Bragging :)

I mentioned in my last post that there was some excitement over the Christmas holiday.
Here she is :)

My first niece, Isla (Eye-la) Mae was born December 26, 2013.
6 lbs. 12oz. and 19" of perfection :)

Post-Holiday Juice Cleanse

I don't think I'm the only one who over-indulged this holiday season, but I do know that I entered into a serious food coma last night. After all the excitement we experienced this year - and ALL THE FOOD I consumed - I left the office yesterday, had a quick dinner, and fell asleep sitting up at 6:00.
That said, I asked for and received a juicer for Christmas from my grandparents - hopefully, a strong shot of vitamins and nutrients will help to shock me back into a diet that makes some sense!
I have done some reading on these sorts of cleanses, and I'm going to give it a shot to see what kind of difference it makes, if any. My first experiment was three medium-sized carrots and two Granny Smith apples. I have to say...it was delicious!

Capitol II Theatre - Newton, Iowa

I snapped a quick picture while visiting the Capitol II Theatre in Newton, Iowa last week - the place does show its age in places, but it's really gorgeous and has great potential!
Newton is half an hour north of us, and the owners of the theater there are going through many of the same things that our group here in Knoxville is, or will be once we start renovations and the digital conversion at our theater. It's nice to have friends in the industry! :)
If you're in the area, stop by and check them out....you might even meet Joy, the family pig that helps with popcorn cleanup after showings!
Our project: Grand Theater - Knoxville, Iowa - PO Box 151, Knoxville, Iowa  50138
All donations are tax deductible, and we would LOVE to have your support! :)

Just the other day, we received a donation from this woman's granddaughter! This was the owner of two movie houses here in Knoxville through the 1930's and 40's - this photo (and several others she shared with us) were taken inside the Grand and will be tremendously useful during our renovation!

Thanksgivukkah

This year was the first year in over a hundred years that Thanksgiving and the first night of Hanukkah have overlapped, leading the Internet to coin the term Thanksgivukkah!
Seeing the opportunity to host a big dinner and loving the concept of being part of a once in a lifetime event, several friends and I decided we'd get together the day after Thanksgiving to commemorate the day.
Frying in oil, as is tradition: Potato latkes.

Pretty delicious..but what's not to love about fried potatoes and onions?

Getting everything set before people started arriving. I started making desserts and seasoning the brisket a couple days in advance. Then, for about 10 minutes before everybody came, I popped everything onto sheet pans and warmed it in the oven so it would be warm, flavorful, and delicious when we all sat down to eat. 

My twist on an Ina Garten brisket recipe - tender and delicious..falling apart! (I studded mine with slivers of garlic cloves, added a little brandy and red wine to the vegetables as they sauteed, and covered the brisket with chicken stock and water before popping into the oven for 3 1/2 hours)
Roasted carrots from the same Dutch oven as the brisket, roasted balsamic red onions, fingerling potatoes with garlic aioli, Brussels sprouts, latkes, several different flavors of rugelach, a rustic pear, apple, and cranberry tart, and a huge challah to break with friends. Wash it down with a little manischewitz, and you've got yourself a feast!
There were leftovers....but there weren't THAT many leftovers! The sign of a successful night :)