Recently Scott Howson was interviewed by Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline regarding the downright dismal downturn that the team has taken since October. The questions were tough and created so that he would call out certain players (everyone loves some smack talk), but Howson didn’t take the bite completely. I will, however (albeit a bit tongue-in cheek), because a) I have no social or political obligations to the team and b) I have had my ass parked in the arena since October 2001.
Here is a link to the original interview.
Here is a link to the Dark Blue Jacket Blog that suggested that other Blue Jackets fans attempt to answer the same questions.
The Questions:
Question: Given the expectations surrounding this club heading into this season, how surprised are you to be closer to last place than a playoff spot in the Western Conference?
As a fan, I am actually really surprised that the players that were part of such a stellar effort last season are not more excited to repeat a playoff appearance. I realize it’s a long, grueling season, however, you can’t give less than you gave and get more than you got. Haven’t these guys ever seen Rocky? I’d also like to take this opportunity to mention my distaste that the Blue Jackets are still in the Western Conference. How is that really fair? Suffering through a road trip and playing five and six games until what would be 1:00am our time doesn’t seem to be all that level of a playing “field”.
Q: What player, what aspect of the club, has been most surprising?
Good surprise: Raffi Torres. Bad surprise: Steve Mason, the Blue Jackets inability to clench a SO win – tie.
Q: Why is coach Ken Hitchcock the right coach for this club right now?
Because Scott Howson says so.
Q: You have one of the youngest clubs in the NHL. Does he work well with a group like that?
Viva Dave King.
Q: Do you feel like you over-estimated Derick Brassard, expecting him to be a No. 1 center this season?
I think Derek Brassard is completely aware of how much the club expected of his play. If he didn’t exhibit the skill and confidence that led to this expectation than he would never have been placed there. You don’t just get given a No. 1 spot, especially in Hitch style hockey. The sooner these guys learn that, the harder they are going to play. You can’t keep a guy on the No. 1 line that is just not performing.
Q: How close did you come to making a deal over the last few days, before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze went into effect on Saturday?
Not as close as you should have.
Q: Do you consider talking during the next week, even though you can’t make a move until after Dec. 26?
Everyone knows we need help.
Q: Any thought given to a minor league call-up?
Anyone that will play harder and better than anyone on our current team should get a chance. That should send a pretty clear message.
Q: You made one change to your blue line last offseason, adding defenseman Anton Stralman. If you had it to do over again, would you have done more to upgrade the defense?
I think upgrades are needed defensively. No one expected Mason to perform this inconsistently to last year. Now with Klesla likely to be affected by his injury for quite a while a solid enforcer/defenseman would be very beneficial to the team.
Q: Could this club use another strong veteran presence in the dressing room?
Two words: Brendan. Shanahan. You missed him when you had the chance!!
Q: You talk about “going through the process” and “working through it”, but isn’t that what last season was about? Didn’t you feel like you’d already gone through all of this?
As a fan, I felt like we went through this. I really had a lot of hope after last season ended.
Q: Do you need an enforcer?
Can someone please teach Mirasty how to play hockey?
Q: [Why or] Why not?
Because beating the shit out of someone has sent the same message since the time of the Holy Crusades.
Q: Sitting here, five days before Christmas, do you still feel as if that’s a playoff-caliber club?
Sadly, no. Nash better remember what that ‘C’ stands for…
Ah, yes. The holidays. The time where you are either in complete bliss or complete agony. Shooed out of the kitchen, or uncomfortably stuffed on chocolate-covered things that someone else made. Hustle, bustle and all that crap. For those of us that find it difficult to relax even at bedtime, the amount of downtime that comes with the holiday season is just downright painful — especially if you are a guest in someone else’s home. If you’re anything like me, your first question is: “Does your family drink?” Editor’s note: Following up a ‘No’ response with “Well, can I?” is apparently unacceptable in some circles.
