Would it Break Your Face if You Smiled?

A creature of habit, I am, and freely admit it.

I once ate a bowl of Life cereal (sometimes two) every day for ten years before I stopped. Nowadays, I am in the habit of eating in the same drive-through restaurant at least 3-4 times a week. The clerk who takes my money  (I think she must work 24/7 - she is always there) smiled at me once, I believe. The people who hand my food out the window never smile, including the owner/manager of the place. I think I might know why. I order from the "special value" menu, for two reasons. One:  I am cheap, and this meal only costs $3.23. Two: it is just the right amount of food for me;  if I order from the regular menu I am too full (I can't leave a crumb behind, can I?)

Do you think if I ordered from the regular menu I'd get a smile? I may try that one day soon (I'll leave off the fries.)

I ate at another branch of the same restaurant this week and the woman who gave me my food smiled bigger than I've ever seen anyone do it and gave me a resounding "Thank you!"  She made me want to go back there again, even though it is much further from my house than the other place. I almost parked the car and went inside to tell her manager, but I didn't. I should have, and I may do it yet.

Do you have an easy reply for people who show you no smiles? 

Neighborhood Doings

Last night we had our bi-monthly book club meeting. The book we read and discussed was "Raney" by Clyde Edgerton, which some found hilarious and others merely curiously written. Edgerton has written several other books as well, and if you are not familiar with his work, I suggest you give him a try. His books are perfect for summer reading; which is not to say they are lightweight, but the subject matter is not too serious (at least on the surface.) This book, his first, led to his being relieved of his teaching job at a nearby university. I read that a subsequent book was written which is about that very school. I have not read that one - but you can bet I will get to it soon!

It is quite an interesting education to get a mixture of opinions on the book during the discussion, as you discover some aspect of it that you didn't catch while reading - or a thought that another had that is perhaps opposite your opinion. We have now read five books and I hope we continue forever; it is entirely different to read and then discuss with others than it is to read alone without discussion.I heartily recommend it!

Today, four of us took lunch to my next-door neighbor, who is facing surgery on Friday. We had mushroom quiche, marinated carrots, tossed salad and fruit salad, with ice-cream-topped brownies for dessert. We stayed for three hours altogether, enjoying the company and conversation. I am indeed fortunate to have such nice neighbors. Our next get-together is a pot-luck dinner at one home, for which we will each cook a recipe from the June issue of Southern Living Magazine. It all sounds delicious (as I am a recipient of the RSVP's, I know what everyone is bringing.) My contribution will be shrimp salad served on leaves of endive. I ought to make a test recipe of it before the date of that event, but I have waited too late and don't have time now. Here's hoping it turns out well!

Odds & Ends

Colossal Shrimp at Wegman's. I don't know how many you would get per pound, but it wouldn't be many!

In Virginia, on Route 81, enroute from Charleston to Northern Virginia. Spring is barely happening there, but there were beautiful red bud trees, some dogwoods and some forsythia in bloom. Since ours in NC have bloomed and gone, it was nice to see the ones up here. The mountains were beautiful, despite the lack of green.

My excellent mahi mahi, over cauliflower mash, with the tastiest, most tender big asparagus spears I've ever had. Sorry, but I simply HAD to take a few bites before I took the photo.  It came from Sweetwater Tavern in Falls Church, VA. I liked it so much that I went back the next day for lunch (with my cousin Joy) and ate a grilled chicken and havarti sandwich (also very good).

I can't ever recall having blooming roses this early in the season!

This is a small piece of some of the debris we found in our yard after the tornadoes swept through NC last Saturday. It is plastic house siding. The edges are so sharp, that had a human been in the path of it, it could have cut through skin as easily as a knife through warm butter.

My First Visit to Wegman's.....

 I hope will not be my last. On Monday night, as my daughter and I were finishing our trip from WV to the DC area, we went to Wegman's, after she discovered I had never been to one. My Lord, what a place!! The only grocery that I've been to that even came close was Giant Open Air Market in Norfolk (45 years ago), where you could walk in at any time of the day or night (364 days per year), go to the meat department, choose your steak, take it to the restaurant and they would cook it to your specs and charge only the price of the steak. You could add a baked potato and a salad for about $1.50. 

