thankful in the city of angels

so i have a lot to be thankful for this year:

traveled to the other side of the world, and found there in the rich red soil my heart; left the city of my dreams, a passionate lover that i had to leave in order to move toward my future, now a magical reality; a bond that is ever strengthening with my little sister -- even hallmark cards are starting to resonate with me ... that's how much our friendship means, and now baby is here. fully named and all. it's a good year to be thankful, which is exactly how i felt this thanksgiving.

but working in food every day, spending a good deal of time there doing dishes, ETC., i was a bit apathetic about our dinner plans. friends from nyc were coming, and i really was starting to wish that i'd suggested going out to eat. but on wednesday morning, i sat down with a couple of magazines and the good old world wide web and let the inspiration flow.

here's what came of it:

Orange & Sage Free-Range Turkey (inspired by Real Simple)
(a 5 lb breast this year -- can you imagine???)
Dried Cherry & Maple Sausage Stuffing (inspired by myself)
Green Beans with Crispy Sage & Pancetta (Bon Appetite, December)
Roasted Cider-Infused Organic Carrots (me)
Cranberry Relish (me, see recipe below)

no butter, no cheese, no comfort-broccoli casserole. i felt a little proud. nate said it was the best meal yet, and that made all that last minute work worthwhile -- and now i have to confess that the whole meal took under two hours to prepare. so i highly suggest taking the easy route. check out real simple's Thanksgiving 1-2-3, and other such web articles for last minute tips to make your holiday a piece of cake.

and speaking of cake, i'm thinking 2008 is going to be a great year to open the bakery. right now, i'm leaning towards sparrow's soul or sparrow's song, or possibly just sparrow, but am willing to hear suggestions.

peace!

tis the season ... gobble gobble!

what? summer has ended already? some days it's still 90 degrees out. today, though, it's downright cold! Tinsel town is hanging its tinsel, so I'm trying to get used to the idea that thanksgiving is THIS week! i'm going to buy a turkey tomorrow ... that's one day before my favorite day of the year -- one in which i usually plan a menu a month in advance... though really, let's be honest: turkey, potatoes & gravy, sweet potatoes of some sort, a green item or two, cranberry relish (see below), pumpkin pie, stuffing ...

some friends from nyc might come for dinner. also my uncle joe from long beach. he might bring a friend. the first friends i mentioned may have invited some people. so we'll entertain between two and six people. i'd be jus fine if it were just the two of us. i always am. there's something really swell about being with the one you love on holidays, something private and personal ... something, lasting.

next week he's going to see baby, who does not have a name yet, because baby is in the production process right now. doctors induced yesterday, i think around 4:30pm, est. no word on whether baby has left the cocoon, but i imagine it will be any moment now. i wish i was there. sigh ...

looking on the bright side, it's been a real fun month. just look:
horseback riding
driving around in a convertible
great movies (this month's favorite: No Country for Old Men ... no kidding, as good as the book!)
finding a great new coffee/furniture! shop (Marie et Cie, Valley Village)
brunches galore! (the alcove, b&d, fred's)
taking in the tree at the grove ( a little cousin to my mammoth friend in rockefeller center)

now it's off to work, but before i go i leave you with the top not so secret recipe for my cranberry sauce -- it really is something!

paula's flirtastious thanksgiving day cranberries:
simmer 1 16 oz bag cranberries on low until soft
add natural sweetner (agave syrup is good)
add 6 oz can of mandarin oranges (drain syrup or juice)
put half of cranberry orange mixture in food processor. blitz.
put blitzed portion and original portion together
add chopped pecans and orange zest
and if you'd like, a dash of cinnamon or zest of vanilla (depends on my mood)
voila!

eat turkey slowly. make as many healthy, fresh veggies as carb-heavy sides. drink copious amounts of wine, and always laugh at your in-laws' jokes. that's my thanksgiving advice. oh! and be thankful!

how now brown cowch

we went with brown this time, to avoid getting another white couch that will turn brown within six months. so our initial purchases included a dark brown entertainment center, espresso shelves, cafe noir couch, dark wood table with black leather seats and modern italian three legged chairs. the walls were bare and white, and with the new flatscreen, our new digs were beginning to look like a bachelor pad nightmare. nate was ok with it. i was climbing the dirty snowflake walls.

you'd think with our last experimentation with psychadelic orange in nyc that we'd learned our lesson. but we made another attempt at coral, and two hours after painting an accent wall in our living room, we plop down on the couch, now completely fabulous with $10 hot pink IKEA pillows and something $$$$ orange accent pillows from Antik (Sherman Oaks). What? You think I'd tell you what I spent? I'm trying to forget about it.

the coral we chose this time was just right. we're still looking for that special something to round out the room and take the focus away from the mighty TV, but for now ... it's inspiring and fun (and just a little girlie ... more reasons for why my nate takes the cake!)

speaking of cake, i just celebrated 33. who me, ashamed? look, if you squint, i could pass for 23. that's all i'm sayin'. if you squint, which i've obviously been doing a lot of since landing in sunny california. for my birthday, nate sent me to bliss, a spa at the W, where my esthetician told me emphatically, STAY OUT OF THE SUN. ok, ok. sunglasses, check. sunblock, check. sweet billowy hat? i'll get to it.

my birthday cake this year was made by the lovely laura, a co-worker's girlfriend. chocolate cake, chocolate icing, fresh strawberries and purple pansies. it was dairy free, and one of the yummiest cakes. we celebrated early, since i had to work on the big day. it's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since we first came to LA and I pouted about having to wait to move here.

now i miss ny. go figure. but tonight i walked my dog in our neighborhood (the prettiest place i've ever lived) wearing capris and a thin shirt. i feel like holly golightly most of the time. that's how i know whatever path we're on now is a good one.

here's my advice for the week: happiness is a choice, no matter where you live. so paint your room orange or green or black, but don't wait for good things to come. go get 'em.