Even though we are all responsible adults that can make our own decisions, certain social expectations supersede our own desires. Sure, I’d like to show up in pajama pants and no socks, tell your 8-year old nephew to shut the eff up, eat that entire loaf of pumpkin bread, and fart audibly in front of your grandparents. But– I will be the good guest here and pretend that what I want to be doing is the same exact thing that everyone else is doing: sitting around staring at each other! Best weekend ever!
Before you start to get discouraged, I want to bring you back to that ‘responsible adult’ concept. Aren’t we responsible adults all day long at our respective jobs? Aren’t we on vacation? I guarantee there will be enough responsible people around this holiday season to take care of situations that require sobering maturity. Me? I will be channeling my inner high-schooler and sneaking in the booze anyway. Fortunately I am sharing some secrets with you because all the cool kids are doing it. You want to be a cool kid, right?
Drinking incognito isn’t difficult, but it does require a little bit of planning. Just as you would set out matching clothes to wear throughout the weekend, you must also apply this to your booze. There’s nothing worse than being at a party that runs out of beer, and there’s little else worse than listening to someone else’s grandpa sober either. Plan, plan, plan.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- How much downtime will I have?
- How much am I planning on drinking?
- Will I have to drive anywhere?
- What mixers will be available (coffee, soda, etc.)?
- Will I have a way to refrigerate anything?
- Will anyone be close enough to my face to smell my breath?
- If your parents find out what I’m doing, will they still let us get married?
Strategy #1: Bring the alcohol as a gift. Now, your boyfriend/girlfriend has already told you a hundred times that her family doesn’t drink. You could have forgotten. Make sure when you give the bottle of wine to her folks you mention, “This wine will go really well with the turkey, I specifically picked it out because it’s a great pairing.” This will ensure that the wine gets opened that evening and also that you’re sophisticated because you said something about ‘pairing’. Throw in a word like ‘delicate’ and you’re golden. To elevate this experience, bring a couple (or several) of the same bottle and switch them out when you can.
Strategy #2: Offer to run errands. Out of milk/ice/butter/whatever? You’ll go get it. And you’ll stop by the gas station on the way and chug a 40, too. Remember that most places are closed and you had to drive to at least two or three different places to get the milk/sugar/butter. Glug, glug.
Strategy #3: Bring something everyone is unfamiliar with. Most people don’t know what Sparks is, or what mead is, or what Maui Brewing company’s beers are actually beer and not lemonade. Bourbon slush doesn’t taste like bourbon and it’s hidden away in the freezer out of sight where “most people” forget about it. Go with it.
Strategy #4: Flask + mixers. Stay away from tequila, gin, and whiskey. Do use quality vodka with strong fruit drinks or soda and spiced rum with already-spiced mixers (eggnog, cider, etc.) or Bailey’s or the like with coffee. Coffee also hides the smell of alcohol better than most other cover-ups.
Strategy #5: The ol’ common-item switcheroo. Coffeemate creamer is now Bailey’s Caramel Cream. Sprite is now vodka + club soda. You can get really creative with this one.
Flying? This can be tricky. With all the FAA restrictions on liquids these days, it’s difficult for us drinkers to diffuse our hatred of flying with our favorite distraction: booze. For me, booze turns the fear of flying from “Oh, shit!” to “Wheeeeeee!!” You’ve been there before; you rush to the airport gate and are met with a crappy half-Chilis that is three people deep at the bar spending $10 on cocktails, and a couple kiosks of old pre-made sandwiches, amazingly also $10. Furthermore, there are no drinks allowed on the plane (Scrooges) and there is a small window in which to drink as compared as a long window in which not to. On the cheap, anyway. Here is how to get around this. Most airlines will permit you to bring water and coffee onto the plane. Go hit the nearest Starbucks and grab yourself the largest coffee you can stand. Order a double (or triple) from that crappy Chilis and when no one is looking, pour it into your coffee. Wipe your mouth. Pop some gum. Board the plane. Have a nice flight.
