One of my favorite places in Philadelphia, maybe even the world, is the Reading Terminal Market.  Having been around for over 100 years, it's one of the nation's oldest farmer's markets.  Since Tom was off today, we decided to take a trip down there and document our trip with photos!  We took the train to avoid the hassle of driving and parking in the city.  Plus it's environmentally friendly (I love SEPTA's new campaign).  So our journey started at the Ivy Ridge train station and it was a pleasant ride to the Market East station.  The Reading Terminal is just across the street. 

As soon as you walk in the door, you're immediately hungry from the great aroma permeating the place.  There's something for everyone -- Greek, Thai, Italian, Middle Eastern, Asian, Vegetarian, and of course, Philly Cheese Steaks.  Tom and I decided to try the Gyro place this time.  He had a gyro and I had Spanakovita, spinach and feta cheese pie.  It was good, but not as good as dessert! 

In between, we walked a couple of blocks to work off lunch.  Chinatown is not far, so we took a little tour.

It wouldn't be a trip to the Reading Terminal without Bassett's ice cream.  Every lick was a taste of heaven.  (You'd have to pay $14 for a half gallon of this heaven.)  Tom's favorite is dark chocolate chip, so we split that with the promise of also sampling something at the creperie!  There we had a berry cheesecake crepe.  It contained an actual piece of cheesecake with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and a raspberry sauce, enveloped in a warm crepe.  Oh my gosh is all I could say.  It was so, so good!

It was a wonderful afternoon of eating and spending time with each other.  Tom suggested to make up our own holidays , such as "Sandy Day," "Tom Day," "Reading Terminal Day," and "Try Something New Day."  I like that idea.  What was today?  "Perfect Day."           

Some people celebrate Christmas in July but last weekend, we celebrated Thanksgiving in March!  We had a 13-pound turkey that was taking up half the freezer that we got practically for free over Thanksgiving for spending so much at our local supermarket.  For it being the first turkey we ever made, it turned out pretty well.  We couldn't find the giblets because the bottom was still partially frozen, but that was the only stressful moment.  I wish I had taken more pictures of the food as it was prepared and finished, but I was rushing around trying to get everything on the table and it just slipped my mind!

Aside from the turkey, I made stuffing, sweet potatoes in the crock pot with applesauce, a salad with candied pecans and craisins and pumpkin pie.  My Mom brought string beans, pineapple bread pudding and wine.  Aunt J brought the cranberry relish and Frank the chocolate layer cake.  Everything was de-lish!  We don't normally get together for a big Sunday dinner, so this was a real treat.  It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun!

A chicken recipe doesn't get much easier than this one.  It's a variation of the Pineapple Chicken Bake (I'd include the recipe, but it's premium content on the ATK website.)  Basically, you make a very simple sauce on the stove top and reduce the mixture until thickened.  Pour it over the chicken and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes.  Serve with rice and a veggie and there you have it!   I'm not a fan of curry, so I omitted that ingredient.  There's also a cranberry-orange variation I'd like to try. 

This was one of the first recipes I made from my new America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.  (Side Note: I got this for free after redeeming my Visa Rewards points for a Barnes & Noble gift card and a 20% off coupon on a single item at B&N!)  I would highly recommend it.  Not only is it full of fool-proof recipes, but there are a ton of kitchen tips, their recommendations of brands to use, step-by-step pictures and variations of recipes. 

If you'd like the recipe for the Pineapple Chicken Bake, I'll have to copy it since I'm too lazy to type it all in!

For two days, I carried out my civic duty for the first time as Juror #13, the first alternate juror.  It was a fascinating yet inefficient process with a disappointing and surprising ending.  Fascinating because I learned more about the law and it was my first real exposure to the court system beyond fictional TV shows.  This may seem obvious, but I never really thought about it before - the case is called Commonwealth vs. the name of the defendant because the Commonwealth is the people, so it's the people who determine the outcome of the trial.  We were the judges.  The witnesses had to direct their answers to us.  We had a very important job and we were the representative group for the rest of the population.

However, I've never had so many breaks and an hour and a half lunch both days.  We seemed to be waiting half the time.  In at 9, out at 3 - if only my regular job could be like this sometimes!  But hey, I like to read and I'm still getting paid!

Why was it disappointing and surprising?  I never learned of the outcome of the case.  The other alternate and I had to gather our belongings after the judge's charge was given (instructions for deliberation).  I knew my vote wouldn't matter, but I was hoping to stay until the end since I had heard the story and had formed my own opinion.  It was so abrupt and I need closure.  Fortunately, the court officer gave me his number, so I may be giving him a call tomorrow!  What else was surprising?  Everyone who worked there was very appreciative of your time and thanked you for coming.  Not that I had a choice, but I thought that was really nice.  The judge called me and the other alternate up to her bench, shook my hand and told us how vital we were to the process and personally thanked us.

I'm one of those weird people that's actually looking forward to serving again.  Don't get me wrong, I probably wouldn't feel this way if I was put on a gruesome case.  But it's an ideal of democracy and for two days, it was a privilege to be part of it.