We walked around Wegman's a bit to get the stiffness out of my joints (six + hours in the car with few stops) and settled in the seafood area, where we both ordered pan-seared tilapia; mine with with lemon butter and broccoli and hers served over field greens. It was excellent, quick and inexpensive (only $10 per plate). Contrast that with my breakfast the next morning in the hotel:  $9.25 for eggs and bacon, and lunch: a turkey and havarti sandwich with chips and a soda - $11 something. I think if I lived near a Wegman's, I'd eat there at least three times a week - and I don't even like grocery shopping! NOTE to Wegman's owners:  you should consider moving into North Carolina (specifically Raleigh), to compete with Fresh Market and Whole Foods. I think you'd win, hands down!! 

Last night, we went to the Sweetwater Tavern in Falls Church. The waiter said the magic words for me during his recitation of the night's specials:  mahi-mahi. I have loved it ever since I went to Hawaii in 1982. It was served with cauliflower mash, which was sweet and smooth, and two of the biggest asparagus spears I've ever seen (they were very tender to be so large, and very fresh.) I remembered to take a photo of my plate, but I can't show it to you until I get back home. Eating there was a pleasure, so if you ever come close to them (they have 3 places in this area) treat yourself. They also brew their own beer on the premises, but I didn't have any. Daughter ate the "small" portion of prime rib, which was large enough for two, if you ask me. She ate every bite of that, the mashed potatoes, and the Caesar salad.

Despite the initial reason for this trip (the funeral), it has turned out to be delightful in every way, and of course, spending alone time with any of my children is wonderful. We will get home tonight; wish us luck, as there are more storms forecast for the areas we have to drive through.

Another Trip to A Southern Season

Wonderful desserts!

Delicious savories!

Beautiful flowers!

And frogs galore! 

What more could anyone want?  

The Male of the Species

I saw this guy this morning. He was looking all around and trying to scratch some seed out of the cracks in the deck. I felt sorry for him, so I placed a plateful of seed on the deck bridge and.......

the little bugger wouldn't share with his mate. He made her wait until he had his fill before she  was allowed to approach. It's a darn good thing mr. kenju isn't like that!!

 *******

A dear friend took us out to dinner tonight, to The 42nd Street Oyster Bar. It is practically an institution here in Raleigh, and when the waiter asked if we had eaten there before, mr. kenju answered...."Yes, and probably before you were born." Naturally, I forgot to photograph my meal. Perhaps the excellent Bloody Mary had something to do with that....lol. I ate a crisp salad, mahi mahi, a cheese-topped mashed potato and my weight in the best hush puppies around. Then to add insult to injury (to my stomach) we shared a pecan pie/tart, which was brought to the table hot! What an experience!

On the way home, the "check engine" light came on in my car. Mr. kenju was afraid we would not make it home, but we did. I'll have to have that checked out tomorrow. Drat....it's always something. I sure hope this is nothing serious - since I just had a water pump installed this week.

Golden Oldies

When I have nothing to write about, I fall back on showing you old photos; this time of some of the flower arrangements I did, admittedly many years (and over twenty pounds) ago. The top one was at  the North Carolina Museum of Art. Yours truly, beside a tropical arrangement with tropical food offerings. I have a hard time believing that was over 25 years ago. Check out those lace stockings!

This was for a safari themed party at the Capital City Club, for the Greensboro Convention and Visitor's Bureau. I used a wooden crate, painted it black, added the animals and made "bars" of black ribbon. Animal print overlays, mosses and tropical flowers completed the look. This was one of several large stations, all having similar arrangements.

This one was for a fall/harvest themed event at the Art Museum. I used my large copper milk can to hold the flowers and vegetables and a large basket holding an assemblage of vegetables and fruit. The arrangement was over five feet tall and it sat on a four foot tall pedestal. It made quite a show for people walking down the stairs to the lower level of the museum.

Another event at the museum; this one in the spring and I hope it evokes visions of what our world could look like come April and May. I painted four large, wooden wine boxes, in pastel colors and stacked them atop each other at odd angles, leaving open corners into which I placed small pots of spring flowers and put a large arrangement in the top box. Small terra cotta pots were tucked into the open corners at the base. This was one of my favorite "concoctions" over the 28 years I've been doing flowers. I still have those wine boxes and use them for storage.

