R.I.P., Old Roaster

I've fallen prey to roaster lust. I read cooking and recipe blogs, I subscribe to Bon Appetit and Saveur, I watch Chopped and Iron Chef. I want to smile with perfect white teeth beneath my perfectly coiffed hair as I pull the golden turkey from the oven, to the approval of my family. (Yes, I know each of my children lives at least 600 miles from me.)

And so, though the All Clad roaster at Sur La Table sang the song of the siren, I picked up the less expensive Oneida version last night at the local wholesale club. I hesitated not over the price of the All Clad, but casting aside tradition. This old faithful friend has been replaced:

On the way home from the store, shiny new roaster taking the place of honor in the back seat, I thought about the old pan. I've had that old guy for 41 years. I think it was 41 years in July, maybe August. All I remember is tripping down the streets of the small town where I was working for a home builder, the summer after high school graduation, with my then-boyfriend. We made a "statement" of sorts, paying $1 for a roaster, at the sidewalk sale during Crazy Days - an unspoken plan for a future together.

Well, the future together didn't happen, but I kept the roaster. I married a different guy, and through all our years together, I roasted the holiday meats in this pan, and now I'm feeling a little fickle. Cast off the boyfriend, the husband, and now the roaster. Is that pan in the "fond memory" bank of my children?

Oh well - at $1, amortized over 41 years, I guess I've earned shiny and new, and it's about time that my dear Oldtimer gets a meal cooked in a pan without a past. Sure hope that turkey comes out golden.

Beautiful Fall

Despite my dread of winter, it's difficult to ignore the beauty of the season that precedes it. After Saturday's bit of snow and slush, I began my annual whining, but if this is what follows that first wintery blast, I really ought to temper the complaining. The clear colors reflected in the pond are always a thrill.

The flocks of birds have been amazing. It seems the trees come alive with their chirping and chortling, and then they land on the lawn, en masse, to hunt for...what? Are they after the last surviving, but slow, bugs? Grass seed? I love to watch them flip over the colorful leaves with their beaks as they seek goodies beneath.

The fragrant roses and lush waterfall petunias may be gone for a few months, but there is beauty of another kind in a clear fall day.

Fathoms of the Deep - Done!

In May, I started this terrific e-pattern from Colleen Babcock, called Fathoms of the Deep. The pattern has some wonderful techniques and I really enjoyed making the doll. About a week after I started the doll, I began traveling for grandchildren's birthdays, family vacation, and a few other - less pleasant - interruptions came along. Tonight, I'm calling her complete (though I just realized I need to do something about fingernails). Don't judge the pattern by my slowness - she's really lovely to make.

Full doll:
Upper detail:
Fin detail:
Waist detail:
I love her fishy shawl, the handmade starfish at her waist and fin, everything. Fun, fun doll. Thanks Colleen!