The Pearl Harbor Bridge, New Haven CT Construction

Monday through Friday I drive to work across the Pearl Harbor (Quinnipiac)  bridge. I am one of the many commuters. It has taken the construction workers some time to get where they are today on the bridge.Considering this is my first time seeing a bridge of this size being built. It is cool and I have been taking pictures because it is really cool and I want to share.
 I tried to put them in order coming from I95 South.

This is before the bridge with the new entrance to downtown New Haven coming up on the right.

 These are the roads you see as the cars are coming up from downtown New Haven onto the bridge.

This is on the original bridge looking at the new bridge on the right hand side.

Here is where the cables are suppose to go through. This bridge is definitely going to be different than the last.

This is even closer. This was a lot of work considering I was driving. This is when I am thankful sometimes that there is traffic. The more traffic on the highway the slower you travel.

This last picture is not my own. This is a rendering of what the bridge will look like when its finished.  It can be found on the I95 New Haven website which can be found at this link.

By 2015 they are expecting I95 to have 140,000 vehicles traveling this route.

At this link you can find the designer information.

Here is the link where you can find out more information about I95 in Connecticut in New Haven.

Lunch from Panera Bread

Today I was hungry for Panera Bread. I work in Milford so the place to go was the Milford Mall. I called up the restaurant and placed my order to go. I wanted something different.

They were sure busy, look at that line.

They had 4 people working the registers  The line appeared long but in time at all I was at the register.

And here is what I purchased for myself for lunch.

A Greek Salad and an apple. It was yummy but I would have liked more tomatoes.

The salad contains romaine lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, peperoncini, kalamata olives, pepper and Panera Bread's Greek dressing

Wonton Adventures

Watching Alton Brown explain the semantics of wonton wrappers brought forth major inspiration while walking the aisles of the supermarket. My perfect popstickers did not exactly come out as good looking as Alton's Brown but mine didn't lack flavor.

PERFECT POTSTICKERS                                                                                            35 to 40 potstickers

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004 Show: Good Eats Episode: Wanton Ways

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min                     Prep 50 min                          Cook 20 min        Level: Intermediate

½ pound ground pork (I used ground turkey)	1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup finely chopped scallions (regular white onion)	½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper (celery)	¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten	35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
2 teaspoons ketchup	Water, for sealing wontons
1 teaspoon yellow mustard (ground mustard)	3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce	1⅓ cups chicken stock, divided
1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 200°F.

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (pork through cayenne). Set aside.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place ½ rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add ⅓ cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove wontons to a heatproof platter and place in the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches by pouring in water and allowing the pan to deglaze. Repeat until all the wontons are cooked. Serve immediately.

Here are what the wontons looked like before wrapping

You wet the wontons on two sides fold it over and press down on the edges then pinch them.

The end result was definitely worth it.

It was something new to try and a challenge worth taking...

Here is the Chicken Salad I Made

You can do great things with roasted chickens and there is nothing better than using some of the chicken for salad to have for lunch.

You see the picture down below. This recipe came from Food and Wine Magazine and here is the recipe.
The flavor is very subtle. This recipe is very easy to cut in half. I personally can't eat 3 cups worth of chicken salad. I also think it would be great in a sandwich.

Chicken Salad with Cumin and Parsley

• BASIC-EASY
• FAST

1. 1 1/2 tablespoons grated onion
2. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
3. 1/4 cup plain yogurt
4. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
7. 3 cups diced cooked chicken
8. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
9. 2 cups shredded lettuce, such as leaf lettuce or romaine

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the onion, mayonnaise, yogurt, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chicken and parsley and toss to combine.
2. Put the lettuce on plates. Top with the chicken salad.

NOTES

More Chicken Salads:

Yogurt Dill Chicken Salad In a large bowl, combine 3 cups diced cooked chicken with 1 small minced onion, 2/3 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons chopped dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

Lemony Fruit-and-Nut Chicken Salad In a large bowl, combine 3 cups diced cooked chicken with 1 peeled, cored, and diced apple. Add 2 tablespoons raisins, 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts, 1 cup halved red seedless grapes, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.