Another Golden Oldie Repost

I wrote about my mom's sister here. In the body of that post is another one, leading to her artwork. Enjoy!

The cold I've had for a week is still with me, but I'm better, thanks in part to my wonderful and thoughtful house guest, who brought me a box of tea called "Throat Comfort" and some excellent chicken soup and good bread for lunch today. I recommend the tea; it would be good anytime.

It's Always Something...

An oil change and groceries were on my schedule today and when I got home, Mr. kenju met me in the garage and asked me to go under the house and listen for leaks. I walked through the yard with some trepidation; opened the door to the crawl space (which, fortunately, is a walk-in at that point) and heard not one leak but what seemed a deluge (and remember, I'm nearly deaf.) I went into the house saying...."Call Leonard."  

Leonard is our plumber. He bonded with us  almost immediately, since he and his wife  are (as I am) originally from the state of West Virginia. We've known him for several years now and he is always at the ready when we have a problem. He came around 6pm and this time, he brought his wife with him. Had I not known he was bringing his wife, I would have thought she was his daughter. This woman looks to be all of about 25 and I found out she has children older than that! She is originally from a town near Huntington, WV, about 60 miles from where I grew up. We enjoyed talking to her while he was under the house. It took him about 2 hours to make the repairs. I don't yet know what the damage was (money-wise) but I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow. I didn't ask Mr. kenju before he went up to bed - because I didn't want to lose sleep over it.

I just had a weird snack. I looked in the fridge for something I could eat quickly. I put a handful of naked pita chips in a bowl and added some leftover  crumbled pepper boursin cheese and threw a handful of blackberries on top. It was so good that I wish I had more!

Going into the Blogger dashboard and finding no already written posts to publish always  send me into a tailspin. What to write??? 

We had company for dinner last night; my blog friends Tiff and Biff, and my employer. This dinner had to be postponed several times due to snow or the calendars of busy people not meshing - and it had been a long time since I had seen the couple - so I wanted to make a good meal and hoped everyone would enjoy themselves. There is one thing I can cook and know I will not mess it up in some way, and that is pork tenderloin. I have never bought a bad one and most of the time they come out tender and moist and altogether delicious. I have concocted a new sauce for it:  orange marmelade and peach and mango salsa mixed together. It was a big hit! I doubt I'll ever fix tenderloin another way again.

What I call adult macaroni and cheese was a great accompaniment to the pork. It is made with gruyere and cheddar cheeses. It was supposed to have grated Parmesan in it as well, but as I was typing out the recipe for Biff later last night, I realized that I had forgotten the Parmesan. I can safely say it made little to no difference in the taste of the dish! Four of us had seconds - so I think it was a hit. 

Ordinarily, asparagus is my green vegetable of choice, but I bought some tiny green beans from Sam's and sauteed them in EVOO with red onions, adding slivered mint leaves just before serving. I grew up in the south, where green beans are usually cooked with ham or streak-o-lean until they are limp and olive-colored, but I think from now on, I'll be sauteeing them al dente, so that they actually resemble beans when they are served.

Tonight's dinner will be a reprise of last night, and hopefully, these are leftovers that mr. kenju won't mind eating again.

Yesterday.....

Yesterday, we had a wonderful dinner; turkey breasts, ham, all the trimmings, pumpkin pie, apple pie and hot apple cider, brimming with cinnamon sticks and clove studded orange slices. I wasn't sure it would all get done and on the table at the time I had said it would - and it didn't. We sat down 50 minutes later. Despite the fact that I have two new wall ovens, they are small enough to prevent more than one or two items being baked at the same time. So, I baked what I could and the rest had to wait. Luckily I had fed most of them sausage biscuits on arrival, so they weren't starved.  Dinner was worth waiting for, however. And there are leftovers!! We will eat like a king and queen here for several days (although mr. kenju has never liked eating left-overs). This time he will have no choice.

Yesterday, the house was filled with our three children, two of their spouses, six grandchildren and the sights and smells of Christmas in the making. Today, they are all gone, and I am teary-eyed for no particular reason that I can pinpoint. Seasonal let-down, I guess.

