most of the day making it from scratch. She had ordered the lobsters cooked from the grocery store. Then she boiled the shells to make the stock. I do not think she had any idea how complicated it would be but it was DELICIOUS. Later we had a Zoom birthday visit with our god-daughter and her family. John, Christina and Christina’s niece Laurence, all have October 5th as their birthday. Three different generations. It was so fun to be together, virtually, to celebrate their day. This was followed by a call from grandson Jack who is in Tennesee. Later we had a Zoom cocktail party with friends from all over the country. It made his day and could not have been more special. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it.
Hiking and Walking in the gorgeous Fall Weather
We did quite a bit of hiking and walking every day that our family were here. The weather could not have been better and none of us wanted to be inside. I managed to get in 19 miles for the week. Mostly because we did shorter hikes but more strenuous. Each day was at least an hour and a half to two hours. The dogs loved it, including our grand dog Brewer who came along too. Hiking really did have to focus on when the baby was able to go with us so our timing was important. This picture was the longest hike of two hours but she did really really well. At one point a little fussy but we think her feet got cold. All in all it was great. We ate wonderful meals, enjoyed being with each other, wished we had more time and then they were gone. We so hope that they will come back again soon.
Back to Work on Jenny Lane
In typical fashion we got back into the renovations almost immediately. We had a meeting with the contractors and a kitchen/bath designer right after the family left and that helped us to get over being sad as we watched them back out the driveway. The house felt very empty for awhile. John was tasked with getting the screen porch ready for its make over. This required taking off the clapboards that were on the inside wall and taking down the ceiling. We had no idea what we would find above the plywood ceiling but were surprised to find that we have a vaulted ceiling up there. We are hoping that the beams that are visible are only as something for the plywood to be affixed to and not actually needed for support. A couple of loud bangs when the plywood came down but all was good. We actually think we might be able to use the plywood as the base for the new floor that will go in at some point. Great recycle plan. The porch will have walls and windows (10 of them) and we will move the current French doors over to the middle of the wall that backs up to the dining/living area. This is going to be fun.
A Recipe for The Chefs Among Us
Lobster Bisque from the NYT
INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt
2 live lobsters, weighing around 3 pounds total*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup medium sherry
2 cups fish stock or clam broth
½ cup long-grain white rice
1 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper, to taste
PREPARATION
* We ordered the lobsters cooked from our local grocery store – much easier
Removed the meat from the tail and claws and then boiled the shells with the spices and herbs to make the stock.
Fill a large pot with 1/2 inch of water. Stir in 2 teaspoons kosher salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the lobsters, cover with a tight-fitting lid and return the water to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a gentle boil and cook the lobsters until they are bright red, about 12 minutes. Remove the lobsters, reserving the liquid. When the lobsters have cooled slightly, place them in a bowl and remove the meat from the claws and tail, again reserving any liquid that comes out of the shells. Chop the meat and refrigerate. Roughly chop the shells into small pieces and reserve, along with all the lobster remains.
Swirl the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the vegetables and herbs. Sweat until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, then increase the heat to medium-high and add the lobster shells and remains. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the sherry, then ignite or cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Add fish stock and 1 cup of the lobster-cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour.
What a surprise for John and he loved it!!!!!
