Life's Not Over at 60!

Another "old friend" gone

2010-09-16T14:47:00.000-04:00

I'd forgotten about Red Neckerson's radio spots from when I was a child until I read his obituary today. Clean enough for family (unless you're a real prude) but still funny. Wish we had more like him.

He wrote this in 1991. Imagine what he would say about cell phones now!

"From 1991Cell phone madness is in the air

by red neckerson

I recently read an article on a study that concluded cell phones cause no harm to users, and frankly I was disappointed. That leaves punishment to folks like me who are fed up with loud-mouthed lamebrains shrieking into those gizmos at ball games, movies, restaurants and stores, or while weaving all over the road at 90 miles an hour. The sickos who design cell phones make them the size of a chigger so they will be easier to lose, prompting sales for replacements. Since the tiny microphone is nowhere near the user's mouth, they have to scream to be heard by the victim of the call. This is irritating, disruptive and confusing to anyone else within 100 yards of them. Last night, I stopped by the grocery store to browse and complain about prices, when some woman yelled, "What are we having for supper?" Even thought I thought it was sort of a nosy question, I hollered back, "Baloney sandwiches, what else?" She gave me a dirty look and ordered me to "Mind my own business." Then I noticed she was talking into a cell phone. I thought she had been pulling on an ear lobe like Carol Burnett. Even more maddening is to be driving along, minding my own business and spotting a tailgater yakking on a cell phone. I always suspect that they are phoning the police to turn me in for some minor infraction. These fiendish devices don't make a normal beeping or ringing sound, oh no, that wouldn't be irritating enough. They blast out some nauseating version of "Dixie," "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or "Me So Horny." Being confined near someone carrying such a constantly erupting torture device could turn an anger management consultant into a homicidal maniac. Cell phones have been banned in our home. We shall continue to communicate as nature intended, by yelling at one another."

Home school

2010-08-19T20:20:00.000-04:00

Roo and her Mom are getting first grade home school off to a good start. (Just hope it stays that way!) I had to laugh though when she corrected Mom about the San Franscisco earthquake today. Mom was explaining it had been a really long time ago since that occurred, more than 100 years ago, in 1908. Roo very quickly, but not impolitely, said "I think it was 1906." Guess that home school teaching can cut both ways, lol.

Should be interesting...

2010-08-16T22:14:00.000-04:00

Roo and her Mom had their first day of home school today. When she told Little Bit she would be staring pre-school at the end of the month, she said she wanted to go to home school. Should be interesting when she really does start.

In honor of Friday the 13th

2010-08-13T13:24:00.000-04:00

I wrote this column a couple of years ago after a colossal but funny blunder I made on Friday 13th.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia, Anyone?

I’ve never considered myself to be a superstitious person and have always laughed at the idea of a particular number causing an ordinary Friday to be an “unlucky” day.

Maybe not anymore though. Yesterday may have gone a long way towards convincing me that maybe there just might really be something to all the fuss.

I actually managed to get a haircut without catastrophe but that was about the only thing that didn’t seem to go wrong all day.

Aside from the fact it was about as hot, sticky and miserable a day as we have had so far, the first clue came early when I was drying water off my car and discovered someone had run something up under the undercarriage and left a small scratch. A tiny one, but a scratch nevertheless. Needless to say it was not the best way to start the day.

Then I discovered a certain bank branch (not local) had mixed up my account with my daughter’s and changed the checking status. No biggie, just another straw like discovering later that the spell checker file seems to have disappeared from my computer.

Staying in the house didn’t help either. I was pretty sure it would be fairly safe to dip some cherries in melted chocolate. Wrong. I had about finished the task and was quite proud I had managed to get it done without getting any on me when the spoon I had been using to scrape the bowl flipped straight up and spilled the stuff on me, the counter, the floor and what seemed like the whole kitchen. (I never knew an iced teaspoon could hold that much!)

Somehow though, the mess skipped from my blouse to the floor and missed my white pants entirely. I was feeling pretty good about that but by the time I got it all cleaned up, I had gotten chocolate all over them.

About then, the dryer shut off and I went to get my coverlet out before it wrinkled. In a momentary lapse of sanity, I just gathered the clean linen up to my chocolate covered shirt and headed into the den. You can guess what that did to the “clean” part of clean linen. As if that was not enough, after I managed to get that fisasco straightened out, the darn thing had shrunken 3-4 inches and doesn’t fit the bed anymore. Go figure!

Things quietened down for a little while but I should have known it wasn’t over. My cell phone rang late in the afternoon and a sweet little thing named Heather said she was calling about a Father’s Day Contest I had entered my dad into. I swear I am not usually rude to telemarketers but with the day I had had so far, coupled with the fact Daddy has been dead since 1978, I was really annoyed with her. I thought, “How cheesy,” using a sentimental holiday to try to sell something!

I told her my father had been dead 40 years (yes, I know it’s 30 but that was no time for math) and asked how she got my cell phone number. But I snapped the phone shut before the poor thing had time to answer. I must say in my defense, Heather talked quite rapidly and I only understood about every other word.

Unfortunately, about the time I closed the telephone, I realized what she was calling about. I had entered my son-in-law Jamie in a Father’s Day contest on a nationally syndicated radio show. I had 30 seconds to tell them why I thought he deserved to win one of three really nice Craftsman tool sets (or one of several tool boxes) and apparently my entry was a winning one.

I called right back but she had gone on to the next person on the list and given Jamie’s prize to them. I don’t know if it was one of the biggies or not and I don’t think I want to know.

When I called my daughter and told her what had happened, into between entirely too much snickering and giggling, she said I didn’t even have to tell them about it. I said yes I did. When I do something that supid, I have to share it with someone. She asked if I wanted to tell Jamie but I let her handle that job. He called back in a few minutes and he was laughing even harder than Julie did. Unfortunately, that gift of uncontrollable mirth was all he “won.”

That was by no means the last aggravating thing that happened before I went to bed but was probably the most traumatic. It’s really bad when the highlight and lowlight of your day is losing a really nice gift for your son-in-law.

He was a good sport about it though. He says my thinking that much of him was gift enough. Knowing how much he loves Craftsman tools, I can only hope he still feels the same way when he finally stops laughing so hard.

At least it isn't that!

2010-08-08T23:35:00.000-04:00

The girls were playing with Barbie dolls a few days ago when Little Bit (the three-year-old) told her sister that the doll she was playing with was sick. When Roo asked what was wrong, LB told her that the doll had H1N1 and it was worse than a tummy bug.

The past few weeks have been rough, especially the last two, but at least I don't have that. My allergies rank it pretty high on the list of feeling rough though, especially when they are relentless as these are. They seem to be partially under control for now and they've begun working on the mold problem in my apartment at last. Hopefully, I will soon be rid of the mold for good and perhaps to feeling like a human once more.

My good friend and neighbor procured wonderful seats at the Braves game/Sara Evans concert yesterday and we had a blast. Her generous cousin who works for the Braves, gave them to us free of charge, and even gave us a parking pass!. Good to know there are nice folks still around...

Getting lazy again

2010-07-28T21:00:00.000-04:00

I fear I am getting lazy again but it's difficult to keep up a blog when your co-blogger goes silent. In my defense, it has been that kind of week. I've tried to keep check on my neighbor regularly even though I probably haven't been much help. She seems to be improving every day though. Having been down that path, I know how she feels!

Still fighting allergies. During all this, I somehow managed to injure my knee and finally wound up getting a shot in it after ultra sound etc. didn't help much. Also had a 4th allergy med added to my regimen in addition to the shorts. I gave the company that owns this apartment to either get rid of the mold here or I would be looking for a new place. I may have a new, inside advantage in this matter. I learned from a condo board member that in the future, when a tenant vacates a property, it will have to be sold. Outside owners will no longer be permitted to use it for rental property. It that holds, this means they need to keep me here in order to recoup some of what they paid for it.

To cap off the week so far, I got caught in a sudden downpour while waiting to cross Peachtree this afternoon. Not a shelter in sight and I looked like a drowned cat before I could get across and into CVS. Then I realized I had left the moon roof on my car tilted because it was hot and sunny when I left it about 20 minutes before! Water in the parking lot was so deep that I had to wade through it to get to my car to close the roof. The rain was blowing sideways so of course it was getting soaked. I started home and learned it had only rained right there in that little area. Workers six blocks away were raising dust on at their road project.

And it's only Wednesday!

Maybe customer service isn't quite dead yet

2010-07-24T19:29:00.003-04:00

How is this for customer service? (I’ve frequently found it lacking so I want to share some good experiences for a change.)

An order for a specialty order from Papa John’s a few weeks ago took 45 minutes to get to me. (I posted earlier that they had cooked my order incorrectly and this gave me both pizzas.) Not long after that, I received a post card in the mail from them said my recent order did not meet their delivery standards and they wanted to give me a free pizza. That meant 3 large specialty pizzas for the $10 promotional price I paid for one. Outstanding!

The second instance was last Sunday when my son and I were in Target after having brunch at Radial’s. A huge thunderstorm started before we finished and the power went out. (Do you know it’s really, really pitch black in Target when you’re standing at the back of the store where there are no windows and the lights go off?) The backup power kicked in a few minutes later and when we got to the registers, there was a young woman standing there handing out coupons for $3 off everyone’s order for the “inconvenience” experienced. A very pleasant surprise since they had no control over the weather and it wasn’t like anyone was leaving with lightning crashing all around and buckets of rain falling! Good touch though and I commend them for it.

