I Have Become My Father

This photo and the previous one are proof that I have become my father. I have a lot of old black-and-white pictures of statues, monuments, etc. that he took wherever we were visiting at the time. It's the reason I can't pass a plaque without stopping to read it, including honor rolls of the dead.
This is the Quincy Firefighters Memorial, across from the police station on the way to Wollaston Beach. I thought today might be a good day to take pictures, but I didn't count on the wind. I was very cold and did not stay long. I needed one more layer to be comfortable.

David Farragut

I am working in South Boston today so I snapped this picture of the statue of Admiral Farragut at Marine Park near Castle Island. I do not know why this statue is here; Farragut had no connection with Boston that I can see. He has a nice view facing the ocean.

Roast Chicken Redux; Special Edition; Director's Cut; whatever

I butterflied this whole chicken; then found that The Joy of Cooking I own has no instructions for this procedure. Oops. I cooked it for about the normal time. It came out perfect. I made mashed potatoes and pan gravy and pretty much gained weight. At least I'm not starving myself to death. I made lasagne yesterday; I now have more than enough leftovers to get me through the work week.

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl XXXXXXX . . . . well, you know what I mean. I have seen every single one of them. They kind of blur together, except for some distinct memories ( Joe Namath, Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw, the Cowboys, Joe Montana, the Bills, John Elway, the Patriots ). Tonight's meal is steak ( rare ) and sauteed mushrooms over rice with shallots.

Roast Chicken Dinner

Maybe not the best meal I ever cooked, but close. I bought a Perdue roaster chicken in a bag; and 90 minutes later, voila. Mashed potatoes from scratch, and gravy from scratch. The picture above is without flash; the one below is with. I think I like the top one better.

I absolutely will make this again. I saved about $1.75 doing it this way as opposed to a regular chicken (not in a bag). The seasonings were simple; about what I would have used anyway.

Humor

Some stuff just makes me giggle. This one amused me when I found it online today (cartoon by Hugleikur Dagsson).

Snow ?

On a snowy Sunday in Quincy, I spotted the statue of John Adams covered in snow. I wanted to get a shot of Abigail and John Quincy Adams across the street, but the traffic was too crazy. They're located opposite each other between City Hall and the church (I think it was their church; I should know, but I don't).

Elvis' Birthday

I wonder if they have decent Chinese in Tupelo, MS, where Elvis Presley was born on Jan. 8, 1935. I'm having it today in honor of the King (OK, anything I had today would be in honor of the King). I did not remember to bring in any Elvis CDs to listen to (damn).

Lunch today is from Panera Bread (where's my kickback ?). A turkey and artichoke panini. The chicken soup is gone already. It's sleet, freezing rain, and rain out there today. Not hospitable at all. Oh well, winter in New England.

Christmas

My Christmas treat for myself is this chicken terrine. I baked it last night after I returned home from Stowe, Vermont. I spent Christmas there with my family. This terrine is made with carrots, haricots verts, and black olives. It's amazing, and, being French, probably contains my daily requirement of cholesterol, sodium, and fat.