Pools just wanna have fun!

Yesterday was a great day! It was busy but very enjoyable. We left the house at 9:30am and got home at 9:00pm! phew...it was like running a marathon, but with no dehydration or weeks of training or tendon pain. Part of the marathon included a trip to a friend's house. It was a hot, sunny day and they have a pool. Also, they have a refrigerator. Everytime I've gone there, I've been welcomed with a plate full of food. Once, it was a wonderful, tender, rosemary pork tenderloin cooked with sliced potatoes...which was an "eat it as slow as possible" dish! Yesterday, the counter was piled with assorted meats and veggies n' fruits. Once the kids had their plates assembled, the gate was open and I could have at it. Soon, on my plate, was a rainbow of foods. Some bourbon turkey, ham, cukes, tomatoes, raspberries and guacamole! It was the perfect for lunch on a hot summer day! The rest of the day consisted of steady immersion in the pool for about 3 hours! I know the pool had just as much fun as we did. Its such a treat to be able to swim and just soak when the sun is shining, watching the kids play together, with good company. The kids couldn't get enough and I must admit, I couldn't either. (Thank you, to you, my friend for such a great day!)

Ramblin on....

The flashing cursor shouts at me each time it blinks on and off, "Write! Write! Write!" and I shout back with "I will! I will! I will!" The cursor tormenting me into submission, I can no longer help myself...
Its almost July....where did June go? I know, in a few weeks I'll be asking where July went. Funny how that works...that's why 80 year olds will tell us young'ins that life goes by so quick but we won't believe them until were 80 yrs old telling the 30 somethin's to cherish each moment b/c life is too short. I know the sun will rise and it will set each and every day...its not like I can slow the sun down. We're not given any extra hours in any particular day. So what are we supposed to do?? Somehow, someway, it all goes back to food....
For a moment, think about a meal that you really, really love. How do you eat it? Is it slow, taking in every wonder of the smells and sights and tastes? Or are you ravenous and can't get enough? If you can imagine the Tasmanian devil cartoon character after he's eaten through every tree, rock and house, when he stops spinning, his chest heaving up and down, looking around for more. Yup, that's me....but I can also be the deliberate, suave "peppe le pue", savoring and loving each tender morsel. Both ways are equally satisfying. What can we learn from "Taz" and "Peppe"? Sometimes you gotta go full tilt and carpe diem and other times, sit and wait for the special moments and absorb it all until you feel like your gonna burst....Life rambles on whether you want it to or not, just remember to enjoy the ride!

Bounty Hunters Unite!!

When I go out to a restaurant, I expect to be slammed, bombarded, inundated, attacked and annihilated by the food I order. How can I say this?? Well to put it bluntly, I felt jipped. Jipped by the restaurant, jipped by the menu and Jipped by the waitress smiling at me with the anticipation of her tip b/c of the awesome service and food she was to lavishly serve us, making sure to always top off our glasses. You know, if I wanted a little bit of food and to only have one glass of strawberry lemonade, I'd stay at home. With great anticipation of not having to cook and then clean dishes, looking at the menu I saw a picture of bounty. It was a skillet of fries smothered in Texas chili and topped with jalapenos. I knew, that was what I wanted. As I heard the sizzling skillet making its approach, it was as if the battle hymn of the republic was blasting in my ears. Then when the skillet landed, it was as if the needle on a record player had been scratched and the record began to skip. and skip. and skip. What??? that's my bounty of fries and chili??? Dave looked at me and said, if you want to order more chili, you can, if you want......So as we waited and waited and waited for the waitress to even walk by our table I ate the half-chili-covered fries. Then I saw our waitress whizz by in a flash, like she had somewhere much more important to be, than our table. I called to her and as she turned back to me, in mid stride, I lifted up my voice and called out, "I'd like a cup of chili please!" Without breaking her stride, she gave me a nod and continued on her way. Meanwhile, Dave's cup had been empty for quite sometime and having had chips 'n' salsa, some spicy fried onion strips and chili, he was in need of some serious drinkage. You'd think at a place where patrons were eating spicy foods they'd either provide a bovine who produces milk on the spot or drink refills regularly. Personally, I think the drink refills would be a whole lot easier and convenient.

What has happened to getting a full plate of food? Is it the recent dietary regulations? What ever happened to live free or die?? or whats that line in the constitution about the "pursuit of happiness"???? I understand that there are some folks who eat regularly out at restaurants but lets have some stuff suited for those folks who go out biannually, give us a treat and give us a good kick in the gut with a hearty plate, FULL of food!