More this & that

2010-07-24T17:21:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy week. Might have been busier if it weren't so darned hot! Wonder why you can sit at home for days on end but when you really want to relax and chill out, the phone rings almost insessantly with someone wanted a piece of you. Go figure!

Exciting (?) news on the homefront but cannot share it publicly just yet. Soon though.

Enjoyed the girls visiting on Monday. Mom brought them over to swim and visit a while. Still funny to watch the little one push her sister's buttons. One of those "pushes" took place in the pool.

I had gotten those kid-sized boogie board type things for them to use in the pool. Little Bit's was green (her favorite color) with a cute alligator so she promptly named it Captain Alligator. Holding it tightly in her arms, she told her sister, "First one who gets Captain Alligator wins. I WIIIN"!" Naturally, this brought the expected, "Mama!" reaction from her sister. Wonder how many times a day that happens?

Of course, they were playing like nothing happened in the next minute. These two love each other as much as I've ever seen siblings do this. So nice to see that in action.

They "helped" Mom make Daddy an ice cream birthday cake this weekend. In retrospect, perhaps the blue and green Cool Whip was not the greatest idea ever but made a good photo op.

As for me, I have to recuperate from actually cooking two things today. My good deed for a neighbor who had surgery last Thursday. I'll be back to normal soon, whatever that is!

Elections are (mostly) over

2010-07-21T14:39:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, somebody won..

So many words...

2010-07-19T18:24:00.000-04:00

Election time in Georgia is upon us and with all the words that have been used, I'm still waiting to hear something meaningful to be said.

It takes forever (if then) for our legislature to pass reasonable laws like banning texting or, heaven forbid, regulations to protect the air we breathe, but ones allowing people to keep roadkill and legalize other inane, even irresponsible, activities breeze right through.

It seems to me time would be better spent passing legislation that is helpful, not a law that lets people take a possum frisbee home. Does anyone honestly think a person who would actually pick up road kill would care if they have permission to keep it or not? It makes me so proud…

Life Snapshot

2010-07-16T05:41:00.000-04:00

Observed at CVS yesterday afternoon (when I went back to pick up the botched prescription from Wednesday):

A slightly harried-looking young woman with three little doorsteps, one of whom she was holding in her arms while she was herding the other two around, trying to shop. The little one was being distracted by gnawing on a pack of condoms she apparently was planning to purchase. I was thinking, ‘If he bites a hole in that, there may be another rung in the family ladder.!’

A "why me?" kind of day

2010-07-14T13:52:00.002-04:00

Considering that I slept less than an hour last night, I thought my day was getting off to a decent start, reading the paper and relaxing. Then the plumbers who were supposed to call when they were on their way over, knocked on my door with no warning before I even got dressed. (Okay, it was after 9a.m. but this crew didn’t show up at all yesterday as they were supposed to). They made a mess and the problem is still unresolved.

After they left, I finished dressing and went for an allergy shot and to pick up a prescription at CVS only to learn the doctor’s office had faxed it to the wrong store. Waited while they got it transferred, only to find out the nurse had given the wrong dosage! Told them I would come back after they contacted her and got it corrected. Then, I tried to pay for a couple of little trinkets marked 90% off, only to have them ring up at half price, yet another, albeit brief, wait for a manager to correct this.

It was beginning to feel as though I’d stumbled into some sort of slapstick movie and/or someone would jump out and say, “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!” any minute. Didn’t happen so I headed back to my moldy apartment and I’m staying here the rest of the day! I have Diet Coke and peanut butter and I think I hear José Cuervo calling my name…

From (almost worst) to first

2010-07-13T22:40:00.000-04:00

Our team trivia usually has from 5-8 players on average but only three of us showed up tonight. In 5th place all night until final question when we apparently were the only ones who knew the 20 pointer at the end. I'm still a little ashamed that I knew what G.L.O.W. stands for. And I'm happy to say I didn't know what being anthropophagic meant even though I figured out the answer. Best part: we only have to split $50 three ways next week. This way I can even afford a Margarita!

P.S. to Just missed it

2010-07-12T18:34:00.000-04:00

These were Mom's words about the previously mentioned planned concert: "just caught K**** smuggling maracas and other assorted musical instruments into her room. Apparently, the girls were planning a musical celebration first thing in the morning to wish us a happy anniversary...darn, words cannot express how sorry I am I intercepted that one..."

Just missed it by that much!

2010-07-12T11:20:00.000-04:00

The girls enjoyed their uncle playing with them in the pool last Saturday but I should have known better than to leave him alone with them more than five minutes. Seems he planted the seed of an idea in their heads for a special anniversary gift for their parents.

Mom caught the oldest one trying to slip maracas into her room when she was going to bed. After a bit of questioning, it turns out the girls had planned to come marching and singing into their room quite early Sunday morning, as their own unique gift.

Of course, Uncle D says he only suggested they sing for them and Roo is known to take a simple idea and spin it into a huge project; but knowing their uncle as well as I do, you have to wonder...

Things you do for grandchildren

2010-07-10T20:23:00.000-04:00

If you really enjoy self-inflicted pain (or just feel the urge to hurt yourself), spend a couple of hours at Dillards trying on bathing suits! No blood and guaranteed to induce extreme agony! Just the the trauma of seeing yourself half naked in a full length mirror is enough to make you want to run screaming out of the door. After putting your other clothes back on of course. I'm sure part of it was the lighting. Complete darkness would have been preferable.

That was yesterday. Today I've learned there's one thing even more embarassing: being seen in public in the one you finally settle on! The girls were here this afternoon to let Mom and Dad have some time to themselves to celebrate their 12th anniversary and of course, they wanted to go swimming. So, if you hear of an outbreak of snow blindness in northwest Atlanta, it was just me taking them to the pool! I don't even remember the last time I was in a swimming pool and my legs (and some other parts) are so white you need sunglasses to look at them!

One of those double take moments

2010-07-07T21:56:00.000-04:00

I was sitting behind a motocycle in traffic earlier today, vaguely thinking the head gear its rider was wearing was nice but wouldn't do much to protect his skin if he crashed while wearing those shorty shorts and t-shirt when I looked at the back of his head a little more closely. He was wearing his sunglass on the back of his neck, just beneath the back of his helmet and for the world, it look as though he had a face on both sides. So funny. I opened up my phone to take a photo but the light changed before I could. That's one shot I hated missing!

I knew this would happen

2010-07-06T07:17:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've been a day ahead since last Wednesday. After a Monday holiday, now I'm a day ahead. Should be an interesting week!

It was a great weekend though. Several friends gathered at my son's apartment in Midtown with lots of laughs and camaraderie, good food, only a tiny bit of drinking, then watching fireworks over Centennial Olympic Park from the roof. The weather was incredible, not at all like July 4 in Georgia. Comfortable temperature, practically no humidity, and a nice breeze blowing all evening. It seems a little strange that the northeast part of the country is suffering from a heat wave while the past few days here have been moderate. Nice while it lasts though.

The week ahead is busy, culminating with the girls coming over Saturday afternoon while Mom and Dad celebrate their 12th anniversary. Just hoping the weather is good so they can get in the pool for a while. (I'm working on getting their uncle to come over and help entertain them at least for a while.) If it isn't, I have a feeling this little apartment is going to get really small before the day is out!

Don't you hate when this happens?

2010-07-04T19:38:00.000-04:00

I thought Wednesday was Thursday, even to the point I called the doctor's office to apologize for missing an appointment scheduled for Thursday morning. Thursday felt like Friday, and yesterday was definitely Sunday-ish. I don't know what today feels like but I just know I'm going to hate tomorrow! In the meantime, I think I will head over to Midtown and watch the fireworks at Centennial Olympic Park.

What?

2010-07-02T14:34:00.001-04:00

I've been flipping through one of those "modern" parent magazines. Albeit, there are some good ideas in it but I'm still shaking my head at some of the suggestions. One said to "encourage the effort instead of praising the deed." Sounds kind of okay until you read the example of praising a child for showing self control and not arguing with the parent.

Whatever happened to excercising the right to forbid your kid from talking back to you? You know ~ the old 'I'm your Mom/Dad and you do not sass/backtalk/ smart off at me.'

Another was to reward your child with a trip to the ice cream/shop when s/he is complimented on his/her behavior by someone else. Please! Why should you reward a kid for behaving in public? No wonder so many of them are confused!

People (and dog) Watching

2010-06-29T07:32:00.000-04:00

If you watch people when they walk their pets, you have to wonder if their attitude reflects their parenting or potential parenting skills.

Some walk at the animal's pace, letting it amble along sniffing, checking out everything while others drag their furbabies by the neck, impatient to get it over and done. Makes me curious if their children have the same attitude. The lucky ones have someone who knows they are confined most of the time and walking is as much about exploring and getting out as exercise while the others regard it as just another chore that takes time out of their busy lives. You have to wonder why they even bother having a pet.

Can't you just see laidback, happy kids while the others are Type A from hell!?!

2010-06-27T16:34:00.000-04:00

TS reported a conversation this morning between her girls: Roo: "(Little) Bit stop doing (fill in the blank with some mildly annoying behavior)." Little Bit: "Well, you know (Roo), you have to understand I'm only 3 years old...I don't know any better," followed by an extra-cheesy grin. Hmmm, wonder where she's heard that one, lol!

Sounds a lot like Mom to me!

At the top of impossible to do list

2010-06-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

is to keep from completely cracking up when the person sitting across the lunch table from you answers his phone and has the volume turned up so high you can clearly hear a person identifying herself as from a doctor's office saying, “Mr. He-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless, I talked to Dr. XXX and he has approved your prescription for Cialis.”

