Remember Thanksgiving?
It's that holiday between Hallowe'en and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice that's become little more than a turkey speed bump between costumes and presents. More's the pity, because it's one of the holidays that has the fewest expectations laid on it. You don't have to dress to impress (except maybe the turkey), buy just that right gift, or hide eggs from small children. It used to be a lovely, relaxed day off, with another lovely, relaxed day off following right behind it, and then - joy of joys - there was still a weekend left!! And all you're supposed to do is find something for which to be grateful.
Then somewhere in the throes of exposing historic reality (Native American invasion and exploitation, starvation, and all kinds of unappealing realities) and the rise of consumerism, the whole thing got thrown out. Now it's a carbo load before we go shopping at midnight. Do we pause and express gratitude for all we have as a nation? No, quite the opposite - we express a felt need for more, more, and more.
And by the way, those clerks at midnight madness tomorrow night? They're human beings. The ones who keep your drugstore open or are in your grocery store so you can pick up the nutmeg you forgot - they're people who maybe wanted the day off, too. But do they get treated like people? No. It's just a matter of time until one of them is seriously injured as shoppers stampede to get a $199 flat-screen TV. Just the one. That's all there is. And right now, on Thanksgiving Eve, there are tents pitched outside the store. Never mind Occupy Wall Street - this is an Occupation that supports the very greedy retail corporate CEO's and shareholders. Just because they're not banks doesn't make them nice.
The big-box stores are setting up a disaster waiting to happen. You have (1) people on a sugar (or alcohol) high who have been up all day, eating too much and probably indulging in watching competitive football, getting all hyped up. And now they're tired and a little cranky. You have (2) a single TV for sale for an outrageously low price. You have (3) a lot of retail clerks who are under 25, who maybe lack the judgment of seasoned adult employees - that's why they're there, after all. The seasoned adult employees got the day off because they have seniority. The kids are working because they were threatened with termination - after all, there are 20 more out there waiting to take their place in this economy. They're going to stay up all night and work.
At midnight, the stores are going to open. If no one gets trampled or hurt in a fistfight over a gadget that will not matter 5 years from now, the kids get to work all night, sometimes more than 8-9 hours, and then drive home. On Black Friday. In ridiculous traffic.
Right now there's a blimp with an electronic sign. . .yes, I said blimp,over our shopping mall.
That's why this year I'm not going anywhere near those stores. (Full disclosure - I pour wine tastings at a California chain liquor store, BevMo, which will NOT open at midnight tomorrow night.) They're abusing their employees because they can. They're turning what used to be a beautiful, slow-paced holiday with loved ones into a stampede of greed. And they're not getting one thin dime of my money this holiday season. I'm shopping local and buying local. I'd like if you'd think about doing the same.
And take a moment to be grateful for all you have - whether it's a roof over your head, a meal on the table, loved ones nearby, or just a great song on your iPod. Have a happy, real Thanksgiving.
Until next time, I'll see you at the market!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Chard!
Hi all,
I know, I know. . .it's been over 3 weeks. I was away for one of those weeks, and sans farmers' market. I had to eat out on someone else's dime. Sounds great until somewhere around day 5-6 when you say to yourself, "Geez, I coulda cooked this, and better, and not have given myself 3x the right sized portion."
So Saturday night I had steak with a baked potato and a side of chard. Yes, chard. Next time you're near the veggie counter or at the market, pick up a bunch. To cook, first grab it by the fat end of the stem and strip the leaf off toward the top of the stalk. Then slice what's left into strips and rinse it in a few changes of water. Dry it in a salad spinner, if you have one. If not, blot it with paper towels or kitchen towels.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and add a little chopped garlic (1-2 cloves for a bunch of chard). As soon as you can smell the garlic, throw in the chard and start stirring. Once the chard's wilted and tender to the bite, take it off the heat. It should have about the same "bite" as cooked cabbage. Add a little red pepper flake and some lemon juice, and you have a lovely side dish.
Hey, I'm going to try to better about posting again. 'Til next time, I'll see you at the market!!
I know, I know. . .it's been over 3 weeks. I was away for one of those weeks, and sans farmers' market. I had to eat out on someone else's dime. Sounds great until somewhere around day 5-6 when you say to yourself, "Geez, I coulda cooked this, and better, and not have given myself 3x the right sized portion."
So Saturday night I had steak with a baked potato and a side of chard. Yes, chard. Next time you're near the veggie counter or at the market, pick up a bunch. To cook, first grab it by the fat end of the stem and strip the leaf off toward the top of the stalk. Then slice what's left into strips and rinse it in a few changes of water. Dry it in a salad spinner, if you have one. If not, blot it with paper towels or kitchen towels.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and add a little chopped garlic (1-2 cloves for a bunch of chard). As soon as you can smell the garlic, throw in the chard and start stirring. Once the chard's wilted and tender to the bite, take it off the heat. It should have about the same "bite" as cooked cabbage. Add a little red pepper flake and some lemon juice, and you have a lovely side dish.
Hey, I'm going to try to better about posting again. 'Til next time, I'll see you at the market!!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Stewed Tomatoes
Hi all,
I made mac and cheese both ways today - from scratch and from a box. And guess what? From scratch is cheaper and only takes 4 minutes longer than from the box. When I was a kid, we always had canned stewed tomatoes with the mac and cheese, probably to offset the rich cheesy flavors and creaminess.
I decided to update them with some fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and red onions and red sweet peppers (I used anaheims and bell). I diced the onion and pepper finely (and removed the seeds from the peppers) and then sauteed them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until they softened and the onions were transluscent. I added sliced zucchini and stirred until it started to brown, then tossed in the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for the sweetness. I drained off a lot of the liquid and seasoned with salt before serving. Yum!
You can serve this side dish warm or at room temp, but if stewed tomatoes are a childhood memory of yours, I know you'll enjoy this updated dish. Til next time, I'll see you at the market!
I made mac and cheese both ways today - from scratch and from a box. And guess what? From scratch is cheaper and only takes 4 minutes longer than from the box. When I was a kid, we always had canned stewed tomatoes with the mac and cheese, probably to offset the rich cheesy flavors and creaminess.
I decided to update them with some fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and red onions and red sweet peppers (I used anaheims and bell). I diced the onion and pepper finely (and removed the seeds from the peppers) and then sauteed them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until they softened and the onions were transluscent. I added sliced zucchini and stirred until it started to brown, then tossed in the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for the sweetness. I drained off a lot of the liquid and seasoned with salt before serving. Yum!
You can serve this side dish warm or at room temp, but if stewed tomatoes are a childhood memory of yours, I know you'll enjoy this updated dish. Til next time, I'll see you at the market!
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