Cheers!
I feel like the English language is slowly losing words by the day to Urban Dictionary. For instance, I used to like hot tea. I really did. But I had a ‘tea bag’ incident in a coffee shop a couple years back that would see the end of my tea-ordering days. I used to say ‘tea bag’ with no problems, and now I take whatever steps necessary to not have to be on the sending or receiving end of that sort of language.
That being said, I’m not sure why I googled ‘wassel’, but I regret it. The lovely fall or wintertime spiced (and sometimes spiked) beverage that provides me with comfort and warmth has now been tainted. Well, you bastards can have your tea bags but you can’t take my wassel!
Wassel season started when Jim (CMH Gourmand) brought over a quite tasty Dominican rum over to Jill’s (Itinerant Foodie’s) Bloody Mary party. The boyfriend and I heated up some apple cider and enjoyed a nip of said rum in the cider and we were already planning our wassel for later in the evening. ‘Later in the evening’ turned into a week-long wassel binge that lasted far too long and made our intestines mercifully call ‘uncle’ (even though our tastebuds wanted more). Not only did we go through a gallon of apple cider, but we found a perfect fit for our Rogue Hazelnut Spiced Rum which we brought back from Oregon.
Unless you are planning to cut it with half-and-half or a creamy liqueur, this rum is almost too nutty to drink on its own. I gave my friend Bill some of this about three years ago following my first trip to Oregon and he commented that it took about three years for him to get the taste out of his mouth. However, this recipe is a perfect fit for this booze and I highly recommend it.
Hazelnut Spiced Wassel
4 C. Apple Cider
1- 1 1/2 C. Hazelnut Spiced Rum (or to taste)
3 cinnamon sticks
Directions:
Simmer all ingredients together on medium-low heat until fully heated through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm. Those recipe portions might be slightly messed up since to be completely honest I just poured a bunch of booze into the cider. Please start small and work up to the amount of rum that you are comfortable drinking. Wassel!
Maybe it sounds a little self-absorbed, but sometimes I would rather have my own homemade food than the best offering at my favorite restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, there is an ambiance that cannot be re-created at home, especially with a crazy dog running around and a too-small kitchen in which to move about comfortably. But, sometimes I hit it just right. Where I truly feel like I am having the best meal out of everyone having meals. The company is right, the mood is right, something comes out better than expected, and my wonderful boyfriend surprises me with a Malbec which we have not yet had.
Monday night was kind of like that.
The House of Meats had a couple of meat sales and we had stocked up on several kinds of meats for the week (hey– it’s what you do at the House of Meats). Monday night was decidedly chicken breast night of the bunch, and I couldn’t even fake excitement for (even grilled) boring old chicken breasts. So while I was putting away the dishes I came across some bamboo skewers I had leftover from grilling summer shrimp. Now, some impromptu chicken shish-kabobs?! That is something I can get excited about!
I only had the iPhone camera available but I wanted to capture a little bit of my excitement for y’all before I had sticky chicken hands. The best thing about shish-kabobs is that they are pretty straightforward. Cubes of chicken alternating with your favorite vegetables and peppers and seasoned with your favorite seasonings. I did a Mrs. Dash garlic herb and a Cajun variation.
Now, for the side dish (and I hesitate to call it a side because it was more decadent like a dessert) the wonderful boyfriend from above had brought me a perfectly-sized acorn squash. I had remembered a beautiful picture of acorn squash from Tastespotting, and decided to re-create it as I am a squash n00b. Thankfully, Alice from Savory Sweet Life isn’t. I followed her recipe ingredient-wise but added more of everything because that is just how I roll. I also added a little bit of pumpkin pie spice. It. Was. Amazing. Now I can see how her blog got its namesake!
Trust me, her pictures are better. Mine admittedly looks a bit disturbing.