Quality > Value

Before the "hubster" went off to work this morning, I decided to make some fresh OJ. I had bought a bag of oranges that were about $2.49/bag. In the bag were 9 oranges....it took 5 oranges to make 10 oz. So, IF I was to do the math, that's pretty expensive OJ. I would have to say though, its way better than the stuff you buy in the store. As I was cleaning the many different parts of the food processor, cups, strainer (I don't like pulp) and the knife that it took to actually make the juice I was thinking of the cost difference and I got a little perturbed. It costs more for ME to squeeze MY own juice???? I'm doing the work! and it costs more???? How did things get turned so upside down? From what I know, processed OJ contains the entire orange, peels and all....plus, the color difference between the fresh and the store bought is dramatic. If more people knew what freshly squeezed looked and tasted like, there would be an outcry of outrage and a protest to have OJ returned to its natural state...but instead, we the consumer has been lulled into thinking that OJ should be more yellow than orange...hmmmm, interesting once you think about it. I think we've gotten in the mindset of more for less is better....when in fact, its the other way. If, when I am to go grocery shopping, I concentrate less on "value" and more on quality and buy less --to keep within budget--we'll be eating better and less. Which will be better for us in sooo many different ways. OK, that's my rant for the day...now onto other things!

Desperate measures

Today, right now, I am super hungry...I am too hungry to to to to to to.......uh-oh, I am slipping off into the forbidden zone, my stomach has taken over my body and I can't be held responsible for my actions!! So whats a super-hungry-desperately, crazed person to do?? Make something ridiculous and enjoy it immensely. In the oven, I have some peach cobbler cooking and on the stove some water is boiling for some macaroni soon to be drenched in some Italian dressing. Quite the lunch, eh?? We have nothing of real substance in the house b/c I've been putting off going grocery shopping. Desperate times call for desperate measures...

just let it rest....

So no ginormous pancakes as of yet....maybe soon. I have meat in the fridge that is miserable to un-thaw so I need to cook it before it decides to change pigments and not use deodorant anymore.

Last night as we were all relishing in our dinner, Dave looked up at me and said "you're gonna blog about this, aren't you?" The thought had come to mind but nothing specific. I will say this is, it was soooo very good. So good, my youngest wanted seconds on everything which is very rare for her, if it involves "comfort" foods. ok, ok...I'll tell you what it was and why it was so very very very very yummy....(does that make me a conceited cook, saying my food is yummy??) Well, we liked it, isn't that what matters??? ok, back to last night. I roasted some potatoes with onions along with a pork tenderloin. So whats the difference between this one and the last one I made?? I roasted the potatoes with chopped onions separately and I added sliced onions and a good amount of fresh basil to the pork. I took a clump of the fresh basil and set it on top of the pork right before putting the lid on and throwing it in the oven. Plus, I checked the pork before I "thought" it was done. Its temp read 154 degrees, which was perfect....I put the lid back on and let it rest for about 10 min, on top of the stove--off heat--not only could you taste the basil but the meat was nice and tender. I took some lettuce and tossed it with some Italian dressing and there it was, our dinner. It was nice to see everyone enjoy their meal and ask for more....

slowlane, please.....pretty, please???

As I sit here in front of the blank screen -not knowing what to write, one child is plunking away at the piano and the other is mopping the kitchen floor. The dishwasher is humming away and there's a load of laundry calling from the depths of the basement in hopes someone will hear its cry to be free from their cold, wet miserable existence....so what does this all mean?? Summer vacation has begun! And its so very, very, very nice...I have my girls back. I don't like sending them off each day and I miss them...don't get me wrong, I love going out and being off duty and letting someone else care for them and answering the 15th-bajillionth question of the day. But I love how we don't have to "cram" our together time between school, homework, piano practice, dinner, showers and bedtime. Now as dinner time is looming, there's no rush or panic ensuing....just a knowledge that we're on our time, our very own schedule and they can have the evening to spend with their daddy, who they miss so very much each day that he's at work. That's one reason why I think sitting at the dinner table is so nice for us. We can all just slow down and just be there...even if its all of us eating quietly, we've slowed down enough just to be with each other. Speaking of dinner, last night's dinner was simple but yummy...Burgers and chips. To the meat, I added some Mexican spices, chili powder and garlic powder and grilled them. I added some "hots", miracle whip, mustard and ketchup with some lettuce...it was very satisfying, maybe not the most nutritious but it was good....at lunch I had some cantaloupe, with a bacon and cucumber sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin...so there was some fresh fruit/veggies earlier...really, honestly, there was!