Did you ever have a strong deja-vu moment?  As we gathered in the living room by the tree to open presents after dinner, memories swarmed in my mind and Christmases past flew by my eyes. The most prominent one was of my eldest grandson when he was about three; the cutest little tyke you'll ever see. He is still cute (just ask the girls) and at age 16, he is over 6'3" and still growing. And then I remembered a photo we have of that little guy with our first granddaughter (who is now 15) sitting in a living room chair, side-by-side. They adored each other when they were younger, and the girl would follow the boy all through the house, calling him  "My  (his name)." I have always enjoyed watching the grand children interact, and yesterday was no exception. Their delight on opening presents was fairly palpable - and the array of various technologies was mind-boggling!  Grandpa and I have been (mentally) left behind, no doubt. Technology is changing so rapidly that by the time we learn one, it is obsolete.

Then I remembered Christmases when my children were small; "D" in his white shirt, red tie and blue velvet shorts (age two), enthralled with his new red plush hobby horse....."S" in her pj's and robe (age 4), loving her new Fisher-Price doll house....and "A"....lying in her plastic baby carrier in the middle of  a mound of cast-off wrapping paper and ribbons, eyes wide and wondering what the heck is going on?!  (age 3 mos.)

And so, the house is quiet now and I am left with my old memories; wondering how many more years I will get to be here, making new memories. Please God....let it be a while.

Santa Claus is Coming......

whether you're ready or not. I hope you are!

I'm ready, except for buying two fresh turkey breasts, which I'll do tomorrow.  We are duplicating our Thanksgiving meal on Christmas Eve this year, since it was so yummy. Everyone outdid themselves, and we hope to do it again. We always have our family gathering on Christmas Eve, so that our children and theirs can go back to their homes and celebrate Christmas morning, and the arrival of Santa.

Eight of our neighborhood women gathered here in my home Monday night to practice singing carols, and afterward, we walked across the street to sing for our friends and their visiting son and granddaughter. Our dear neighbor Kerstin has been almost completely housebound for over a year now, and will have to have surgery again in 2011. We caroled for her last year when she was in a rehab hospital, but luckily, this year she is at home. I thought I would accompany them on the organ. Since I had not played in over three years, I decided a practice session was in order. Boy, am I ever rusty. I used to play decently and my hands flew over the keys, but the old fingers have forgotten more than they ever knew. After playing for several hours, I reached a point where I thought I could do it justice.  I was not called upon to demonstrate that. The ladies knew the songs well enough that they didn't require music to lead them. I suppose that practicing wasn't really wasted time, but now  I sort of wish I hadn't bothered. I had made mulled cider; orange slices studded with cloves and a long piece of cinnamon steeped in apple cider for several hours. It was very good - but a bit sweet for my taste. Next time I think I'll look for unsweetened cider, or mix it with unsweetened  orange juice.

Dinner was good tonight: London broil with Darby sauce, mashed potatoes and a new broccoli recipe. I say "new", but I think I've had that recipe for at least 15 years and never made it until tonight. I had to substitute chopped regular onions for green onions, but it turned out well anyway. It's called "millionaire's broccoli"  - I have no idea why. Let me know if you want the recipe.

The Hanging of the Wreaths

We had plenty of support when we went back to the entrance today, to hang the wreaths. Now, if the Grinch removes them, we'll have plenty of proof that they were stolen.

This is the pair of adorable frogs that I got in our ornament exchange  Monday night, at our neighborhood annual pot-luck. Won't they make a great addition to my tree?!

There were three tables set up for us; here I am in the living room, along with some of my favorite people. Remind me to pull down my sleeves next time, will ya?

The dining room table holds seven + more. A good time was had by all!

Tuesday at the Flower Shuttle

I am such a fan of these lavender roses that when I saw the bunch, I grabbed all 12 of them! The blue flowers are agapanthus, or Nile Lily, and the green ones are chrysanthemums.

I couldn't resist a close-up!

The carnation at the top is my favorite variety of carnation, which I usually don't care for, except they smell delicious!

Can you tell I like the green mums too?  That color of green blends well with almost any color combination and makes the other colors 'pop' out.

