So long 2011!

Whew! It's been a year all right. I had no use of my kitchen until about June, since I live in NY on top of a restaurant, and we had some issues in there, the living room needed updating, so I painted and decorated all summer, and I didn't start really getting back into the cooking groove until Thanksgiving. Well, there have been lots of lows, and a few highs, but I'm glad this year is over. Next year is shaping up to be great, and I look forward to seeing what it brings. (Hark, is that optimism I hear?!) I have recommitted myself to this blog and what it represents, and next year I will be eating/drinking things I've made myself everyday. First things first, I will kick it off today with an Old-Fashioned. How is it homemade, you ask? Well, I don't have a still in the craft room, if that's what you're thinking! Let me tell you about my morning and we'll get there.

I woke up this morning with the macerating citrus looking me square in the eye and telling me to can 'em up. Remember, I had kumquats, orange slices and grapefruit marmalade. There was also a can shortage. And a money shortage. Ugh. It was waaay to early to find canning supplies in this neighborhood, so I took a look at my dedicated canning cupboard to really see what I could do. Sadly, since I haven't done any canning in at least 2 years, I realized all my stock would have to go. My husband is Gourmet Foodie Enemy #1 because he only eats a handful of things, such as pizza, fried chicken, and pork (in all of it's glorious forms, as long as it's unadulterated with other things, such as an awesome mustard rub, sauerkraut and apples, spiced plum glaze...) No veggies, no pie, no fruit ('cept the occasional apple, orange or banana, when the sun is lined up with Venus and Aquarius is in the fifth house, yada yada yada) He's not eating any of this stuff with me, so I have to A) eat it all myself (which clearly didn't work out) B) gift it all to my friends (which is not an option because cans are expensive and you never get them back or C) throw more parties and use it up. I happen to be a fan of C, so hopefully that will come to fruition this year. If I ever finish sewing my slipcover....

Well, I'll be back with a new post, since if I wrote everything in this one post, you'd be reading forever!