The biggest non-official US Holiday is upon us once again – I’m talking about Super Bowl Sunday of course.  And even though my hometown Eagles didn’t make the big game (again) this year, it’s still time for me to break out the apron and chef up something special for the big game.

This year I’ve decided it’s time for some Gumbo.  I usually reserve this recipe for Mardi Gras, or at least a year when the Super Bowl is held in New Orleans, or the off chance that the New Orleans Saints make the big game.

But I’ve been jonesing for some good gumbo as of late, so there’s no time like the present.  Crank up a good New Orleans music playlist – Dr. John, The Meters, Professor Longhair to name a few, and let’s get cooking.

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup flour
2 large onions, chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
A liberal amount (depending on taste) of whole garlic cloves
4 quarts chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Tobasco to taste
Approximately 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
Approximately 1.5 lbs Andouille sausage, chopped
Approximately 1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled
Approximately 1.5 lbs clams, whole in shell

Prep and chop all veggies and have on standby in a large bowl.  Now take your biggest heaviest pot and begin by making the roux.  Heat the oil in the pot on medium-high heat, and add the flour, stirring continuously.  Use a wood spoon to mix – plastic spoons will melt (not that I’ve ever experienced that, ahem …).  Be prepared to spend a good 10 to 15 minutes stirring the roux.  Walk away for just a minute or two, and you’ll have a burnt flour mess on your hands.

A good New Orleans style roux will have a peanut butter color to it when its ready.  A few more minutes of stirring will result in a more Cajun style roux, approximating the color of milk chocolate.  I like the darker roux personally, but if you’re new to the game or are afraid of burning the roux, the lighter roux will work fine.  Roux-making is an acquired skill, and perhaps the trickiest part of this recipe.

Once your roux is ready, add the chopped veggies to the pot, stirring as you add to flash cook the veggies and stop the roux from continuing to cook or burn.  Stir for just a minute or two more, until all the veggies are coated with the roux.  Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add the chicken broth, spices, chicken, sausage, shrimp and clams.  Let the pot simmer for a few hours, occasionally skimming off any excess fat or grease as the meats cook. 

You’re pretty much done at this point.  Once the gumbo is ready, serve and enjoy.  The gumbo can be served over a nice piece of sourdough bread (or bread bowl), or over rice if you prefer.  And of course, with a nice IPA.

And if you bring this to a Super Bowl party, you’ll be the hit of the party.  Trust me!

Enjoy the big game, no matter who you’re rooting for, or what your level of interest is.  If nothing else you'll have an awesome meal to enjoy!

Winter is always a little slow here at Clark Kent Creations -- when you make your living off weather-sensitive outdoor work, there is by nature a seasonal lull come winter.  But this past week has been exceptionally slow for just about everybody on the East Coast.

Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- and while many people honor his legacy by volunteering with community service projects, it's still a day off as far as schools and banks and mail are concerned.  So as parents eagerly readied their kids to return to school on Tuesday, the weather forecasters began making some noise about a storm -- 1 to 3 expected inches quickly turned into 3 to 5, 5 to 9, and eventually 8 to 12 expected inches.

And although the snow hadn't started falling by Tuesday morning, the forecasts were too much for the schools to ignore.  Kids home -- office work shelved for at least a day.  Sure enough, by 10 am the snow was falling pretty heavily -- certainly enough to justify the schools' decision.

The snow fell all day, still coming down at a pretty good clip by the time I went to bed at 11.  At about 7pm the schools called it for Wednesday as well.  The end result -- here in Swarthmore we officially had 14 inches.  14 inches of light fluffy powder.  And two days off of school on the heels of a 3-day weekend -- officially a 5-day weekend, as my kids pointed out to me numerous times.

As the storm cleared the cold temperatures moved in as did the crystal blue skies.  I've written on this blog before about the benefits of living so close to the Swarthmore College Arboretum -- and with a family day off, it was time to see what the Arb had to offer for today.

Sleds in hand, we traversed the main trailhead towards the "Meadow" -- the large open area at the bottom of the valley.  The snow was still fresh enough that it clung to the trees and bushes, and with the cold temperatures at hand, the snow stayed in place on even the most well-travelled of trails. 

We passed a few cross country skiers and dog walkers on the way down, and while other sledders were present on the hills, there was enough space that everybody had their own area to perfect their craft.  Even a few of the local college kids claimed an area for some local snowboarding.

Looking at the 10-day forecast, the temperatures aren't scheduled to pass the freezing mark any time soon, so it looks like this winter wonderland will be around for at least a week or two.  In the mean time though, it probably couldn't hurt for the kids to return to school for at least a few days -- I do have some work that needs to get done around here.

I’ve written on this blog a few times over the past few years regarding a custom wood fence we built for a client, and a number of smaller complimentary projects we’ve constructed using the same design.  Last fall I highlighted a recent series of projects we built for the same client, and included a post about some “outside the box” design ideas they’ve incorporated into their garden.