The Flower Shuttle, in Raleigh, NC

***

Eight of us in our neighborhood group went out for dinner tonight; hoping to give some of the women who work during the day the opportunity to join us. Only one did and we were happy to see her. I took a few photos, but most of them were blurry  - and no - I didn't drink any alcohol....lol.  The Nantucket Grill has a varied menu and offers half-portions, which is great for those of us who don't want to eat, in one sitting, enough to sink a battleship (although I nearly did.)

My meal was a small Caesar salad, New England style crab cakes with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. It was all very good. Tuesday nights mean free cake - and I had the mile-high chocolate fudge - which was really, really good!

The Very Best Christmas Dinner Ever

Many years ago, when we had lived in this neighborhood for less than two years, we were preparing for a very cold Christmas when all the children would be home and the families were going to gather for the holidays. Late on Christmas Eve, our power went out, so on Christmas morning, we were invited to the next-door neighbors home to shower and cook our family dinner. Just as my son got into the shower and soaped his head with shampoo, their water lines burst and their power went out also. None of us had any cooked food and back then there was never a restaurant open on Christmas within 200 miles.

We had no idea what to do and luckily, one of our other neighbors, who had not lost power because they were on another grid, invited all of us to join them at their home. There were 9 of us (in two families) and 4 of them - so 12 in all. I had a ham and the other family had a turkey - with all the trimmings, of course. We put the meats in the oven and set about to cook the side dishes as best  we could - bumping into one another in the kitchen - but having a lot of fun doing it. 

After dinner, we sat around talking and laughing while the children played with their toys, and I reflected on how it was the very best Holiday dinner we'd ever had; cooked under a bit of a hardship, but with good spirit of cooperation and lots of fun and laughter. I still think about that day and that meal - when this Methodist, who is married to a Catholic, had dinner with a Baptist, who was married to a Lutheran, at the home of Jews (one of whom was Canadian and who -  luckily for us - both ate ham)  though they didn't usually celebrate Christmas. Talk about an eclectic celebration !!

Here Come De Judge*... but not 'til January

The call came at 4:45pm Thursday - and it was not to ask me to appear now, but to tell me that the case has been 'continued' to  late January, 2011. Meanwhile, this guy will probably continue to drive without a license. I don't understand the court system at all, except I know they are woefully understaffed and somewhat at the mercy of slick attorneys who know every trick in the book to get things delayed. Add that to an already backed up court system, and you have chaos all around.

I will be receiving a subpoena in advance, which is good for planning ahead. Since my January's are usually quiet at work, I will likely have no problem making the court date.

(*Line taken from  Laugh-In )

***

The menu last night consisted of pork chops marsala (with a secret in the sauce), mashed sweet potatoes, steamed fresh broccoli and hot biscuits. I must confess that the sweet potatoes were made by Bob Evans.  I use very few prepared foods, but those (and the regular mashed potatoes) are some I cannot do without. They are nearly as good as anything I could make from scratch and take much less time and energy for just two people. I should also confess that the biscuits came from Bojangles. I buy a box of twelve at a time; freeze them and thaw and serve a few at a time.

For the chops, I make a gravy from the skillet leavings with butter, hot water and a beef bouillion cube; adding 3 tablespoons of marsala wine while scraping the skillet and cooking down until it thickens a bit. The secret ingredient was coffee! I was too lazy to take the time to boil 1/4 cup of water, so I used fresh, hot black coffee to melt the bouillion and it was fine! I thought I might be able to tell a difference in the sauce, but it was just the same. I guess I saved a bit of energy there (not mine - the electricity!  LOL)

Birthday Brunch at Brio

Eggs Oscar has asparagus under poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce, and this one has spinach and artichokes as well as bacon and red peppers.  I heartily recommend it!  Brio also has the best Italian 'French' toast I've ever eaten, with mascarpone cheese and three kids of berries. You should try it!

***

Thanks to everyone for the many nice messages yesterday concerning my birthday. Between the blog and Facebook, to say I was overwhelmed is an understatement! So many lovely people saying such nice things about me! I'm trying to be humble about it.....lol. As you see above, I was taken to Brio by my younger daughter. It is currently my favorite place to have lunch. Afterward we went back to her home to watch her giant TV, but it wasn't long before her dad and I fell asleep. All it takes is a full stomach and a recliner - and some times the full stomach isn't necessary!