If you can sit through that without losing it, you're a very special person. For that matter, even looking them in the eye without laughing is second on that list. Perhaps I should have been embarrassed but at this stage of life, I found it hilarious. Wonder if he had plans he failed to share with me? Definitely put a damper on it if he did!

More This & That

2010-06-25T04:13:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy week, almost too busy for the laid back style I prefer, but nice to have someone who wants to include you in their lives.

TS and the girls came over yesterday afternoon. (I have to say yesterday since it is after 4 a.m. on Friday!) They had a great time and just before leaving, Roo told me twice that she wantes to come live with me. I'd like to believe it's my personality, charisma, charm, and just being an overall fantastic grandmother but I'm pretty sure it's the swimming pools here at my complex that are the real appeal.

Wish TS had time to share some of their "adventures." After hearing Roo's discourse on a dead bee and dead squirrel, she thinks her daughter has found her calling as a professional eulogist as she can always find something good to say about anything. Perhaps she will be able to elaborate on it soon.

Not a good idea after all

2010-06-22T08:34:00.001-04:00

Next time I feel domestic and decide I actually want to cook, I think I will lie down until the urge passes!

I had to force myself to go grocery shopping yesterday but while I was there, I did spot some really nice looking pork tenderloins at a decent price and they sort of beckoned to me. Since all you have to do is stick them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, it seemed like a good idea at the time to get one. Plus, I've temporarily grown a little tired of Lean Cuisine and protein bars.

It cooked beautifully and smelled so good that my neighbors were probably drooling. Just one problem though: I thought I was getting just a plain tenderloin but turns out it had been marinated in teriyaki stuff. One taste totally shocked my tastebuds and I wound up spitting it in the garbage. I like some teriyaki flavors but not this particular marinade. Besides, I prefer my tenderloin roasted with just coarse pepper sprinkled on it. I wrapped it in foil and stuck it in the freezer until I can see if TS and her family like it. If not, I'm sure their dogs will. If I ever get the nerve to do this again, I really need to read labels more carefully!

Was it my breath?

2010-06-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Son #1 and I decided to have Sunday brunch at Amuse! yesterday, a French restaurant in Midtown. It was okay but not nearly as good as it's touted to be. The experience wound up being pretty funny though when it turned into another of our slightly strange adventures. (He and I seem to attract weird people and/or find ourselves in odd situations way too often!)

Our reservations were at 11:30 a.m., their opening time, and apparently we were our server's first table. She was cute as could be, laughing and relaxed, and very pleasant overall. She took out drink orders, returned with them, took our food order, and stopped by again to see if everything was okay while we were waiting for the food. Different servers and management types drift by all the time to refill glasses, etc. so we didn't think much about it when someone else brought our food.

As the meal progressed, we were talking, catching up on things, and I didn't think too much about her lack of presence for a while. We had requested something to follow our meal when we placed the original order but when we were about finished, she still hadn't reappeared to see if we were ready for that dish. I looked around but didn't see her anywhere. I had a very clear view of the restaurant from my seat, including the service area; however, she remained invisible. She seemed to have simply vanished into thin air. We stopped another server to complete our order and I asked what happened to ours. I was told, "She quit." Just like that. No other explanation, just two words. The server we had been dumped onto was a little harried so we didn't pursue the inquiry. Things like this seem par for the course for him and/or me way too often. Keeps life interesting though, lol.

I still have no idea what happened. I know I brushed and flossed beforehand, even used deodorant, and I'm pretty sure he did also. When we ordered, I asked the difference betweem a Croque Madame and a Croque Monsieur. When she explained the only difference was that a Croque Madame had a cooked egg on top. Of course, my son had to explain that the egg on top, represented ovaries, thus the feminine title! Not sure if he was joking, reasoning it out, or actually knew this for a fact but she laughed and said it was a good tip to remember. I don't think that would have caused her to leave less than 15 minutes into her shift but who knows?

I'm sorta glad

2010-06-18T20:06:00.000-04:00

to see this week wind down. After three trips to the chiropractor, the old back is better but still a long way from being good. With these 90-100 degree temperatures, it definitely has not been a bad week to keep ice packs on it almost all the time. Doesn't it seem strange that you can stay home until you almost die of boredom but when you feel least like getting out, you get invitations every day? I did keep my date with friends to see the Braves on Wednesday and even though it was a great game, I questioned the wisdom of sitting in those hard seats for that long after it was over. Definitely headed back when Sara Evans give a free concert on August 7. Loved the Beach Boys and I'm sure she will do a fantastic job as well.

TS and family are at the beach a couple of days but better them than me. I love the view of the ocean and strolling along the edge of the water but prefer to sit on the dock afterwards and watch others. Had enough direct hot sun growing up in South Georgia and delivering the mail all those years. I also do not have enough nerve to be seen in public in a bathing suit either!

I'd forgotten

2010-06-14T20:17:00.000-04:00

just how extremely painful back spasms can be! Of course I had to slide my new chair around, along with rearranging the rest of the furniture, and apparently pulled a muscle. It's one of those tying-your-back-in-knots-I'd-scream-if-it-would-help kind of things. Haven't had them in a really long time and hope I never do again. A little better tonight but still very much in evidence. God bless my chiropractor for coming in on his day off!

My "secret" hotdog recipe

2010-06-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

I may have posted this recipe at some point but it's worth sharing again. I've been preparing hotdogs this way since my children were small (a really, really long time ago) and it's still a favorite with them on the rare occasion I get around to doing it now. I promise you will not want them any other way once you've eaten them this way. It's absolutely addictive! And easy! Even better, everything can be prepared ahead of time and simmered when you are ready for them. NOTE: It is essential to toast the buns just before using. Not only does it improve the flavor immensely, it keeps the bread from becoming soggy before it is eaten.

HOT DOGS DELICIOUS

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 T. butter

1-1/4 c. catsup [14-oz. bottle]

2 T. sweet pickle relish

1 T. vinegar

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. salt

Dash of black pepper

1 lb. hot dogs

Toasted Buns

Sauté onion in butter. Stir in catsup, relish, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Score hotdogs, add to sauce, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve on hot, toasted buns.

A good day

2010-06-12T22:44:00.000-04:00

Finally got my slightly belated Mothers Day/birthday gift from the children and grandchildren: a comfy leather recliner. Just in time for the US/England World Cup match too.

Before game time, I ordered my favorite pizza combo from the Papa John's just around the corner. Delivery took so long that I was about to call to see what happened when the guy drove up with my order. Turned out workers left the grilled chicken off the first one so had to cook another. To compensate, they sent both of them to me!

I like leftover pizza as much as the next person but two large ones would have had me on a strict pizza regime three times a day for the next week or longer! Fortunately, my neighbor below me lives alone (except for his canine buddy) and he seemed grateful when I offered to share. Probably not as relieved as I was when he accepted, lol. Turned out well and thanks to the Brits' goalie, the US managed to escape with a 1-1 tie after allowing them to score less than four minutes into the game. A good day indeed!

Sharing a favorite

2010-06-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

I've been going through some old document files, looking for something that should be there but darned if I know what I've done with it! However, I did run across something I had pasted into a word document long ago when I was doing research for an editorial. I do not recall the author, just that I liked it enough to save it. Here's to enjoying it all over again.

Do Animals go to Heaven?

Yes - they do!

Why do I know that? ... let me give you some food for thought.

In the Bible it tells how God will come back on a white horse. If there are no animals in Heaven, where will he get the horse?

It also says the Lamb will lie down beside the Lion. No animals in Heaven?

Psalm 50:10: For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowl of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

When God had made the earth and sky,

The flowers and the trees.

He then made all the animals,

The fish, the birds and the bees.

And when at last He'd finished,

Not one was quite the same.

He said, "I'll walk this world of mine,

And give each one a name."

And so he traveled far and wide

And everywhere He went,

A little creature followed him

Until it's strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth

And in the sky and sea,

The little creature said, "Dear Lord,

There's not one left for me."

Kindly the Father said to him,

"I've left you to the end.

I've turned my own name back to front

And called you dog, my friend."

There is an Indian legend which says when a human dies there is a bridge they must cross to enter into heaven. At the head of that bridge waits every animal that human encountered during their lifetime. The animals, based upon what they know of this person, decide which humans may cross the bridge.... and which are turned away.

"Heaven is the place of final and complete happiness God has prepared for us - and if animals are necessary to make us happy in heaven, then you can be sure God will have them there." --Rev. Billy Graham

Ruining a good day

2010-06-10T22:52:00.001-04:00

How to ruin a perfectly good day in one fell swoop: See the best chiropractor in Atlanta, be given some delicous local tomatoes, shop at Trader Joe's for little things only they seem to carry, have your favorite Starbucks Skinny Mocha for lunch, get home feeling fine, open the mail and find the homeowners tax exemption you were told you were eligible for has been eliminated! It was not a large amount but did save a little bit. I still stay in my house some when I am there, own no property outside Telfair County, get nothing out of it while continuing to pay upkeep and expenses.

To say I am totally p***ed, is a vast understatement! It seems because I changed my voter’s registration to Fulton County that I am no longer allowed to claim this. Just another way for Telfair County to screw those people who do pay their bills on time while they let others go for years never bothering to pay any property taxes! What a crock! And, not that I need one, but what better reason to never move back there?