Really Terrific Good-Ol' American Chicken Salad In a large bowl, combine 3 cups diced cooked chicken with 1 small minced onion, 2 ribs chopped celery, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.

Miss McFarlene's Honey-Glazed Chicken

I know it has been a while since I have written. To start things off here is the chicken I roasted last night. It came from the book, Great British Cooking: A Well Kept Secret by Jane Garmey.
Here is a copy of my book.

Here are the ingredients.

Except for the seasoning of the salt and freshly ground pepper this is a 5 ingredient recipe. The watercress pictured is just for garnish.

Here is what the chicken looked like as it came out of the oven.

The chicken was scrumptious. I actually put extra honey on for glazing. It was so easy. The nice thing was after I took the chicken out of the oven I had an apple to munch on as well as an onion which I had stuffed in the chicken.

I am also planning to make a chicken salad with some of the chicken.

I am always interested in hearing from my readers. This is a great chicken to try if you like roasting chickens.

Chilling Out with My Ipod

 I apologize for not keeping things up, but I haven't forgotten about my readers. I love sharing things with you.

I wanted to share with you the tunes I like to listen to in the car on the way to work, and use to chill out when life becomes frustrating, for example when Hurricane Irene hit the state and I had no power.

1. Money - Vitamin C - Vitamin C
2. There's a New Sound - The Muppet Show Album - Simon
3. Our Lips are Sealed - Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion - The Gogo's
4. I Want It All - High School Musical 2
5. Toxic - Brittany Spears
6. I'm on My Way - The Proclaimers - Shrek
7. Posh! - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
8. I'm a Believer (Reprise) - Eddie Murphy - Shrek
9. I Am What I Am - La Cage Aux Folles - George Hearn
10. Just One Person - The Muppet Album 2 - Berndette Peters
11. Being Green - The Muppet Show Album - Kermit
12. I Don't Dance - High School Musical 2
13. The Bare Necessities - Classic Disney Volume 2
14. Ever Ever After - Enchanted - Carrie Underwood
15. I've Got Nerve - Hannah Montana
16. The Loco-Motion - 1000 Original Hits 1962 - Little Eva
17. I Hope That Something Better Comes Along - The Muppet Movie - Ralph and Kermit
18. Sunny Side to Every Situation - 42nd Street Original Soundtrack
19. Funkytown - Alvin and the Chipmunks
20. The Sadder But Wiser Girl for Me - The Music Man Original Soundtrack
21. Miss Independant - Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
22. Supercalifragilisticexpialocious - Classic Disney Volume
23. I'm Just a Bill - Legally Blonde 2
24. How Lovely To Be a Woman - Bye Bye Birdie - Ann-Margret
25. Black or White - Michael Jackson
26. Friend Like Me - Aladdin - Robin Williams
27. So Far, So Great - Sonny With a Chance - Demi Lavato
28. Lean on Me - Glee, The Music
29. One Tree Hill - Gavin DeGraw
30. Time In a Bottle - The Muppet Show Album 2
31. You Can't Always Get What You Wamt - Glee Soundtract
32. U Can't Touch This - MCHammer 100 Original Hits 1990
33. You Can't Always Get What You Want - Glee Soundtrack
34. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Ella Enchanted - Anne Hathaway
35. One Last Kiss - Bye Bye Birdie - Jesse Pearson
36. I'm Going Back There Some Day - The Muppet Movie - Gonzo
37. One Last Kiss - Bye Bye Birdie - Jesse Pearson
38. Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves - Legally Blonde 2
39. Go Into Your Dance - 42nd Street Original Soundtrack
40. I Wanna Dance With Somebody - 13 Going on 30 - Whitney Houston
41. Brotherhood of Man - How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - Matthew Broderick
42. We Got Us - The Muppet Show Album 2
43. Somebody to Love - Ella Enchanted - Anne Hathaway
44. We're All In This Together - High School Musical
45. Me Against the World - Legally Blonde 2