For actual dessert I picked up a box of Pumpkin Spice Jell-O, and made the mousse according to the directions on the box. It was surprisingly rich and delicious (and a bit sweet). I would recommend stocking up on several boxes for when pumpkin season is long over and you get the craving! 
When I think of nice, relaxing fall afternoons I think about comfort food, blankets, dark beer, hockey and the smell of burning leaves. Basically, the things that dreams are made of. I think about going out to an Irish pub in new boots and tights and a suede skirt and cuddling with my babe in the corner drinking pumpkin beer. I most certainly don’t think about spending a dark evening in the basement of my friend Chuck’s house watching Children of the Corn with enough of a buzz to cause a problem.
Bastards.
See that creepy shadow? The reflection in the spoon? Mal….a…..kai…….
This recipe has an amazing easiness to great taste ratio. Hardly any ingredients? Check. Hardly any time? Check. Hardly any calories? Uuuummmmmmmm……
Children of the Corn Chowder
Makes: some damn scary-good soup
1 can condensed cream of potato
1 can of corn (I like to use Niblets)
1 C. 2% milk
3/4 C. Frozen hashbrowns
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Chives for garnish
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until heated through. Garnish with chives. Serve with crackers if you wish. Cuddle up with your favorite person and your favorite movie. Enjoy your evening.
Yay! Fall is here, Halloween is coming up, and most importantly — It’s PUMPKIN SEASON! Talk about your versatile foods; pumpkin shows up in everything from chili to coffee to pie and I can’t seem to get enough of it until the frost starts melting sometime in March.
I found a delightful recipe the other day on Tastespotting for Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes via Our Best Bites blog. Tell me you didn’t just go “mmm….” in your brain just then. I followed the recipe pretty closely for the first go-round but the second time I had to tweak it a bit to my tastes, which, if you know me at all means that I just made one slight addition. Booze!
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Recipe by Our Best Bites, tweaked by me
1/3 C pumpkin, canned or homemade
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. Vanilla Vodka
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
a few graham crackers
Pop it all in a blender. Save the graham crackers for the topping and blend some in. Take that, Dairy Queen!
There’s something really satisfying in presenting someone with a slice or loaf or plate of something that is totally made from scratch. There’s also something satisfying in having the patience to wait for dough to rise, and to reap the reward of making your own pizza crust. If you have a bread machine, I promise that it takes less effort to make your own than to get decent clothes on, put the dog up, and drive to the grocery store to buy it.
I realize this is nothing new; people make their own dough all the time. In my mind, these are the people that are in these beautiful Victorian houses with calm breezes blowing the curtains ever so gently while they are in their gourmet kitchens, stocked with every known ingredient, just biding their time making everything effortlessly from scratch until guests come over. This is not my life. My bread machine is held together with duct tape right now. I still made the pizza.
The dough recipe comes from AllRecipes, and when you check it out you can easily see why I picked it.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup flat beer
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
DIRECTIONS:
- Put beer, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and yeast in a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting, and press Start.
- Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Roll or press dough to cover a prepared pizza pan. Brush lightly with olive oil. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spread sauce and toppings on top of dough. Bake until crust is lightly brown and crispy on the outside, about 24 minutes.
I actually opted to bake the crust for 5 minutes first, remove from oven and then add my toppings, and bake again until crispy on the outside.
This lovely pizza you see above is topped with carmelized onions, diced red peppers, and rotesserie chicken. Instead of using tomato sauce, I slathered the beer crust in Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce and then added cheddar cheese accordingly. This is a great way to get rid of some of that one-of leftover beer that never seems to get picked at parties (cough, Breckenridge Agave Wheat).
I think I was starting to get a little depressed from not having baked with booze for … well, since I can’t even remember. It seems as though these days I don’t have a whole lot of people to make desserts for. My mom is on a health kick, my sister is on a booze (by itself) kick, and my boyfriend doesn’t do sweets. As for me, I’ve already gained 7.5 pounds this month. Sigh.