Funny that I can buy my auto tag there but I'm not allowed to benefit from the only property owners' exemption still left. I feel sorrier for my friends who are there than for myself though. It has always been on the backs of those who pay their taxes while others in much better shape ignore their obligations and we who take ours seriously are hit up more and more every direction we turn. Promises, promises and still we get the short end of the stick. You know, the one with all the brown stuff on it!

Good friends, good company

2010-05-31T22:10:00.000-04:00

So far, I've had a wonderful Memorial Day. Right now, I'm watch the National Memorial Day concert on public television. Earlier, I went to ball game with two friends, watched the Braves take over first place, saw wonderful tributes to those who have fallen in military service, A Beach Boys concert, and Fellini’s for pizza afterwards. What a great afternoon! And made even better because I was with friends. We definitely plan to do it again when Sara Evans is there in August.

Is klutzy inherited?

2010-05-26T19:10:00.000-04:00

I am sharing what son #1 posted on Facebook. I'm delighted that he has a good enough sense of humor to share it. And yes, I'm still laughing.

"...discovered that a rented Home Depot truck for moving a bed + a parking garage with low clearance fire sprinkler pipes in one small part = one loud boom + one evacuated ATL mid-rise condo + firemen... + a monsoon....not exactly a balanced equation."

He just moved in here this month but I think they're going to let him stay. At least I haven't heard about a run on tar or feathers or pitchforks in local stores yet!

Sailor Kate

2010-05-19T21:57:00.001-04:00

My friend Wendy Lee has established a ministry in memory of her little daughter, Sailor Kate, lost to her, husband Jonesy, and their families to a tragic accident when she was just 15 months ago. This ministry has reached out to families who have lost children in a similar accident and will be headed to Virginia next month with a special quilt for a family there. Their progress can be viewed at http://www.sailorkate.com/.

2010-05-17T06:20:00.000-04:00

I've been exceeding lazy about keeping up this blog the past few weeks and for that I apologize. In my defense, I am still fighting pollen/allergies/whatever seems to come long. Finally conceded defeat and went to an allergist last Monday. Tested positive on my arm for one kind of mold, dust mites, and goldenrod. All 68 places on my back reacted almost immediately so she really could not tell what bothers me most in those tests. I was happy to learn that I'm not necessarily allergic to all 68 things but according to the doctor, have super-sensitive skin. That I could have told her without the tests!

Today will be my last day watching Little Bit for Mom to work. I haven't slept all night so maybe I will have enough strength to make it through the morning and make it back home before I collapse. It's been interesting to spend this much one-on-one time with her. Never a dull moment, though! It certainly has renewed my admiration for young mothers, especially working ones!

Sharing

2010-05-13T11:46:00.000-04:00

My friend Mark Ballard wrote a great column for The Macon Telegraph today. Any of those who truly love our animals will enjoy this immensely. http://www.macon.com/2010/05/13/1126114/georgie-wears-the-pants-in-this.html?storylink=addthis

Why children are not allowed to name themselves

2010-05-13T11:39:00.003-04:00

Little Bit this morning while she was drawing:

"Mama, look at my spiders. They're mean spiders. Do you know what this one's name is? Earwax."

Me: "EARwax?"

LB: "Yes. And you know what it's middle name is? Bathing Suit."

Nope, never boring!

Now I know why it's called that

2010-05-08T04:05:00.001-04:00

One definition of bacchanalia is orgy. After going to Atlanta's Bacchanalia restaurant for my birthday tonight, I can say without any reservations that the name is apropos. Even without consuming wine or any other alcohol, it is still a two-hour orgy of eating! While they don't serve huge portions like those you see in steak houses, they keep plying you with small tastes and portions from the time you sit down. You don't feel as if you are eating too much until you stand up from the table. By then, it's much too late! It was a fabulous dinner though, probably a once in a lifetime experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Two more weeks until school is out and perhaps by then TS will be able to catch her breath and contribute more to this page. She has some interesting stories to tell if she just has time to tell them!

Perspectives, etc.

2010-05-03T19:17:00.001-04:00

My air went out over the weekend and of course I grumbled about the temperature in my place all weekend. After the four inches of rain fell today and flooded some people near me out for the second time in just a few months, I felt a little guilty about complaining. At least I stayed dry!

I did manage to get to Little Bit's to stay with her but it wasn't an easy drive early this morning. Standing water, several wrecks, and just plain hard pouring rain made it a bit dicier than usual.

It's always an experience to be with her. I never would have dreamed in a 100 years that I would utter these words: "Turn around. You're getting your (fairy) wings in your food." That was strange even for me but you had to be there to appreciate it.

With buckets of rain coming down, we had to stay inside and she wanted to play dress-up. Usually, that's one costume at the time but today it was a bit different. First she put on a pair of red tights that apparently belonged to her sister as they came all the way up her chest. To that, she added a light pink leotard, a shimmery dark sequined dress with fringe, a pair of light pink tights, a small white garment that I didn't recognize, a blue princess dress, a brimmed hat (forgot what color), white dress-up shoes, and green and pink fair wings.

If that sounds funny, you should have seen me trying to get all of it off so she could get to the potty without an accident!

Chip of the old block?

2010-05-02T22:52:00.000-04:00

Little Bit told her Mom last night that, "Daddies are bosses, but Mamas and God are the BIG bosses!"

I'm so proud. I taught her well!

End of another week

2010-04-30T19:01:00.000-04:00

The end of the week and I’m so far behind I will probably meet myself coming and going! I’ve hardly seen the inside of my apartment this week but I’m sure the chores will be here waiting with outstretched nagging looks.

Staying with Little Bit pretty much takes up three of five week days and I have standing engagements on Tuesdays and Thursdays so that leaves little time for anything else.

I know it will be easier on the old bod when school is out but I confess I will miss seeing her as often as I do now. From asking if I know what the most dangerous dinosaur is to popping in with two stuffed frogs under her shirt and saying she has two baby frogs in her tummy and “they are about to hatch,” you never know what is coming next.

I wonder what the neighbors think about her “fetching” Milk Bones?

Odds and Ends

2010-04-24T21:19:00.001-04:00

My cousin, who was adopted immediately after birth, has discovered who her birth mother was after nearly 53 years. She was naturally curious anyway but having been recently diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, and this seemed to lend more urgency to her quest. It's great that she has some answers at last. I know what it means to have questions about your lineage that are never answered.

On the lighter side, Little Bit has been at it as usual. I think this kid must be 3 going on 33 at times! She informed me she needed a "ginanormous" flashlight in order to tell me some stories she made up. After finding one that met her requirements, she proceeded to make up several tales with Tinker Bell as heroine/victim in each one. One sentence included her saying the villian "vowed to make something terrible happen."

All this story telling preceded three rounds of "ballet" that consisted of her running around a king-sized bed, dressed in assorted costumes, while singing an mélange of Christmas carols mixed with one Rubber Ducky tune. All this in just one afternoon!

I played bridge very badly on Thursday evening but managed to win first place. Go figure!

This is only a partial description of the past few days. I've been much too busy to keep notes but if anything interesting comes back, I will share it later.

Finally!

2010-04-21T03:57:00.000-04:00

I got my car back from the body shop today after 25 days. Finally! Methinks some people were dragging their feet. The adjuster blames the appraiser but he forwarded one of her emails to me that shows she had not gotten the paperwork to him in a timely manner on at least one occasion. Since I know of her fibbing to me on at least one occasion (with more suspected), I am more inclined to side with the adjuster on this.

I am definitely getting too old for this much aggravation. Wonder if I could have a stress on-off switch installed? Couldn't cost more than the $700 + I had to fork over for car rental, plus the $250 deductible. Ouch!

Still no car!

2010-04-17T20:23:00.007-04:00

It's been three weeks since my wreck and my car is still not ready. Argh! The rental is okay but I prefer my own. I've had the repair check in hand for two weeks. At this rate, it may be obsolete by the time I give it to the body shop.

Recalling the accident made me remember a funny "reaction." It bordered on the absurd except to the person who did it.

The other party in the wreck was an attractive, trim late fortyish lady. And she was really a classy lady. You know, one of those people who comes from old money and has real class, not the affected kind that frequently comes with new money. She was very concerned about me, not about the cars at all.

The funny thing came when a guy, probably late 50s (or more) stopped and rushed over to her gushing and carrying on like a flustered schoolboy. (If he was trying to make Brownie points with her, it did not work!) After a few minutes, he turned to me and snapped abruptly, "You need to move your car!"

This old lady smiled sweetly and said, "I can't. I tried," with emphasis on the tried. I guess he thought about how it looked and asked if I would like him to move it. I just tossed him the keys and said, "If you like." He did get it moved but he really had to wrestle with that heavily damaged suspension. It was like the car weighed two tons and had no power steering. Of course, I did the southern thing and thanked him so sweetly butter wouldn't have melted in my mouth.

As for him, I wish he knew how ridiculous he looked. With that bad rug, all he had going for him was the cute little dog that kept trying to climb out of his open vehicle window while he was fawning over the lady!

Our menu

2010-04-15T14:27:00.001-04:00

I forgot to mention in the other food post that we did the Waffle House thing last night, a "sweet" experience I'm not anxious to repeat soon. I had no idea such a tiny little bit of syrup could go so far!

Papa John’s has come and gone today. Maybe I will get the pizza sauce and cheese out of Little Bit’s hair and the end of her nose, off her hands, face, and other body parts as well as the table and chair where she sat in time to have leftovers for dinner. Maybe I should just let Bear (their dog) lick her clean. He really wants to so very badly!