Shortly after publishing that last piece, they contacted me once again to discuss some storage units they wanted constructed that could double as spillover seating during the outdoor entertainment season.  (You don’t get to incorporate quirky design items in your garden unless you are a collector of stuff – and that stuff needs somewhere to be staged easily).

The requirements were simple – benches that matched the existing fencing, easy access for storage, and the ability to store long pieces of materials.  They also wanted the ability to move them around as necessary, and use them either independently or together as one unit.

Here’s what I came up with.

Each bench measures 8’ long, with a hinged lid that can be easily lifted for quick access.  The back side is open, the other three sides are finished with the same design as the fences we’ve done in the past.

Additionally, I constructed one end of each bench unit with a removable panel that can be taken off when the client wants to position the two benches directly next to each other, with one continuous 16’ l storage space. 

The end panels are attached using a simple hook design, that allows for them to be easily fastened to the benches when the client wants to position them independently.

And since they’re benches, we didn’t want obtrusive handles for the hinged lids that might interfere with seating.  So we went with simple rope handles that can sit flush with the lids when being used as seating.  The client plans on using seat cushions atop the lids, which will fit quite easily over the rope handles.

Quick.  Simple.  Effective.  Attractive.  Check, check, check and check.  These are the kind of fun creative projects we love to do.  Looking for some outside-the-box ideas for your yard?  Give us a call – we just might have the perfect idea for you!

The new year always serves as a convenient opportunity to assess the past year, reflect on successes and failures, and prepare for what lies ahead.  It’s a time of optimism, a time for fresh starts, and a starting point for moving forward.

Amidst all the leftover Holiday treats, football games, and catching up with old friends, I personally have spent a fair amount of time this week reflecting on the past year.  A few years’ back I made the resolution never to make another new year’s resolution – my thoughts being that most resolutions are too narrow, too short-sighted, and often reflect an effect of larger problems, not the cause.

So my thoughts this past week have focused on what some of the underlying trouble-spots are with me as a person.  Thankfully, nothing major, but certainly there are areas where I, like nearly everybody, can improve as a person.

And as I’ve assessed my areas for improvement, I’ve discovered one underlying theme – fear.  More specifically, overcoming fear to be a success. Being brave to be happy.

Which in turn led me to another thought process – if courage is the ability to overcome fear, then what is the difference between courage and recklessness?  Between strength and being self-destructive?

Mark Twain once said that “Courage is the resistance to fear, the mastery of it, not the absence of it.”  And I think in that quote lies the answer.  Recklessness has more to do with a lack or inability to understand the negative effects of an action, whereas courage is understanding and accepting it.  It’s a fine line indeed, but it shifts the concept to one that is much more cognitive, to one which can be rationally evaluated.

My personal fears most likely aren’t that different from many others’ fears.  Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being judged, fear of change, to name a few.

And to analyze those fears, I need to evaluate the negative consequences in order to conquer them.  And in doing so, I’ve come to realize that the negative consequences I’ve been fearing are much more manageable than I’ve been making them out to be.

So in perhaps my first cathartic actions of the new year, I’m taking this opportunity to announce a few changes in my personal and professional life. 

I’ve begun taking classes for my Pennsylvania Teacher Certification.  This is a decision I’ve been mulling over for some time, but one which I believe will serve to increase my own happiness and the well-being of my family in the years ahead.

Not to say it will be an easy road.  The good things in life generally aren’t.  But it is a decision that I honestly believe will serve me best in the years ahead.

In addition to a post-baccalaureate courseload, I will also have student teaching assignments and perhaps even some substitute teaching assignments to gain experience and get my foot in the door towards my eventual new career.  All while continuing to juggle family responsibilities.

So what does this mean for Clark Kent Creations?  What does it mean for my hardscaping career?  Well, probably not too much for the immediate future.  At least on the surface.

But changes do lay ahead.  My website will remain the same, my weekly blogs will continue with no noticeable changes for the foreseeable future.

And to clients who already have quotes and signed contracts for spring projects, I’ll still be providing the same level of professional service you’ve come to expect.

I’ll still be taking on new projects, still be providing new estimates, still be just as responsive as ever to past clients and still take just as much pride in my projects as always.

But in continuing with my conquering fear theme of the new year, new clients and prospects may find that I’m not afraid to say “no thanks” to projects that aren’t in my sweet spot of services. 

Hopefully I can still secure a few large patio projects for the summer months, but during the school year I’ll be focusing on smaller to medium size projects – ones that I can complete without a full staff, quickly, leanly, and efficiently.

I may pass on some larger projects, or at least ask that they can be scheduled once we complete the school year.

I may ask for a bit more time to complete projects, as I balance studenting, teaching, and parenting in conjunction with work.

And while I realize there may be some lost business with this approach, this goes hand-in-hand with my confronting of fear, of accepting the consequences of an action in an act of courage.  I think it’s for the best.

I’m on my way to becoming a teacher.  And that is certainly nothing to be afraid of.  It’s a change I’m embracing.  And while fear certainly isn’t absent from this change, it’s a fear that I’m proud to confront.

And so the new year begins.  Happy New Year everybody!