However — when dinner consists of a lovely pairing of Carmelized Scallops with Balsamic Reduction, Sauteed Green Beans with garlic and Parmesan, and (what was supposed to be) a sweet potato con homemade honey-cinnamon sweet butter, not having dessert was just not an option. In keeping with my pseudo-gourmet theme for the evening, I whipped up a flourless chocolate torte, following Fran Bigelow’s recipe with a couple of changes.
The recipe seems a bit intimidating because it has some strange steps, however, if you don’t mind getting a couple bowls dirty it really is a very rewarding result. Seeing as though I had already shelled out $20 / lb. for the scallops, I wasn’t about to go seeking a pound of chocolate that cost more than dinner. Sue me; I used Hershey’s Dark bars. Not even fresh ones — ones from Christmas. It’s all the same when it’s melted anyway. Instead of (thumbs up nose) Grand Marinier, I used Sabroso coffee liqueur as I thought it would add to the depth of the chocolate.
It baked while we ate dinner, and set while we finished our wine. Since the consistency of the torte is somewhat unique — it is more custard-like than cake and yet more cake-like than custard — it is very important to put the toothpick tester in about 3″ from the side of the pan and not directly in the center. A test of the center is likely to appear very under-done.
I forgot my good camera at work, however, you should be able to see in some detail the delicate consistency of this dessert. I served it slightly warmer than room temperature , garnished with black raspberry topping from Champaign Berry Farms in Urbana, OH. It is a very sought after, hard to get topping that can only be purchased at a barn in Urbana, so my parents stock up on it in the form of cases. Let’s just say that they notice when one is missing. >:)
A little fresh whipping cream on top, and I could have sworn I was at a restaurant! Viva booze and chocolate!
I have never, ever prepared any kind of squash. It just seems like one of those foods that takes a lot of work and the reward pales in comparison to the amount of work it took to cook it. Also, I think we tend to be drawn to the sort of cuisine that we grew up eating and I cannot recall my mom or dad ever cooking with squash, either. Even the pumpkin for the pumpkin pie was bought in a can, despite the fact that there were several “good” pumpkins going to waste on the porch in the fall.
When my dad came into the office and set down a round pumpkin-looking thing on my desk, I just stared at it blankly.
“It’s a spaghetti squash, from the people downstairs.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do with it?” I kind of wanted to take a marker to it and draw a monster’s face on it.
“Eat it.”
“Oh.”
Before making any judgments on this vegetable, I did a little bit of googling and inquiring to friends on what the deal was with spaghetti squash. I gathered that it could be prepared as some enjoy sweet potatoes, or as one might even enjoy pasta. Talk about versatile!
After some heavy thought and sorting through the recipes to pick one that would not be immediately vetoed by the boyfriend, I chose this one from Epicurious. I’m going to blow the ending of this story before it starts: it was absolutely fantastic.
I wasn’t completely off-base by thinking that there was an elevated amount of elbow work into getting that damn thing open. Even with the biggest and sharpest knife in the house, it took nearly two people to get it open safely. Once past that, it was smooth sailing as the next step is to just put the halves on a cookie sheet in a 375-degree preheated oven and forget about it for an hour. The sauce was a snap and was rich with flavor despite being very light. According to the recipe, one serving of this meal wasn’t even 200 calories and it cost us less than $7.00 to prepare. Yes, we spent $30 on the wine, but, we still felt that it was an appropriate way to shift the budget
Taking a fork crosswise the squash after we removed it from the oven, it was obvious how this squash received its name. The squash, although soft and dense, split effortlessly from the shell in spaghetti-like strands that we placed into a bowl. We then poured the sauce over as directed, and I added in a layer of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. I really felt that the cheese gave this dish an extra kick. Thank you, people downstairs, for making me a believer!
My mom grew this; isn’t it amazing? I am thinking about printing it out and framing it so that I can pine for it when summer comes to an end and I’m forced to eat Subway-grade tomatoes for the rest of the year.