Should be interesting?

2010-04-14T17:17:00.001-04:00

I'm in the country with two very energetic granddaughters while their Mom and Dad go to Louisiana for their great-grandfather's funeral. Mom will be back early tomorrow evening so I should be able to survive until then. Maybe.

My afternoon so far: Watching Curious George and Barbie Christmas DVDs. Roo stroking a dead caterpillar, talking to it sweetly and apologizing to it because she left it in a bag all alone. (It turned out not to be dead!) Little Bit, letting it crawl all over her arms, getting a little upset because I wouldn't (a) let her put it in my car or (b) let her bring it in the house. (Are these really MY granddaughters?)

Experienced a mini-battle with Little Bit because I wouldn't let her go outside with a pair of panties on her head!

Telling a chubby, really bossy child from the neighborhood she would have to go home if they made Little Bit cry again. I haven't done that in a while but appparently I have not lost the knack since there's been no trouble in paradise since then.

Wonder what the next 24 hours will bring?

Death or taxes?

2010-04-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

A wise person once remarked that there is nothing certain but death and taxes. I think perhaps by the time many of us finish rounding up stuff we were absolutely sure we wouldn't need, all the other "stuff" required, and actually filing the darn forms, death may be preferable. And you only have to do it once!

Gotta laugh some days

2010-04-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

Some days you laugh to keep from crying. I don't eat a lot of fast food but when I do, I try to avoid drive through windows like the plague.

But it was raining yesterday so I did the dreaded drive through thing and while I realize this could have happened inside just as easily, it seems to be worse when you're not looking at the person with whom you are dealing. Inside, you do have a shot at getting a cashier who looks as though s/he at least graduated eighth grade!

Me: I'd like a small double burger with just catsup and mustard.

Wendy's Guy: We don't have a small double burger.

Me: You don't have a junior double hamburger? That's what I usually get.

WG: No, we only have regular double burgers.

Me: Okay, give me a junior burger with catsup and mustard.

WG: Do you want cheese with that?

Me, more than a little exasperated: NO, just catsup and mustard, please!

WG: We have a double stack. That's two little burgers on a bun.

Me: That will be fine. Just give me that.

WG: What do you want on it?

I really wanted to say, "Guess!" but there's no way he would have caught the sarcasm and there's no telling what I would have wound up with in my food bag! All I can say is that it's a good thing the doctor told me to rest my voice as much as possible to keep from losing it all together!

Still here

2010-04-06T21:57:00.000-04:00

I'm still among the living but don't feel much like it yet. My annual pollen-induced bronchitis jumped on me with both feet this year. With 120 being a high pollen count, it stands to reason that a 3,000+ like today would have a more adverse effect!

Maybe in a day or so I will be back to normal (whatever that is) and get creative enough to write something interesting again! TS is out for holidays this week and I'm pretty sure two little girls are keepi ng her very busy!

Everybody's a Tattletale!

2010-04-05T11:05:00.000-04:00

Morning after Easter observation from Little Bit:

"We need to be really really good 'cause Jesus and God and Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are watching us....well, maybe not the Easter Bunny 'cause he's still really tired from yesterday, but the others will tell him what we've been doing when he wakes up."

Easter

2010-03-31T22:06:00.001-04:00

British Easter Biscuits (cookies) can be left in a simple form or decorated as fancy as suits individual tastes. It is traditional in the UK to serve them tied with a ribbon in bunches of three to represent the Trinity.

This plate of roast lamb is attractively accented with Klondike Roasted Herb & Garlic potatoes, Broccolini and Jasmine Rice.

Easter Feasting

I think of the garden after the rain;

And hope to my heart comes singing,

"At morn the cherry-blooms will be white,

And the Easter bells be ringing!

~ Edna Dean Procter

Hard-boiled eggs may be the first food that comes to come to mind when thinking of Easter but many other foods factor into traditional Easter meals around the world.

Hot Cross Buns and Easter Cakes (cookies) are a particular English favorite. The Hot Cross Bun custom is supposedly derived from ancient Anglo-Saxons who baked small wheat cakes in honor of the springtime goddess, Eostre. After converting to Christianity, the church substituted with sweetbreads that had been blessed by the church for the more benign wheat cakes.

Countries around the world serve sweet cakes in the same vein, including Czech babobka and Polish baba. The Greeks and Portuguese enjoy round, flat loaves marked with a cross and decorated with Easter eggs while Syrian and Jordanian Christians serve honey pastries.

Roast lamb dinner has been a long-standing Easter tradition for many but it goes back earlier than Easter to the first Passover of the Jewish people. A sacrificial lamb was roasted and eaten along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs in hopes that the angel of God would pass over their homes and bring no harm and as Hebrews converted to Christianity, they brought their customs with them. Christians often refer to Jesus as The Lamb of God, thus merging the traditions.

Ham is a frequent choice in the United States. Before refrigeration, meat was slaughtered in the fall and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter months before Lent was cured for later use. The curing process was lengthy and because it was around the advent of Easter before they were ready to eat, making ham was a natural choice for the holiday menu.

On a side note, while they might not seem like Easter food, pretzels in fact are just that. They were first baked in a shape to indicate the torso of a person with arms folded and praying to mark this religious occasion. Whatever your preference, you might find trying seasonal favorites from other cultures interesting and worthwhile.

*********

Babka is slightly sweet yeast bread similar to Italian panettone that can be made with rum-soaked raisins, and iced or left plain. The name, which literally means "grandmother" in Polish, probably got the name because its shape is reminiscent of an old woman's wide, swirling skirts. Traditional babka is made with an enormous number of egg yolks but this recipe is lighter on cholesterol load, requires no kneading and only has to rise one time.

Easy Easter Babka

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees)

1 c. scalded milk

6 oz. unsalted butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

3 large beaten eggs

4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 T. lemon zest, opt.

1/2-1 cup raisins

Confectioners' sugar, opt.

Icing: (optional)

2/3 c. confectioners' sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. boiling water

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Place butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer, and pour scaled milk over it. Using the paddle attachment, mix until butter has melted and milk has cooled to 110° degrees or below. Mix in the vanilla and eggs and add yeast and mix until well combined.

Add flour, lemon zest (if using) and raisins and combine thoroughly. Dough should be of a thick cake batter consistency.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 10-inch babka pan, kugelhopf pan, Turk's head pan (turban pan), bundt pan or plain tube pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan and cover lightly with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk or dough just reaches the top of the pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes until instant-read thermometer registers 190° or a toothpick inserted near the center tests clean.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioners' sugar if desired before serving. You may also drizzle the cooled cake with a mixture of confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and boiling water.

British Easter Biscuits

90 (scant half cup) grams butter

1 egg separated

Pinch salt

20 grams (2-1/2 T.) mixed citrus peel

Extra castor sugar

90 grams (scant half cup) castor sugar

180 grams (1-1/2 + 2 t.) self-raising flour

40 (4-5 T.) grams currants

1-2 T. milk or brandy

Cream butter and sugar and beat in egg yolk. Sift flour and salt and fold into creamed mixture. Add fruit and mix well. Add enough milk or brandy to make a soft dough, knead lightly and roll out on a floured surface to 5 mm thickness.

Cut with a fluted cutter and make a small hole to one side of each biscuit.

Place on greased baking tray and bake on top shelf (rack) for 10 minutes in a moderate oven. Remove from oven, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Pizza Con Prosciutto is a popular Easter dish in many parts of Italy

Pizza Con Prosciutto

Filling

225 grams (1 lb.) proscuitto ham about 6mm thick

1 link dried sweet sausage

225 grams (1 lb.) mozzarella diced

700 grams (5 c. + 1 T.) ricotta cheese

1 c. grated percorino cheese

Dough

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 eggs

3 T. milk

2 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 190° C. (375 F). Dice ham and sausage, mix with all of the cheeses and set aside.

Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in it. Add eggs, milk and butter, mixing gradually. Knead well, roll mixture into a ball and cut it into two equal parts. Roll one half out on a floured board, lift it into a pie dish and spread filling mixture evenly over crust.

Roll out remaining pastry, place on top and seal by pressing edges together. Bake until brown, approximately one hour. Serve at room temperature.

This “nutty” take on roast lamb should make almond lovers happy.

Amaretto Almond Encrusted Lamb Roast

Rind from one whole orange

2 c. water

1/3 c. crushed almonds

2 T. DISARONNO® Originale Amaretto

1/3 c. breadcrumbs

1 small bunch of parsley

1/2 c. sugar

16-20-oz. rack of lamb (ask butcher to dress rack and trim all fat from ribs)

Butter, room temperature

Set oven at 400°F to preheat.

Boil orange rind in small saucepan with water and sugar. Cook for 15 minutes; drain well and set aside to cool. Chop parsley fine, making sure it is completely dry before using.

Combine parsley, crushed almonds, breadcrumbs and amaretto in a food processor and blend well. Set aside.

Place rack of lamb in a roasting pan and place pan on middle rack of oven. Roast 15 minutes for medium rare, 20 minutes for medium and 28 minutes to well done. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Separate lamb ribs and rub butter around the edges of each one. Roll edges in mixture of dry ingredients and amaretto mixture.

Arrange ribs on a platter and garnish with prepared orange rind.

Easter Symbols

Ø Easter Bells are rung in France and Italy throughout the year but not rung on the Thursday before Good Friday. They are silent as a way to remember the death of Jesus and rung again on Easter Sunday as way of telling people Jesus is alive again.

