Watson

I read an article in Fast Company Magazine last night that got me excited about the power of computing for good.  IBM is currently testing their Watson computer as a resource for doctors.  The doctor can use an app to input various patient symptoms and then is given possible diagnoses and courses of treatment and how accurate the computer thinks those are.  So, it's really able to give you a second opinion right there.  The computer can search unbelievable quantities of articles, records, notes, etc. based on the keywords that are entered.  Pretty great tool for doctors to have at their disposal and for the health of patients too. 

Giving Thanks

I hosted the holiday at my house for the first time.  It was pretty low-key.  I woke up and started prepping the turkey.  I had found a good recipe from our grocery store and it was fun to make.  Thankfully, my mom had told me to thaw the turkey a little longer than I was originally thinking so it was easy to pull out the yucky stuff from the inside.  The last time I made a turkey it was still a bit frozen on the inside and I had a very hard time pulling out the neck and gizzards.  Anyway, I made the herbed butter with sage and thyme and rubbed that under the skin.  Then I made the basting liquid which included orange juice and maple syrup with some chicken stock.  It made the skin perfectly golden brown.  Once that was in the oven, I started getting out all of the serving dishes and the other things I could prep ahead of time.  It was nice to have such a relaxed morning.  The family arrived around noon and we set up the buffet and then just hung out to recover from our feast!  I'm thankful for time to spend with family.

Chocolate Wars

I like to have a little dark chocolate in my day.  The bars with chili in them are fun because they have some heat and aren't overly sweet.  I think it's because of the chili, but I'm not tempted to eat the whole thing- just a piece will do. 

Competitor #1: World Market Chili & Lime

Competitor #2: Lindt Chili Bar

The clear winner in my taste test is the Lindt bar.  It is much creamier and the heat isn't so sharp.  The World Market bar felt kind of dry and I didn't like the overall flavor. 

Christmastime

Perhaps it's the fact that I was wrapping and opening Christmas gifts last weekend, but I'm already in the mood for Christmas.  I know Thanksgiving hasn't even rolled around, but I purchased a new Christmas decoration and hung it up in my living room last weekend.  Last night I walked into Kohl's and they were playing Christmas music already. It made me happy.  I think XM should have their holiday music station going too! 

Sunday Brunch

Mom and I went to the Cajun Cafe in Fargo for brunch this weekend.  It is one of those places I always want to go when I'm back home.  It was amazing as it always is.  I had the breakfast po'boy sandwich and it was perfect.  Eggs with flavorful sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, and remoulade sauce for some spice on a soft roll.  Yum.  For dessert, we ordered the rhubarb beignets.  Basically, the beignets came with a rhubarb sauce for dipping and were topped with sliced strawberries.  A perfect ending.  Good food makes me happy! 

I just looked up a remoulade recipe if anyone is curious.  I think this could go with a variety of dishes.