Why do our lives get so hectic? Why can't every day be like summer vacation?? Why do we do so much that we make ourselves stressed out and, at times, miserable?? I don't know...I do know I would like to put more of an effort in taking the slow lane....if people pass me, no biggie...I'm happy with my cane, plaid pants and smelling the roses while enjoying the scenery.

Freedom of the press

Like I've stated before, I love sandwiches...no matter what they are. Sandwiches are THE perfect meal...hands down. You can put almost anything together on some bread that you would on a plate! The different "sandwiches" are numerous. If you look at all the different cultures there's a "sandwich" of some form or another. Whether its a calzone, an empinada, a quesadia, a falafel, a paninnee or a hot pocket--they're all sandwiches.

A few weeks ago a friend had contacted me about some ingredients I had used when making paninnees. I listed them off to her and off she went to discover her own specialty paninees...and so she did. She took hold of her liberty and showed the hot pressed sandwich a world of new and exciting ingredients....and added the ingredients that she liked. That's one thing that's so neat about paninnees. You can stuff it with things that would make others cringe but to you, its perfection. Not being confined to a recipe is such freedom when cooking. Liberating oneself can be a long and hard battle but liberating a paninee is immediate satisfaction!

selfless sacrifices

To truly be selfless you must go against what you would naturally do and do for someone else what they would like or want. In a movie I saw years ago, the damsel states to the honorable knight, if you love me you will lose. As his friends looked on and saw him not winning they asked him what he was doing...his response was "losing". Even though he wanted to win he chose to lose for her. How many times do I do something "nice" for someone when its on "my terms?". Sacrifice isn't just about the deed but how it affects the doer. When you know someone does something purely for you, that's when it means the most...not the gift or how much it cost but the thought and effort and true sacrifice to give that gift. That was the case just a few days ago, on my birthday. I am officially 34 yrs old now. It was a great birthday. My presents consisted of some wonderful homemade cards from the kids and a Kitchen Aid food processor along with some homemade cupcakes. Yes, I loved all the presents and the effort and love put into them but the one out of all of them that truly touched me the most, was the cupcakes. It wasn't just that my husband cooked them for me, it was the fact that he doesn't bake but he made them anyway. He might cook hot dogs, pancakes, grilled cheese or open a can of chili or baked beans but his cooking repertoire is very small and lacking...and that's OK. I'm always thankful when he does do some cooking. But to make the cupcakes, he went totally out of his comfort zone. He found a recipe, made sure to get all the ingredients and woke up early and baked them before I woke up. When I got up, handed to me was a warm, perfectly shaped cupcake. At that point, I was very confused. It took me a while to figure out how that little cupcake was warm and then how it came into being in the first place. Once all the pieces came together and Dave told me his plan of how he was to implement the cupcake making mission, I started to cry. I didn't cry over the food processor, although, its an AWESOME one and I CAN'T wait to use it...the cupcakes, to me, was a sacrifice that was truly selfless and was something I knew Dave did just for me. It made me feel very special and loved. So while your "special someone" may cook for you all the time or not at all, notice what they don't want to do but do it for you anyway. You might be surprised at all the selfless sacrifices we do for each other everyday :)

Ginormous Pancakes, here we come!

Yesterday, during my quest to find some Bermuda shorts I stumbled upon a kitchen supply store. As I walked in, my senses were overwhelmed, flooded and inundated. I could feel my eyes widening. It was as if I was surrounded by all the kitchen stuff I could want. There was even a chef's jacket, black AND white....so cool. Then my thoughts turned to "what do I need" and then my thoughts went back to my mission to find the colossal pancake turner. Now I was focused. Looking down each Isle was distracting b/c I kept seeing cool gadgets that would be really awesome to have but I knew I had keep my eyes peeled for what I was looking for...then I saw a wooden handle and something shiny attached to it. As time slowed down, all other things became blurry and the item at hand was in focus, there it was. A stainless steal, perforated turner. It was perfect, short wooden handle and everything. The weight felt great and visions of Ginormous pancakes came before my mind's eye. Then looking up I saw something. It was a smaller version but with a beveled sharpened edge. Immediately thoughts of Dave cooking his scrapple came to mind and I knew what I had to do...I had to buy it as well...for the sake of my husband, of course.

As I floated along with glee in the various isles, I wondered if they had any cast iron. As my journey around the store was ending, I came upon it. A display shelf of LODGE cookware. An entire Display of it!! I won't go into the details of what I saw but it was good, so many things I'd love to have were there!

Now I can be at ease and know I can make ginormous pancakes whenever I feel like it!