The Best Thing About Thanksgiving

As your pumpkins begin to melt, it’s time to think about one of the best parts of Thanksgiving.  I’m talking, of course, about gorging yourself into a three-day turkey-induced food coma.  Second to that however, is taking time to give to others.

Thanksgiving (for those in the U.S.) is a time to be grateful for the many things we have in our lives, and it’s the perfect opportunity  to give back.  Odds are, if you’re reading this, you’re living quite comfortably.  Be sure to take some time to remember those who are in need both in and outside of this country.

Do you know of a local food bank or soup kitchen?  Donate some canned goods (or boxes of mac and cheese), or your time.  Is there a local family that seems to be having trouble making ends meet?  Donate a Thanksgiving dinner to them (or dinner once a week/month), or help them with yard work.  Is there a nursing/personal care home full of lonely elderly people?  Play cards with them, or give them a manicure this holiday season.

Does your church provide clean water to a village in another country?  Find out how you can help.  Do you know of an organization that sponsors a child in a third world?  Adopt one.  Are there police officers, paramedics, fire fighters, nurses or doctors in your community working tirelessly on Thanksgiving or Christmas Days while their families are at home?  Take some time to drive over and brighten their days with cookies, candy, or cheese.

This Thanksgiving as you’re riding the candied yam coaster, remember to be grateful and to think about those who are less fortunate.

 

A fine young fellow who gave me a ham and cheese sandwich just the other day

Gluttony

Eat this for Breakfast: Eggs, potatoes, and goat cheese

 

The other day I had this for breakfast:

goat cheese as it exists in nature

• 1 small potato, skin on, cut into 1/2 inch bits
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 generous pour of olive oil (2-3 T)
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs (maybe 3 if they’re from a local farm)
• 2 oz. of severely-crumbled ebola-free goat cheese
• 1 handful of chives, chopped (or not, if you don’t have them)

Serves 1

 

In a large skillet, cook potatoes in oil with generous amounts of salt and pepper over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until browned, roughly 10-14 minutes.  Add garlic, and cook for 1 more minute.  Remove potatoes to a plate and reduce heat to medium-low.  Beat eggs with cheese and generous amounts of salt and pepper, then add to the warm skillet.  Cook until done, then join them with the potatoes.  Cover everything in chives, and then store it safely in your mouth forever!!

 

goat cheese once it has been harvested

goat cheese once it has been severely crumbled

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun Fact:  It was rumored that goat cheese hats were all the rage at fashion balls in France in the 1930’s.

Once again, thank you to the internets for your kindness in letting me use your photos.  I hope that’s legal.   

Mimolette, the Tastiest of Cheeses

When thinking of tasty, tasty cheeses, my mind often wanders to the mysterious year I lived in Virginia.  It was at a quaint fromagerie-turned-patisserie called The Frenchman’s Corner on East Davis Street in Culpeper where I was first introduced to Mimolette (mim-oh-let).  Mimolette has the size, color, and texture of a cantaloupe, but fortunately, a much better taste and fewer seeds.

Mimolette

A Cantaloupe Melon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The delicious mimolette is a hard French cheese made from cow’s milk that can be eaten at various stages of ripeness.  It smells of socks, has a taste similar to Parmesan, can have crystals on the inside and a chewy rind.  Unfortunately, the cheese can no longer be imported to the United States after a trade embargo was placed in 2013 by the FDA, because, while this cheese is delicious, it also may contain dangerous cheese mites that work their way inside your head attaching themselves to your brain stem making you unable to see the color blue or hear songs by Molly Cyprus.  An occasional Whole Foods or specialty foods store may have slipped past the embargo.  But beware!

I can only assume this is what the cheese mites look like. Or maybe this is a photo I took of them. Not really sure.

Please don’t risk eating cheese mites.  Maybe one or two small slivers of tasty Mimolette will do you in.

Photos courtesy of the Google.  Thank you Wikipedia for information that is accurate %1000 of the time.

“Mimolette tastes good.” – Thomas Jefferson 

 

An Unasked for Blog

After thirty minutes of deliberation and a power lunch of fried rice and pizza, I have decided to create a blog.  Like so many idiots and their brothers before me who think their thoughts are important enough to share, the subsequent pages will document what nonsense takes place both in and outside of my head.  Be forewarned.

The Blog has been created.  Hopefully that was the hard part.  Now I just have to come up with a theme.

Use the poll to the right to vote for what this blog’s theme should be and to help me decide how long this blog will remain active.  My money’s on two weeks.

Check back later for more incoherent drivel.