Our city doesn't specify which night to trick-or-treat; consequently we could have children coming two nights in a row. I really wish they would pick a night and stick with it. As a child in my hometown, trick-or-treat was always on the 30th.  I lucked out since it was my birthday, and of course I told everyone I came in contact with - and usually got an extra handful of candy for my efforts.  For the past two years, we've been invited to a Halloween party, and have not given out treats at home. This year I opted not to participate; not because I'm stingy, but because a certain mr. kenju cannot control himself when candy is in the house. I was sure to be left with extras and I didn't want to have to fight the urge to eat it myself or to fight with him about his urges. So, we are sitting in the dark, with the porch light out, hoping that no one rings the bell. Bah humbug!

All in all, it was a nice, calm, quiet birthday - just the kind I like. We ordered Chinese food for dinner and it was very good this time. The only place we can order to have food delivered is not always consistent with quality or taste, so we were pleasantly surprised. It was a good ending to a pleasant day, and that's all you can ask for, right?

            Happy Halloween!

Our Book Club

Our neighborhood book club met for the second time last night, in the home of our newest neighbor, who moved in about 4 months ago. I had not been in that home in ten years; it had been extensively redecorated in the meantime, and is a perfect candidate for a slick home magazine article. We got to tour the lower level and it was a real treat, along with the tasty appetizers, salads and desserts we all brought to share. 

Even though we are in the middle of October, it was warm enough for us to sit outside on the terrace, surrounding a lovely fire, until after 9:30 pm. We discussed our latest book - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - and the consensus was that we liked it and found it challenging as well as educational. It takes place in China during the time of foot-binding, and reading about that made us all glad that we live in this day and time and don't have to face that custom.

The discussion about the book was lively, with everyone participating at some level. I'm not sure how I became the leader of the discussions - but last night I tried to suggest that the woman who hosts the group should also lead the discussions, and I was shot down very quickly. It was also decided that we will meet every two months, instead of three - since we are enjoying it so much.

I am going to host our next meeting, which will be in January (even though we changed it to every two months) because December is busy enough without adding book club to the mix! The book I chose is  "Cane River" by Lalita Tademy, and if you haven't read it - you might want to check it out. Tademy was a former vice-president at S*n M*cr*syst*ms, who left her job to research and write this history of four generations of her family.

Odds and Ends

More Halloween decor...










I made this pumpkin out of poster board back in the late 70's, and we have been using it ever since. It hangs beside my front door.






Next, a photo of Canada geese in S*m's Club parking lot. This was just a small part of the gathering. There were at least 60 of them that day.

My food  Friday night at Cafe Capistrano.....yum!

Have you ever slept the whole day away? I did that on Saturday. I got up at 7am, got on the computer until about 8:30, ate breakfast and settled in to read  the 2nd book in the Swedish crime series  (The Girl Who Played With Fire.) Fell asleep for two hours, got up and ate lunch, read some more - fell back to sleep about 1:15 and slept until 4:30!  I'm not sick, so I can't understand why I slept so much, unless I am making up for lost sleep last week. 

I redeemed myself by making a pot of chicken and rice soup for dinner. It turned out well and I know it will be even better tomorrow! 

P.S.  I slept another 3 hours in my chair Saturday night . I wonder how long it will take me to get sleepy again? 

More Halloween decor - although I have no idea how monkeys fit into it....lol....Once again, Blogger only allowed me to upload one photo. That will make it hard for me to show you the pix from our trip to the History Museum, since I took about 40 photos of the furniture exhibit. Oh, well....

We went out to dinner with friends tonight, to a new (to us) Mexican place; one with a California bent. I had a shrimp chimichanga, which was delicious. Served with mashed pintos, rice and pico de gallo, it had just the right amount of flavor and spice - and I enjoyed it very much. I took a photo, but I haven't uploaded it yet. The name of the restaurant is
Cafe Capistrano, and I recommend you try it - but go early. By the time we left, it was standing room only.

And now an announcement:  my blog friend Jean Mac of A Mountain Too High sent an email today asking that I let everyone know that she is alive and well - but apparently her computer isn't. She will be back soon, she says, and that is good news for those of us who follow her poignant story of life with Alzheimer's. Hurry back, Jean Mac!!