November's Here - Fall Golden Hour: Dinner

Saturday, November 5, 2022

The pot pie was out of the oven by 7 but the Brussels sprouts needed a little longer. 

We were ready to serve up at about 10 after 7.

We went with Meet Me in St. Louis for our movie tonight. We never seem to tire of this old favorite. 

The introduction by Liza at the beginning of the DVD is always a hoot.

Dinner, like the whole evening, was awesome. 

Mrs. Kowalski's Oh Ho Cake for dessert. 

Sylvester hopped up on my lap when I finished eating. Life's just better with a cat. 

November's Here - Fall Golden Hour: Cocktails

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Took the above photo while walking home from school the day after Halloween. I guess this is a sign we're ready to move on to the next holiday. 

Out with Noel today for lunch. Afterward we of course stopped by the 2nd hand shops and they're starting to set Christmas stuff out. Personally I'd rather stick to one holiday at a time but I suppose  stores gotta make their money. 

Dale and I headed off to Kowalski's after my afternoon adventures with Noel. We picked up all the makings for a chicken pot pie and it's gonna be GOOD. Tonight's golden hour and dinner are to  celebrate going off Daylight Savings Time and going back on Central Standard Time. Not sure why  getting that one extra hour back feels so luxurious, but it does. Cocktail hour started at 5:30. 

The pot pie was assembled and in the oven by 6:30. 

Continued with cocktails and music while dinner was in the oven. 

Back to Standard Time - The Golden Hour

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Back to Central Standard Time. It's nice to have that extra hour back. Dale went on a bike ride and I sat out back with a couple of different little cigars. The first was a Macanudo and the second a Romeo y Julieta (pictured above). Both were nice. 

After his bike ride Dale joined me in the back yard for cocktails with music. 

We made a chicken pot pie for dinner and Dale made some Brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup. 

And had pumpkin pie for dessert. 

Fall-like dinner even though it doesn't feel like fall outside, at least for November. 

Fall Golden Hour Kickoff 2020

Sunday, September 27, 2020

I've been working lots of extra hours on weekends this school year due to Covid-19 and the distance learning it has necessitated. Today was an 8-hour day. Wrapped it all up by 4:00 and was able to relax in the back yard with a cigar. 

Athena needing a little attention. Dale is social distancing from me not because of Covid but because of the cigar. It’s feeling very fall outside but perfectly comfortable with a mid-weight jacket. 

Hit with a little bit of rain which forced us to the garage. It only lasted about 5 minutes and then cleared up pretty quickly. 

   

We made a chicken pot pie with gravy from the Kowalski's deli for dinner. 

     

Watched Murder, She Said starring the incomparable Margaret Rutherford. This was a movie Dale brought to the relationship. It was already an old favorite of his when we met and I remember watching it with him in our first apartment together on Fremont Avenue way back in 1993. We rented it on VHS tape (remember those?) from a video store (remember those?) and it's since become a favorite of mine as well. I'd say we watch it at least every other year. It's become what I like to call a comfort movie.

   

In the early 2000s I found a box set of all 4 Margaret Rutherford/Agatha Christie movies on DVD and picked it up for Dale for Christmas. He was tickled.

   

Pumpkin pie for dessert. From Kowalski's. I think this was the first pumpkin pie of the season. 

   

     Wonderful evening in with a perfectly contented dog. 

Fall Golden Hour Kickoff 2015 - Dinner

Saturday, November 14, 2015

First chicken pot pie of the season.

Pot Pie

Served with steamed broccoli.

First Pot Pie of the Season

Sunday, November 9, 2014

It's been a while since we've made a pot pie. The snowflakes are for the snow we are anticipating overnight. 

Feelin' Like Fall

Dale and I made a chicken pot pie for dinner and had pumpkin pie flavored ice cream for dessert. It's feelin' like fall.

More of Last Week's Pot Pie

Last Week's Pot Pie

Last weekend Dale and I made our pot pie. It was delicious. I made a little pie-dough cookie of a jack-o-lantern with some of the extra dough. Mom used to make pie-dough cookies with the extra pie dough when she made a pie although she always put some cinnamon on them before she'd bake them. I loved them. They weren't quite as sweet as regular cookies.

Chicken Pot Pie

Tonight called for comfort food and pot pie is just what the doctor ordered. For the pot pie we used the same recipe that's in the February 9, 2011 post but this time I added a little sage. Dale found a new recipe for green beans amandine that he made for a dinner party we hosted not too long ago. The recipe is from allrecipes.com and was submitted by Brenda DuFresne.

Green Beans Amandine

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring beans and water to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the beans are crisp-tender; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, cook almonds in butter over low heat. Stir in lemon juice and seasoned salt if desired. Add beans and heat through.

Everything was very delicious and also very comforting.

Silver Hour - Wednesday February 9, 2011

When the days are bitter cold and the nights still long, it's nice to have something to look forward to during the day. The kids at school have been inside for recess for nearly the last two weeks and are starting to go buggy. This in turn is making ME go buggy. I love looking forward to dinner and cocktails. Tonight's dinner is a mostly homemade chicken pot pie. When I say 'mostly' I mean that we're not getting a frozen Swanson pot pie. We use a pre-made Pillsbury pie crust, a store bought jar of chicken gravy, a couple cups of grozen mixed vegetables, a couple cups chopped up chicken breasts, and a little thyme. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and your comfort food is ready.

Fall Golden Hour Kickoff 2007

Okay, the Golden Hour Kickoff was last Sunday with beef stroganoff and pumpkin pie, but, tonight really feels like the Golden Hour Kickoff as it is back to central standard time. Dale and I are having a chicken pot pie with canned (oh well, no one's perfect) turkey gravy. It will be delicious! We'll have asparagus as a vegetable and we're listening to Anita O'Day on the stereo hi-fi system as it all cooks. What could be better? Jo Stafford was playin' earlier. Before that was Dave Brubeck.... Sophie got a little chicken and Homer was asleep. Victoria (rest her soul) could not be with us. I miss that cat.

Tonight we'll have PUMPKIN PIE for dessert. Whipped cream will most certainly be available as the topping of choice. Desk Set with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey (beard and purse that they were) will play as dinner is served. Meet Me in St. Louis will be the movie of choice next time around.

Drinks: I started with a Sidecar but didn't have enough brandy for a second. The second and third were martinis. I like to have a martini... Two at the very most... Three I'm under the table... Okay, technically I've only had two since I didn't have enough brandy for a second Sidecar but I'm on my third drink but I'm not under the table... I'm still standing (although I'm not done with the drink yet)... Okay... I hear the plates coming out of the cupboard in the background... I better check on how things are going....