Ø The Cross is the symbol for the Christian religion as Jesus was nailed to a cross when he was executed.

Ø The Easter Lily is a reminder to the Christians of how Jesus came back to life. It is supposed to be a symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary and is used in many Easter services.

Ø Easter Flowers such as daffodil, narcissus and the tulip are also symbols as they bloom in the spring.

Ø Pussy Willows are especially picked at Easter in England and Russia. People would tap each other on the shoulders with a branch of it for good luck.

Ø Lambs: The lamb is a symbol of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who watches over his human flock as though they were lambs. Lambs are typically born in the spring, making them even more symbolic. Israelites also used lamb's blood to save their firstborns in ancient Egypt.

Ø Rabbits are reminders of spring and new life and it is said they were the favorite animal of the spring goddess Eastre.

Ø The egg is a symbol of spring as well as Easter because they represent a sign of new life.

Ø Chicks are born from eggs and are also reminders of spring and Easter.

Ø Candles give light in darkness and Jesus is seen as "the eternal light" showing Christians the way from death to life.

Ø Palm Branches are used as a symbol of peace.

Ø Bread: Unleavened flat bread is eaten to remember Jesus' sacrifice and the freeing of Hebrews from Egyptian slavery.

Ø Wine red wine is drunk to remember Jesus shedding His blood for humans.

Ø Fireworks are believed to frighten away evil spirits. They also show that out of darkness comes light.

Passover

2010-03-29T23:43:00.001-04:00

Charoset: This apple dish is served as an ancillary function to Maror at the Seder table.

Passover Food Great for Everyone

"Passover and Easter are the only Jewish and Christian holidays that move in sync..."

Marvin Olasky, Editor-in-Chief, 'World Magazine'

March marks the advent of Spring and the Easter season. While Easter is one of the holiest days of Christianity, the accompanying Passover has special meaning in the Jewish faith as it marks the escape of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. Passover begins on March 30 this year and continues through April 5. In the Jewish calendar however, a holiday begins at sunset of the previous day, therefore observing Jews will begin celebrating at Sunset on March 29.

Passover Seder is one of the most widely observed of all Jewish customs, and at the center of every observance lies the Passover Seder Plate (Hebrew: ke'ara), a special plate containing six symbolic foods. The plate is carefully prepared and placed before the head of the household (or the one conducting the Seder) who in turn dispenses the Seder foods to each participant.

Each item has special significance to the retelling of the story of the exodus from Egypt, the focus of this ritual meal. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal — a stack of three matzos — is presented on its own individual plate next to or on the Seder plate.

The six traditional items are:

1) Matzah (a/k/a Matzoh or Matza) is crispy unleavened bread made of plain white flour, and water. At the Passover Seder, it is customary to eat matzah made of flour and water only. (Matzah containing eggs, wine or fruit juice in addition to water is not acceptable, as these items will cause it to become leaven. Matzah made with these items without the use of water is allowed during the remaining days of the holiday, but some strictly Orthodox Jews will not eat this kind of matzah at all.)

The dough is pricked in several places and not allowed to rise before or during baking, thereby producing a hard, cracker-like flat bread. Similar in preparation to the central Asian lavash and the Indian chapati, Matzah is a substitute for bread during Passover, when eating chametz (bread and leavened products) is forbidden.

Eating matzah on the night of the Seder is considered a positive mitzvah, i.e., a commandment. The historical explanation comes from the biblical narrative relating that the Israelites left Egypt in such haste, they could not wait for their bread dough to rise and the resulting product was matza. (Exodus 12:39).

The symbolic explanation is that not only does matza symbolize redemption and freedom, it is also "poor man's bread," thus serving as a reminder to be humble and not forget what life was like in servitude. Additionally, leaven symbolizes corruption and pride as leaven "puffs up". Therefore, eating the "bread of affliction" is both a lesson in humility and an act that enhances one's appreciation of freedom.

The Matzah stands for Priests, Levites and Israelites, the three castes of Jews and also commemorates the three measures of fine flour Abraham told Sarah to bake into matzah when they were visited by three angels (Genesis 18:6).

2) Maror and Chazeret: It is obligatory to eat Maror (bitter herbs) twice at each Seder. The bitter taste of Maror symbolizes the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Egypt. The bitter herbs may consist either of romaine lettuce, horseradish or endives but many people mix freshly grated horseradish with cooked beets and sugar to make a condiment called chrein for their Maror. Whole horseradish root can be eaten, but traditional Jews do not consider cooked or pickled horseradish a valid choice.

Chazeret is typically romaine lettuce, which has roots bitter tasting roots. Either horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten to fulfill the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs.

3) Charoset is a sweet, dark-colored, lumpy paste formed of a special mixture of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon. Its color and texture makes it a symbol of mortar used by Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Ancient Egypt. The word charoset comes from the Hebrew word cheres meaning "clay". While Maror is a special item on the Passover Seder Plate, charoset serves an ancillary function to it. Before eating the Maror diners dip it into the charoset. This combination represents how hard the Israelites worked in Egypt by combining a food that brings tears to the eyes with one that resembles the mortar used to build Egyptian cities and storehouses.

Despite its symbolism, charoset is a tasty concoction and is a favorite of children. During the Seder meal, it may be eaten liberally, often spread on matzah. In fact, some people believe it is the tastiest thing eaten during Passover. There are many other recipes associated with charoset. In addition to chopped nuts, cinnamon, and wine, Sephardi recipes also call for dates and honey. These ingredients reflect the various foods to which Israel is favorably compared in the “Solomon's Song of Songs.“

4) Karpas is a traditional Passover Seder ritual that refers to the vegetable, usually parsley, celery or boiled potato that is dipped in liquid (usually salted water or vinegar) and eaten during the occasion. The liquid makes food capable of becoming ritually impure. The vegetables symbolize the coming of the spring while the salt water symbolizes the pain felt by the Jews, who could only eat simple foods while they were enslaved in Egypt.

Some have explained the dipping of the Karpas to symbolize Joseph’s tunic being dipped into blood by his brothers. Karpas is hence, performed at the beginning of the Seder, just as Joseph's tunic being dipped into blood signaled the beginning of the Israelites’ descent to Egypt. Karpas means cloth in some languages means.

5) Zeroah (Hebrew for "bone) is a piece of roasted or boiled meat or poultry, preferably a shank bone. Zeroah represents the korban Pesach (the ancient Passover sacrifice), when the slaves sacrificed a lamb in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and ate it as part of the meal on the first Seder night, the eve of the Exodus. Since the destruction of the Temple, the zeroah serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice but it is not eaten or handled during the Seder. The present day zeroah can come from whatever the family is eating, including the leg bone from a roast turkey. For vegetarians or anyone who prefers not to use a bone, some rabbis suggest using a roasted beet as a substitute.

6) Beitzah is a roasted egg, symbolic of korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is roasted and eaten as part of the meal the first night of Seder, apart from the Paschal lamb. Although the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were both meat offerings, the Chagigah (festival offering) is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral).

The Beitzah is also a symbol of spring, the season in which Passover is always celebrated. In many households, it is customary to use a brown egg on the Seder plate and the egg should be baked or roasted if possible.

Some Seder gatherings put additional items on the Seder plate as symbols. The special foods eaten on Passover are also food for thought. Every item abounds in meaning and allusion. For example, some Seders include an orange on the Seder Plate to honor feminism, gay and lesbian rights, rights for marginalized people and Jews, and/or activism.

The Passover season lasts a week during which time some great food is served but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy a great Passover meal if you use some of their wonderful recipes in your own home.

Leg of Lamb is frequently the roast of choice for Passover and Easter gatherings but brisket is also a popular mainstay and can easily be made kosher. It’s great served with mashed potatoes or potato latkes or vegetables roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Grandma’s Best Beef Brisket

1 T. vegetable oil

1 4-lb. beef brisket

Ground black pepper to taste

2 onions, thickly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Season the brisket generously with black pepper. Place in the pan and cook until the surface is a rich brown color, not burnt, but dark. Lift the roast and scatter the onions in the pan. Place the uncooked side of the roast down onto the onions. Repeat the browning process.

Add the garlic to the pan, and fill with enough water to almost cover the roast. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid or tight-fitting aluminum foil. Simmer for 4 hours, turning the roast over once halfway through. The roast should be fork tender.

Remove the brisket to a serving platter. Bring the broth in the pan to a simmer, scraping the bottom to loosen any browned bits. Cook until reduced to a thin gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Sweet and Sour Brisket is a very traditional dish for Rosh Hashanah and Passover but it certainly is a winner any time of the year.

Sweet and Sour Brisket

4 lb. beef brisket

1 c. water

1 c. ketchup

1/2 c. white vinegar

2 onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. salt

Heat brisket in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until browned on all sides. Stir in water, ketchup, vinegar, onions, garlic, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering until tender, turning brisket occasionally, 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Remove brisket and allow to cool before slicing the meat against the grain. Place brisket slices in a 9x13 inch baking pan or large platter and pour gravy on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove any excess fat and reheat before serving.

This southern sounding chicken dumpling soup is an excellent variation on traditional Matzo Ball Soup.

Passover Chicken Dumpling Soup

8 eggs

2/3 lb. ground chicken

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 c. matzo meal

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch ground cinnamon

10 c. chicken broth

1 c. uncooked rice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Place 8 eggs in the boiling water; let the eggs boil for one minute, then remove the pan from the heat. Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes before removing them from the pot. Let them cool, remove the shells, the white portion of the eggs (save or discard the white), and chop the yolks.

