We started the week with some sad news. Margot, Hadley and Edie had to say goodbye to their wonderful dog, Brewer. He had been sick with cancer for some time and though they tried everything they could it just wasn’t enough. He was a loyal friend, he welcomed Edie into the family and was especially good at sitting under her chair while she ate her meals just in case. He loved tennis balls, hiking and the woods. He will be very much missed and not forgotten.

Then the good news. They ended the week with the arrival of Orin Bergh Moses on Friday afternoon. He took a little time but once he made up his mind he didn’t take long at all. He weighed in at 7lbs 2oz and 21 inches long. Has the same shock of dark hair his sister had when she was born. So far Edie seems to be delighted with him and is proving to be most helpful. She loves to hold him and to be the assistant when it is time to change his diapers. We are thrilled to add another grandson to the family and look forward to getting to know him. If he is anything like his sister he will be a joy to watch grow up. We are heading there next weekend so will be traveling. Then it is Thanksgiving. Oh my, this year is going fast.

Update on Jenny Lane

Amazing progress was made at Jenny Lane this week. This bathroom project which started in March with the demolition of the old bathroom has dragged on so long we had forgotten what had been ordered. It was a big surprise when the cabinets arrived on Thursday as none of us could remember what they looked like.

Getting the floor heat installed and then the floor was tiled and grouted made such a huge difference. On Friday the shower floor was tiled and it will be grouted sometime in the next week. We also put together the design for the glass wall but quickly discovered that many of the glass blocks were broken so now we have to order more but when it is done it is going to be a show stopper. The wires coming out of the wall are for the heated floor ready for the thermostat install. We actually can see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope that by Christmas that bathroom is fully functional.

Walking This Week

I did a couple of days on the treadmill and added an outside walk later in the day with the dogs. My perfect solution but not always possible. However, when I can I like to make it work. Two very different styles of walking, both of them I like very much for very different reasons. I really like walking with the dogs and I like being outside when I can be. We had our first snow of the season, of course on the day the cabinets were delivered, but that meant it was slippery under foot and I preferred to not walk outside. The dogs thought it was great. Percy had never seen snow and when I first put him outside he refused to even step on it choosing to run around the house where there wasn’t any snow under the eaves. It was only after Wyke and Bean came outside that he realized it was ok and actually rather fun to run around in the snow.

Later in the week we had a wonderful walk on the Rail Trail and everyone was very sleepy afterwards including me. Sharp eyed Bean noticed the geese on the river but they were too far away to give chase.

Cooking This Week

We all have to watch our sugar intake and we were reminded of that this week. Katie is keeping an eye on what we eat and we are all cooperating in finding healthier meals to eat. I guess we slacked off some over the last little bit and now it is time to bring things back into sync again. We all feel better when we eat better. We’ve been working on it a bit trying to make healthy soups and most of the time do pretty well. Lunches are just plain hard and so far we haven’t really come up with the perfect answer. Here is a one pot meal that sounds yummy. To lighten it up we are serving it over mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes and the bread is sourdough.

One Hour One Pot Coq au Vin from Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 cup flour
3 ounces prosciutto
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small shallots, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup brandy (optional)
2 cups red wine
1 cup chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken through the flour and toss to coat.
2. Arrange the prosciutto in a braiser with sides or a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet.
3. In the same braiser, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the chicken. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow the butter to brown around the chicken, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
4. Add the onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes or fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons butter, tomato paste, thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have caramelized.
5. Add the brandy and wine, then the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, then slide the chicken into the sauce. Cook another 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is warmed and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too soupy, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of flour. Remove from the heat. Top with crispy prosciutto and fresh herbs.
6. Serve the chicken over mashed potatoes with crusty bread for mopping up all that delicious sauce. YUM!