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Cooking Up a Fancy New Year 2023

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This year we rang in the New Year with delicious food and an intimate two person party.

Nine hour Burgundy Mushrooms are absolutely delicious!  But they do really take nine hours.  Six hours of simmering with a lid on and three more with the lid off.  The new Mauviel christmas pot (my best present by far) was perfect for the job.

We also roasted a chicken and veggies in the new pink pot using one of Romey’s recipes.  Likewise delicious.

This was “first dinner.”  The coup de grace was still to come.

Mr Skaggs paid a visit while the cooking proceeded and we had a couple of Seelbach cocktails (take care of the time warp!).  We’re pretty sure that’s why we accidentally fell asleep before midnight.  LOL.

This was a fancy pants Seelbach iteration with veuve clicquot champagne and blanton’s bourbon.  Absolutely fantastic.

 

 

And then it was time to cook up blinis for the caviar. We went to the “gold plated groceries” store for the fixins.  Crème fraîche for the win.  So delicious.

Incidentally, these were fried to perfection in another new pan.

This special meal called for a vintage bottle of pink veuve clicqot.

We attempted to watch Fight Club (which I had never seen) , but we fell asleep just before the end (and just before midnight).  We blame the Seelbachs.

The leftover champagne and blinis made a great first breakfast of 2023.

Happy New Year to all.

First (and last?!) time on the river 2022

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We are way too busy.  During COVID the river was a key respite for us.  Time to get back to our roots.

A run in September is just what the doctor ordered.

Honestly, they did answer…

Boyle’s boat looking grand.

A run of the class 0 rapids (with one hand).

 

Here’s to more Fall runs during 2022.

Ganesh Chaturti on the Shenandoah

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Sometime last summer (during the height of the pandemic), “the shrine” on my property was designed by Allen Kitselman and implemented by Claudio and his brother.  On 9/12 it was properly initiated with a Ganesh Chaturi ceremony led by Karthik.

Here’s how that went down.

First, Karthik shared the significance of Ganesh Chaturti, read some ancient text, and made an offering.

Ready for the ceremony

 

Karthik leads the reading

 

Incense

 

Ganesh at the shrine (and everywhere else in the universe too)

 

In the verdant woods of Virginia

 

A gift for the mantle

 

Then it was off to the river for part two of the ceremony, a small prayer with an earthen Ganesha moorti which Jackie immersed in the Shenandoah river in a traditional way (plus kayaks).

We kayaked several miles together.  Had lunch. Saw eagles. Reveled in nature.  There was a cheeto sighting.

When we were getting ready to depart, the truck failed to start.  But we persevered (with some help from Skaggs and a trusty hammer).

 

And then some fabulous food and conversation.

All in all, an excellent day.  The shrine is consecrated and new friendships blossom.

Bindi people