46. Witch Doctor - Alvin and the Chipmunks
47. Simple Joys - Pippin - Ben Vereen
48. Stick to the Status Quo - High School Musical
49. Dancin in the Moonlight - Xena: Warrior Princess - Ted Ramini
50. Rock Island - The Music Man - Original Cast
51. Great Balls of Fire - 1000 Original Hits 1957 - Jerry Lee Lewis
52. Bills Bills Bills - Glee - The Warblers
53. Hello Mary Lou - 1000 Original Hits 1961 - Ricky Nelson
54. Stay Home - Shrek
55. You Can't Win - The Wiz: The Original Soundtrack - Michael Jackson
56. Oops!...I Did It Again - Britney Spears Greatest Hits
57. Life's What You Make It - Hannah Montana
58. Turning Japanese - Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion - The Vapors
59. Shipoopi - The Music Man - Max Castella, Craig Bierko
60. One Jump Ahead - Aladdin - Brad Kane
61. Safety Dance - Glee: The Music
62. Le Jazz Hot - Victor/Victoria Soundtrack - Julia Andrews
63. What I Like About You - 13 Going on 30 - Lillix
64. Drama Queen (That Girl) - Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen - Lindsay Lohan
65. Extrordinary - Pippin - John Rubinstein
66. Heaven is a Place on Earth - Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion - Belinda Carlisle
67. One Last Hope - Classic Disney Vol.  - Danny DeVito
68. Sweet Dreams - Simple the Best - Eurythmics
69. Hakuna Matata - Classic Disney Vol.
70. Wanna Be Sartin' Something - The Ultimate Collection - Michael Jackson
71. Rainbow Connection - The Muppet Movie
72. Come On - Josie and the Pussy Cats
73. Kids - Bye Bye Birdie - Paul Lynde
74. Hoedown Throwndown - Hannah Montana: The Movie - Miley Cyrus
75. Loser Like Me -Glee - Glee Season 2
76. Bad Reputation - Shrek
77. Bust a Move - Glee Soundtrack
78. Don't Stop - Glee Season 2
79. I Wan'na Be Like You - Classic Disney, Vol. 3
80. Gotta Move - The Second Barbra Streisand Album
81. I Love to See You Smile - The Simpsons Sing the Blues
82. The Main Event - Fight - Barbra Streisand - Original Soundtrack
83. Put on a Happy Face - Bye Bye Birdie - Dick van Dyke
84. Pure Imagination - Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Gene Wilder
85. A Little More Mascara - La Cage Aux Folles - George Hearn
86. Who Said - Hannah Montana
87. I Wanna Be a Producer - The Producers Original Sound Track - Matthew Broderick
88. We are Family - Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chipmunks and Chipettes
89. Finale: The Magic Store - The Muppet Movie
90. Your Getting to Be a Habit With Me - 42nd Street Original Soundtrack
91. Money (That's What I Want) - Josie and the Pussy Cats
92. Let;s Get Together - Classic Disney, Volume - Hayley Mills
93. Don't Rain on My Parade - Funny Girl Original Soundtrack - Barbra Streisand
94. Substitutiary Locomotion - Classic Disney Volume, Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson
95. The Age of Not Believing - Classic Disney Volume, Angela Lansbury
96. Breaking Free - High School Musical
97. Straight Up - Paula Abdul
98. A Step in the Right Direction - Classic Disney Vol. 5 - Angela Lansbury
99. When You Got It, Flaunt It - The Producers 0 Uma Thurman
100. Respect - Ella Enchanted - Kelly Clarkson
101. Calling All Angels - My Private Nation - Train
102. Hollaback Girl - Love, Angel, Music - Gwen Stefani
103. Since You've Been Gone- Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
104. All Over The World - Xanadu - Electric Light Orchestra
105. Bird Dog 0 1000 Original Hits `958 - The Everly Brothers
106. Back in Business - I'm Breathless - Madonna
107. More - I'm Breathless - Madonna
108. Vogue - I'm Breathless - Madonna
109. Rich Girl - Love, Angel, Music - Gwen Stefani
110. When I See an Elephant Fly - Classic Disney Vol. 5
111. That's How You Know - Enchanted - Amy Adams

I know that I like a definite odd lot of songs. Words are precious to me. The lyrics is what comes first in my book, and performance is second.  I have my childish moments but I like to think I am young at heart and eclectic.