A Better Pipe Smoking Community

Uncomfortable sponge curlers? Sub zero temperatures? What a great time to go outside without a coat on and take pictures of myself, I thought.

I took around fifty pictures. I am posting the ones in which I didn't come out looking like a befuddled dromedary. You do the math.

After watching "It's A Wonderful Life" on Christmas day, it came to my attention that there's a scene where Jimmy Stewart is smoking a pipe.

He's walking down the snowy street with the "merry Christmas wreath" over his arm and the newspaper with the headlines about Harry getting the Congressional medal of honor. He walks into the building and loan office, and with the pipe still in his teeth, grabs the phone and talks to Harry, not realizing that the highly irritated bank examiner is sitting in the corner behind him.

In this time of Peace and Wonder, let's all take time out to ponder the mysteries of life. Like, which pro football team is going to hire the first woman player?

I can't predict which team it will be, but I know who they're going to hire. The only woman with the Christmas balls to TACKLE THE POPE.

What the .... ?????????

http://gothamist.com/2009/12/24/pope_benedict_tackled_before_christ.php

Today I tried the first of my three holiday gift blends from the MPC contest... "Fillmore", by G.L. Pease.

I have never smoked a sliced tobacco before, and so had a little fun with trying to figure out the best way to load the bowl. I was using my Kaywoodie, as it seemed ready for the task. In the end, I just crumbled it up and packed it on in there, and it seemed to work out just fine.

Yesterday, I received THIS in the mail!

As there was a Scottish (Fillmore) and an English (Westminster) blend in the mix, the placement of the tins is notable. 8-)

I will have to try each one and do a review on it from the point of view of someone who has, up to this point, only smoked aro's and very mild straight tobaccos.

I'm looking forward to it!

Thanks again to Sparks and the others who made the holiday contest so much fun.

************1966*************

My husband and I sallied forth in the rather warmish weather on Friday to get a tree. Our regular nursery had been taken over by newbies and their prices went up and their tree selection went down, so we started nosing around for a better place. We eventually found ourselves in the parking lot of the local K-Mart, where a tree company had rented space and set up a huge lot, with lights and the whole shebang...

For all you old movie fans out there, heads up: All this month, Turner Classic Movies is honoring Humphrey Bogart! They're going to be playing 64 of his movies, as well as interviews with Lauren Bacall and others who knew him.

He was born on Christmas day, and would have been 110 years old this year.

So, if you're a Bogey fan, keep your TiVo or your DVR or your whatever glued to TCM this month! I know I will.

If you cook, make this. If you don't, find someone who can. If you served this stuff to Angelina Jolie, she would move in with you immediately. It's THAT GOOD.

Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage & Mozz Stuffing

List of Ingredients:
10 cups 1/2-inch cubes day-old
French or Italian bread
-1/3 cup olive oil
-1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage,
remove from the casings
-2 minced large onions
-3 cloves minced garlic
-5 stalks celery
-1/2 pound mushrooms
-1/3 cup cream sherry
-3 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
-3/4 pound fresh mozzarella
-1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth or
your own prepared stock defatted
-1 1/2 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
blend
-1 1/2 cups minced fresh parsley
-salt & pepper freshly ground to taste

Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread cubes in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle them with the 1/3 cup olive oil, tossing to coat the bread evenly. Toast the cubes in the oven, stirring occasionally until lightly browned all over, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon until it is lightly browned all over. Transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl and combine it with the toasted bread cubes.

3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the sausage drippings in the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and celery and saute until quite soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and sherry and continue to saute until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes more. Add the vegetables to the bread and sausage mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine.

4. Add the salami and mozzarella to the stuffing. Pour in enough chicken stock to make the stuffing begin to bind together. Season the mixture with the Italian seasoning, parsley and saalt and pepper.

5. Stuff the turkey cavities immediately before roasting. Place any remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole and bake at 325 degrees until browned and crispy, about 45 minutes. Makes enough stuffing for a 20 to 24 pound turkey. .................................

Here's hoping everyone at MPC had a great Halloween (for those who celebrate it, of course).

We had our tenants/friends over for a Halloween brunch, since I had to work the evening shift. Hot coffeee, scrambled eggs with chorizo, and fresh ripe avocados.... mmmmmm!

Then we carved pumpkins, harvested the seeds for toasting, and watched Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". It was a great time!