In a medium bowl, mix ground chicken, beaten egg, matzo meal, salt and pepper to taste and cinnamon. Form mixture into walnut-sized balls and refrigerate until ready to cook.

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice and chicken balls, cover and lower heat to medium low; simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice and chicken are cooked. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with hard-boiled egg; serve.

This easy to prepare apple dish serves as ancillary dish to Maror.

Charoset

3 medium Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced

1-1/2 c. walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 c. sweet red wine such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga

1-1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 T. brown sugar

In large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve.

Matzo Balls (Knaidlech)

3 eggs

3 T. chicken fat, room temperature

1/2 t. salt 3 T. hot water or chicken soup

3/4 c. matzo meal

2 qt. boiling salted water or hot soup

Pot of chicken soup

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks until light colored and thick. Add chicken fat, salt and water (or soup). Beat whites until stiff but not too dry and fold into yolk mixture. Fold in matzo meal and refrigerate for about an hour, or until batter is thick enough to form balls.

Roll batter into balls and drop carefully into boiling salted water or hot soup, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes. Add Matzoh Balls to a pot of chicken soup and let cook for another 15 or 20 minutes. Serve hot.

If you think Passover cake can’t be very good without leavening, a big slice of great apple cake or delicious sponge cake may come as a very pleasant surprise.

Passover Apple Cake

2 eggs

1 c. vegetable oil

1 c. white sugar

1-1/2 c. matzo meal

1/2 c. potato starch

2 t. ground cinnamon, divided

8 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and set aside. .

Combine eggs, oil and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer. Stir in matzo meal, potato starch and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. In a separate bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Layer half of the dough into the prepared 9x13 inch dish. Pour the apples into the dish then pat remaining dough over the apples. Sprinkle with some brown sugar if desired and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Passover Sponge Cake

8 egg yolks

1-1/2 c. white sugar, divided

1 T. orange zest

3/4 c. matzo cake meal

1/4 c. potato starch

8 egg whites

1-1/2 T. fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 325° F. Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan but do not grease the pan.

In a medium bowl, whip egg yolks until light. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and orange zest; continue whipping until thick and pale, about 7 minutes. Sift together the matzo cake meal and potato starch; set aside. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.

Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup pf sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture alternately with the juice. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, and then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back to the touch. Invert onto a wire rack to cool. Run a knife around the sides of the cake before removing from the pan.

Potato Kugel is often served as a side dish but Vegetable Kugel is an excellent way to add a slightly different touch to the festivities. This recipe includes directions for both sautéed and roasted versions.

Vegetable Kugel

3 stalks celery, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

3 medium potatoes, sliced

2 onions, sliced

2 red peppers, sliced in 1-inch pieces for sautéed version, left whole for roasted version

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

3 T. matzo meal

4 eggs

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Spray a baking dish with vegetable spray and set aside. Prepare vegetables for whichever version you choose.

Sautéed version:

Sauté onion in one T. of olive oil; add remaining vegetables and sauté them vegetables.

Roasted version:

Place vegetables on cookie sheet, spray with olive oil spray or non-stick spray.

Place oven rack to the highest level and turn heat to broil. Broil 7 minutes on each side (until brown and soft). Combine vegetables with eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper and mix and pour into prepared dish. Bake in a preheated oven for one hour @ 350oF.

Matzo Balls can be purchased at the supermarket but that’s just extra expense for this super easy to make ingredient often added to chicken soup during Passover.

My car lost

2010-03-28T09:20:00.002-04:00

My little red car came out on the losing end with a Land Rover yesterday. Everyone was okay but I'm a little sore today. Amazing how much better Percocet and good chocolate will make you feel though. More later when my back and neck loosen up a bit. Just wish my car would be!

Bragging on my granddaughter

2010-03-25T16:54:00.000-04:00

Please allow to me boast a little. TS just told me Roo has the highest sight-read score in her whole Kindergarten. 84! The closest anyone else came was 54 and teacher said this is the highest of any class she had ever taught. The teacher also said it was the best parent teacher conference she had all day because there were no oher problems. Way to go, Roo!

A three-year-old's logic

2010-03-25T10:51:00.000-04:00

A recalcitrant Little Bit when I told her she had to leave a particular play area (at home) yesterday: “But I don’t want to!”

Me: “I don’t care. Let’s go. Now!” (Now! added when I saw she wasn't moving.)

LB (still not moving from her spot and crying loudly): “No, I not going!”

Me (seeing her feet dug in firmly): “Stop crying and come on. Don’t me have to pop your hiney.”

LB: “But if you spank me, it will make me cry more.”

Makes sense I guess but some days you just have to keep them from seeing you laugh.

Happy ending: She came with me, albeit reluctantly, when she saw I meant business. Dodged a bullet there, lol.

Spring has sprung (sort of)

2010-03-23T16:33:00.002-04:00

Well, it's officially springtime in GA and you know what that means: beautiful blooms, longer days, and huge temperature swings in short periods of time. I mean, 70s for two days and snow flurries the following? Seriously!!

Roo is in soccer now and we missed her second practice due to the weather. I e-mailed the coach and said that even though it wasn't called off, I couldn't expose my three-year-old to 39 degree weather and drizzling rain for an hour. She was very nice and e-mailed me back, explaining that they had just essentially played around a half hour since only two others showed up. Glad to hear that I wasn't the only "slacker" parent!

On an entirely different subject, I am amazed at the amount of vitrol I have been witness to the past few days regarding the passage of the healthcare bill. Whether you agree or disagree with it, I mean is it truly necessary to resort to name-calling and incivility? When did we as a people get to the level where the person that shouts the loudest is considered the winner? For myself, I see the pros and cons of it...I am truly concerned about the amount of money involved and how it will impact future generations, but I also see some good points to the bill as well. Regardless, I am finding very few people with whom I can discuss this with reasonably and in an educated manner instead of them channeling the media with inaccurate and what they believe to be pithy quotes, so I am choosing to keep my opinions mostly to myself.

View from the inside

2010-03-19T20:28:00.002-04:00

For the first time in my life, I’m living in a place where many church congregations exceed the population of the towns in which I spent most of my life. I've been in Atlanta for a year now and I still find the constant hum of a vibrant energy exciting.

Despite the differences, Atlanta is a big city made up of small communities and many things are similar, just on a different scale ~ most of the time anyway. After the first few months, reality set in and I've learned just how pronounced those differences can really be, especially traffic-wise. I have also discovered how to translate some of these communications as well as a few tips to help cope.

Even though I can no longer wait until five minutes before I have to be across town, learning your way around really isn’t as complicated as it seems. Especially if you invest in a handy dandy GPS and a good compass if your vehicle didn’t come equipped with these.

With the weather we’ve had this winter, you can’t depend on the sun to tell if you’re going north or south or east or west (this is much easier to confuse than you can ever imagine!), I especially recommend a compass.

A GPS will help you find where you’re going but the best thing about it is when you take the wrong turn or miss yours and wind up in an area that looks like a completely different country, you can pull over and set it to take you home. Double value: I programmed mine with a Hannibal Lector voice and it also entertains me while driving.

I love it when that Anthony Hopkins voice says something like, “Driver, ahead you have a left turn. It’s just as well. Your therapy’s going nowhere,” or “Driver. You’ve reached your destination. Don’t worry. I’ll inform Clarice myself” and numerous other gems like that. Bonus: No one here pays attention to you if you are laughing while driving alone. Either they assume you are on your cell phone or are thinking, ‘Oh, Lord, another nutcase! Don’t make eye contact! Don’t make eye contact!’

I used to wonder why people from the city always spoke of distance in time instead miles, i.e., it’s 30 minutes instead of 3 miles, etc. but now I know. Perhaps I exaggerate a bit. You can make it in 15 if the traffic isn’t as heavy as usual or you get all the lights or there’s no accident or roadwork on the way or donkeys fly.

Just because you checked traffic conditions on the Internet or other sources and found your route was clear just before you walked out the door, that doesn’t mean they will be the same when you get there five minutes later.

The statement, “Traffic is flowing smoothly on the downtown connector,” does not mean it is flowing rapidly or even at the speed limit for that matter. It might be “flowing smoothly” at 19 mph. Or less.

If a flashing sign over the interstate tells you there is a wreck 3.7 or whatever miles ahead, get off immediately even if you cannot see any jams or holdups. I promise there will be one of monumental proportions right around the next curve, about the time you find it’s too late to take another route.

You should also learn the proper answer to certain questions or at least what the asker wants to hear. For instance, when a DeKalb County police officer asks if you know why he pulled you over on I-20 when you were driving 62 mph in a 55 mph zone, “Umm, for slowing up traffic?” is probably not the best reply. For some reason, that seems to make them positively apoplectic.

Always keep a soothing music CD ready to pop into the player when you feel your blood pressure rising. I recommend a quiet Henry Mancini CD. (Enya grinds on me after a while.) And gum. Lots and lots and gum!

I’ve learned to relax and enjoy the changes, not just here but in myself. The times I’ve gotten off the beaten path, literally or mentally, whether I meant to or not (and most of the time I did not), I’ve seen or learned something new. Every day can be a day of new discovery if you let it.

Roll with the punches, go with the flow and all those old adages we’ve heard before and you will be pleasantly surprised. And commit this modern beatitude to memory: Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Missed opportunity?

2010-03-19T19:15:00.001-04:00

It was so beautiful out today. Hard to believe it's going to be cold again the first of the week. Yuk!

So many things are in bloom, so much color to enjoy. Cherry trees, Japanese Magnolias, hedges of yellow forsythia, and others I have no idea what they are but like to see them. A nice time ~ still cool enough for the pansies in the landscaping to show off but warm enough for other things to poke theirs heads up. The daffodils have been here a while but they've always thumbed their noses at the cold.

The only thing that spoiled my walk was seeing a mother walking her two children, ages somewhere between 6 and 8, from the bus stop, talking on her cell phone all the time. She ended one call and punched in another immediately. It was only a couple of blocks but apparently she couldn't unplug it from her ear for that short distance. The only time she spoke to them was to yell at the youngest one to hurry up. What a missed opportunity for a little quality time!

Sam-I-Ain't!

2010-03-16T18:59:00.002-04:00

If what I did Sunday does not give me 'Grandmother of the Year' title, perhaps it will negate some of my little-less-than-proper behavior at Verizon the day before.

I was "chosen" to attend an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra production of Green Eggs and Ham with my granddaughters and their Mom. Perhaps I was expecting too much after seeing the ASO and Atlanta Gay Men’s Choir production of Broadway music a few months ago but that didn’t happen! Whatever the case, there was no comparing the two!

The first show was a truly professional production and this one was amateurish in comparison. Not that the simplistic props were all that bad (for the kids anyway) but I have to wonder who thought the narration in an almost-operatic female voice was appropriate for children. Heck, I had trouble understanding her myself. (Wonder what that says about me?)

The children enjoyed it though but I was as happy as they were that it only lasted an hour!

Big city "sophistication"?

2010-03-16T18:43:00.000-04:00

Seen on a t-shirt outside Kroger today: Mess with me and you mess with the whole trailer park. When I moved to Atlanta, I thought I left all that in South Georgia. LOL, apparently not!

My Saturday

2010-03-13T23:24:00.001-05:00

It has been a totally weird day. I didn’t start out that way but it turned strange pretty rapidly when I went to the local Verizon store to return a broken telephone holster.

First of all, they had no customers in the front of the store but plenty of help standing around. I was directed to customer service where there were several customers but only one person helping. Typical I suppose.

After standing there for what seemed forever, someone finally came back and started listing customers so we could be called in the order we had gotten in line. This was after one other person finally came back to help and called someone forward who had not been there as long as some others. To say that annoyed me (and the others) is a gross understatement.

To make matters even worse (if they could be) some old guy wearing Nikes, white socks, a velour top, and way-too-short baggy knit shorts with extremely wide legs was sitting on an office chair waiting his turn in line. He kept turning and every time he swiveled his chair, his shorts rode up even higher. Every time I averted my eyes, he seemed to move into my line of sight again. Boy, some things do not get better with age and what I saw today affirmed that in spades!

I finally went up front and asked why they couldn’t just change the broken holster out and let me go. It was after 2 p.m., I had not had breakfast or lunch, so was not only crabby, but hungry and crabby, a deadly combination! I was informed I had to go through customer service but I think the muttering I did moved me up a little.

The supervisor-type I was grumbling to called me forward in a few minutes. With Murphy’s Law in full force, I got the new person who had no clue how to do anything. Instead of asking for help, she stood there with the broken holster, looking around as though she had never been in the store before. Since she made no effort to, I had to aggravate the supervisor again to ask if they even had the item in stock. Of course they didn’t!

Okay, now a simple refund. Not! She gazed at the cash register as if it was a strange creature that was about to take her hand off at the wrist. By the time she figured out which buttons to push, the telephone rang. She couldn’t let someone else answer it. No, it had to be her and she promptly engaged in a conversation with an unseen customer. I tried politely to get her attention and she was so wrapped up in the conversation and staring at the register that she didn’t seem to hear me.

It was at that point I probably won “Bitchy Customer of the Month” title. I spoke loudly enough she could not ignore me and said, “Miss, put your call on hold and finish processing my transaction!” She mumbled something I could not hear but put the phone down and finished quickly.

Moral: Do not mess with old women. Especially, tired hungry old women who are already p***ed off. It won't be pretty!

Out of sync

2010-03-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

A sinus infection has kept me out of sync for several days, actually for the past 3-4 weeks. After it moved into my ears, I decided to give in and go get some antibiotics this afternoon so here's hoping I will be my usually witty self soon. That may be a good change, lol.

PKA Candidate

2010-03-07T15:05:00.002-05:00

It’s official. My green thumb really is as brown as I thought. I swore off anything even remotely horticulture-related, especially inside plants, when I managed to kill some cacti many years ago; but the bamboo was so pretty and tempting that I couldn’t resist buying a few pieces to “green-up” my apartment. After all, it only required water and no direct sunlight ~ no potting, no fertilizing, nothing I could mess up on. Apparently I did.

The once beautiful dark green plant in my kitchen window (still in water) is now a sickly shade of yellow in its death throes. I surrender! Wonder if there’s a chapter of Plant Killers Anonymous near me? I'm desperately in need of a sponsor.

Wearing of the Green coming up soon

2010-03-05T15:25:00.000-05:00

Colcannon, a traditional Irish potato-leek dish, usually includes prizes of small coins and other trinkets much as a British Christmas pudding.

Fadge, a type of griddle bread, is basically a classic potato farl (derived from the Gaelic fardel, literally meaning 'four part), referring to the way it is typically cut into quarters for serving). One version is filled with sliced apples and served at Halloween.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake drizzled with chocolate is a delicious way to top a St. Patrick’s Day meal.

If St. Patrick’s Day is here, can spring be far behind?

“When after the Winter alarmin',

The Spring steps in so charmin',

So fresh and arch

In the middle of March,

Wid her hand St. Patrick's arm on...”

~Alfred Percival Graves (Irish poet)

When Graves penned that verse, he may well have been experiencing a winter much like this one that has roamed ferociously over parts of the United States. In any event, he sounds as pleased about the arrival of spring as most of us probably feel about it now. As he so eloquently expressed it, St. Patrick’s Day heralds the arrival of Spring and after the unusual cold we’ve had here in the not-so-sunny South, I’m sure many of us are prayng his predictions hold true this year!

Along with Spring and St. Patrick’s Day comes parades, festivals, images of leprechauns, pots of gold, shamrocks and green. Lots and lots of green. Green beer, green food, green clothes. Chicagoans even dye their river bright green every year.

Green has been associated with St. Patrick's day and Ireland for many years, but the truth of the matter is that it was once considered the color most treasured by the faerie folk; and parents wouldn't dare dress their children in green on St. Patty's day, for fear of having them stolen by these supernatural creatures. Today, it is one of the three colors of the Irish flag, and is worn with great pride.

St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion in Ireland and Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17 until the 1970s. In 1995, the government there began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. The multi-day St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows, attracted nearly 1,000,000 celebrants last year.

Irish food is not usually lauded as special but it has been an integral part of American cuisine for many years. In fact, Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration dinner menu included Corned Beef served with cabbage and parsley potatoes as the main entrée while the traditional Saint Patrick's Day meal is corned beef, boiled potatoes, and mashed cabbage served with Guiness of course. Lincoln’s dinner differed in that it opened with Mock Turtle Soup and ended with Blackberry Cobbler. No Guiness for this repast though. Just coffee.

Today, there are new additions to Irish menus as well as modern versions of most old recipes but many prefer the more traditional methods. A mixture of both is included here for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. NOTE: I’ve tried to leave Irish spellings and terminology intact as much as possible and inserted some clarifications and conversions for convenience sake.

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Irish Lamb Stew

2 lbs. cubed, boneless leg of lamb

2 medium onions, chopped

2 T. flour

1 t. salt

1/4 t. rosemary

1 lb. potatoes, cut into pieces

2 small rutabagas, cubed

1/4 c. frozen onions

3 T.oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 c. beef stock

Black pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

6 carrots sliced

1 lb. frozen peas

Cut lamb into cubes. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, add lamb and cook until lightly browned, remove from pan. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add flour and stir, heat until mixture browns. Gradually add stock while stirring.

Return meat to saucepan. Add salt, pepper, rosemary and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is almost tender. Add potatoes, carrots and turnips. Cook 30 minutes longer. Add peas and onions and continue cooking until peas are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Fadge

2 lb. unpeeled "old" potatoes (cured)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 stick (4 T.) butter

3 T. flour

1-1/2 T. chopped parsley

1-1/2 T. chopped chives

1-1/2 T. chopped lemon thyme (these three herbs mixed, opt)

Creamy milk

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Seasoned flour

Bacon fat or butter for frying

Boil the potatoes in their jackets, pull off the skins and mash straight away. Add the egg, butter, flour and herbs (if using) and mix well. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, adding a few drops of creamy milk (whole milk) if the mixture is too stiff.

Shape into a 1" round and then cut into eight pieces. Dip in seasoned flour. Bake on a griddle over an open fire or fry in bacon fat or melted butter on a gentle heat. Cook the fadge until crusty and golden on one side, then flip over and cook on the other side (about 4-5 minutes on each side). Serve on its own on hot plates with a blob of butter melting on top

Colcannon

4 cups mashed potatoes (Real Irish spuds only please)

1-1/2 cups cabbage, cooked and chopped fine

1/2 cup butter (real butter is best)

1/2 c. evaporated milk or cream

3/4 cup leeks or onion, chopped very fine

Few strips bacon/or bacon grease

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

A thimble

A button

A ring

A coin

In large cooking pan, fry bacon; add onion and sauté. Discard bacon and grease. