Brady Michael Stack, for smashing his old record for longest stretch of sleep. Last night, Brady went to bed at 9:00pm and didn't wake up until 4:00am. Yep, that's a cool seven hours.
YEAH!
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Update on LT Stack
For those of you that don't know, my younger brother Jason has been serving in the Middle East since September. He is currently a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force. Jason has sent us regular emails telling us he is doing very well, and is enjoying his current tour. Jason is in charge of approximately 100 men that perform various security tasks. In the picture above, Jason (on the right) is talking with General John Abizaid (middle). General Abizaid is one of the US Army's highest ranking officers in the Middle East.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Iron Chef America's Newest Addition
Iron Chef has a new star, and they call her Wicksanaka, but her friends just call her P. Sophie. Sophie hails from New Hampshire, where her culinary career began in her farm house amonst the cottonwood trees.
In college, she perfected her skills by providing "Sunday Dinner" to a group of hungry BU students every Sunday. In return, they let her live in their apartment. She even had her own place on the chore wheel.
Wicksanaka comes to Iron Chef America as the show's second female chef. When asked last week, host Alton Brown declined to comment on the producer's pick since he noted "bad blood" between himself and Wicksanaka. In a recent interview her husband the "Doc" said this about her: "My wife loves to cook, although she hates cleaning up the kitchen when she's done. She's waiting for me to hire a miad, I think. Most of her food is pretty good, except sometimes she tries to sneak extra butter on stuff."
Sophie's biggest claim to fame these days is her famous stuffed, baisted turkey. "Why make things difficult? she says. In the coming weeks, you will see Sophie's first Iron Chef clash as she takes on the firey "Stackimoto".
Sunday, November 20, 2005
What I've discovered about Turkey.
Now, my blog fans know I am a self-proclaimed prophet of Alton Brown's cooking techniques, as I watch all his shows, but I in no way claim to be a food expert myself. Still, I have to cook the Thanksgiving turkey this year, so I thought I'd share some of what I've researched with you all. If you find any of it useful, great. If you disagree with it, so be it. Like I said, I'm no expert.
Tips to Turkey Success:
1. Don't stuff the bird. The stuffing will never be completely cooked when the bird is ready. Instead, fill this cavity with aromatics. Some suggestions: Citrus fruit, apples, fresh herbs like rosemary and sage, heck, even a cinnamon stick or two. Rachel Ray actually cooks her stuffing in muffin tins, so everyone get's their own little stuffing muffin with a crispy top, which is always the best part!
2. Frozen birds can be just as good as fresh, just make sure you allow enough thaw time.
3. Baisting a bird will NEVER put moisture into the meat. It only serves to extend the cooking time (because you contantly are opening the door). To get a juicy bird, the secret is an overnight brine. This will invite the juices and flavors of your brine into the bird before cooking begins.
4. Pop-Up timers are useless. By the time your bird "pops", it will be overdone. This is because even after you take the bird out of the oven, it will continue to cook. To know for sure when the bird will be done, invest a little money in one of those probe thermometers that will constantly tell you the internal temperature of your bird. When it hits 161 degrees, out it comes! But don't just pull the pop-out timer out before you cook the bird....or you'll have a nice open hole for juices to escape during cooking!
5. Brown the bird at the beginning of the cooking. This is done by putting your bird in at a higher temperature first (like 500 degrees) for 30-40 minutes, then backing the temperature off (to 350) and covering the bird with foil to prevent burning or drying out.
6. The best way to carve a turkey is with an electric knife. It just gets the job done right.
7. I've heard the best turkey is fried, but I'm not ready to attempt this yet. Maybe next year.
8. Erica makes the best pecan pie. Whenever you have a Thanksgiving meal, make sure she brings the dessert!
Tips to Turkey Success:
1. Don't stuff the bird. The stuffing will never be completely cooked when the bird is ready. Instead, fill this cavity with aromatics. Some suggestions: Citrus fruit, apples, fresh herbs like rosemary and sage, heck, even a cinnamon stick or two. Rachel Ray actually cooks her stuffing in muffin tins, so everyone get's their own little stuffing muffin with a crispy top, which is always the best part!
2. Frozen birds can be just as good as fresh, just make sure you allow enough thaw time.
3. Baisting a bird will NEVER put moisture into the meat. It only serves to extend the cooking time (because you contantly are opening the door). To get a juicy bird, the secret is an overnight brine. This will invite the juices and flavors of your brine into the bird before cooking begins.
4. Pop-Up timers are useless. By the time your bird "pops", it will be overdone. This is because even after you take the bird out of the oven, it will continue to cook. To know for sure when the bird will be done, invest a little money in one of those probe thermometers that will constantly tell you the internal temperature of your bird. When it hits 161 degrees, out it comes! But don't just pull the pop-out timer out before you cook the bird....or you'll have a nice open hole for juices to escape during cooking!
5. Brown the bird at the beginning of the cooking. This is done by putting your bird in at a higher temperature first (like 500 degrees) for 30-40 minutes, then backing the temperature off (to 350) and covering the bird with foil to prevent burning or drying out.
6. The best way to carve a turkey is with an electric knife. It just gets the job done right.
7. I've heard the best turkey is fried, but I'm not ready to attempt this yet. Maybe next year.
8. Erica makes the best pecan pie. Whenever you have a Thanksgiving meal, make sure she brings the dessert!
Brady's Protective Older Sister
Did you know Brady has a very protective older sister? Its actually my 18-month old niece, Mackenzie.
When Brady cries, she is there for him. She'll bring him a binky, a toy, a blanket, whatever she thinks might calm him down. She likes to feed and burp him. She likes to hold him.
But why is it she doesn't want to change the dirty diaper? We've got to teacher her that next.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
On another note.....
You might think that my blog is a Brady-only site. Not true. Here are some of the other exciting things happening in my life right now:
1. I tried out the wheel-brite cleaner at the car wash today. The rims on my Explorer are so shiny now, they look brand new!
2. After a month, it appears my in-laws are close to being completely moved in to their new Condo in Atkinson, NH. Next up: The sale of Ye Olde Clarke Homestead. I know I won't miss it, but I'm not sure about my wife.
3. I bought my wife a gift certificate to a local salon this week for her birthday. Her new hair color and cut looks great.
4. I've tried that new Fresca flavor, but I gotta say, I'm still a fan of the original.
5. It was heartbreaking to watch BU lose Saturday night to UNH at Agannis Arena. At least the Pats won on Sunday.
6. Out of the three fantasy leagues I'm in this year for football, I'm in deadlast for two of them, and middle of the pack for the third.
7. Nothing says fall like raking leaves, and boy oh boy do I have a lot of them. But, the best part of it is, I can actually pick most of them up by just riding over them on my lawn mower. Ahhh....modern technology.
8. I am thinking about getting a new printer, because my scanner has finally died. I'm not sure what kind I'd like, but I'm leaning toward one of those all-in-one deals. They seem like a pretty good buy.
9. Did you notice in today's Pats game that the cameras caught Belichick picking his nose?
10. And finally, a burning question that's been in my mind for the past two weeks: What does it actually mean to be "Comcastic?"
1. I tried out the wheel-brite cleaner at the car wash today. The rims on my Explorer are so shiny now, they look brand new!
2. After a month, it appears my in-laws are close to being completely moved in to their new Condo in Atkinson, NH. Next up: The sale of Ye Olde Clarke Homestead. I know I won't miss it, but I'm not sure about my wife.
3. I bought my wife a gift certificate to a local salon this week for her birthday. Her new hair color and cut looks great.
4. I've tried that new Fresca flavor, but I gotta say, I'm still a fan of the original.
5. It was heartbreaking to watch BU lose Saturday night to UNH at Agannis Arena. At least the Pats won on Sunday.
6. Out of the three fantasy leagues I'm in this year for football, I'm in deadlast for two of them, and middle of the pack for the third.
7. Nothing says fall like raking leaves, and boy oh boy do I have a lot of them. But, the best part of it is, I can actually pick most of them up by just riding over them on my lawn mower. Ahhh....modern technology.
8. I am thinking about getting a new printer, because my scanner has finally died. I'm not sure what kind I'd like, but I'm leaning toward one of those all-in-one deals. They seem like a pretty good buy.
9. Did you notice in today's Pats game that the cameras caught Belichick picking his nose?
10. And finally, a burning question that's been in my mind for the past two weeks: What does it actually mean to be "Comcastic?"
The Darkside of Parenthood
Its not all fun and games...especially when Brady gets sick. The poor kid just can't seem to keep anything down right now. Grr......
Sunday, November 06, 2005
What's I've Learned So Far About Being A Dad
1. Four hours of uninterrupted sleep is a luxury.
2. Formula and diapers are expensive.
3. I look forward to going to bed early on Saturday night just to catch up on sleep.
4. If I ever want to leave the house, I plan at least an hour to get him ready before I leave.
5. Having to feed him at Wal-Mart is not fun.
6. I've found someone who has more gas than me.
7. When my wife is mad at me, just hold him up in front of her, she'll forget all about me.
8. Even at four in the morning, when he keeps you up all night, he can still put on that cute face that makes you forgive him for everything.
9. Every day I wake up, I can't wait to go see him.
10. I'd never trade fatherhood for anything.
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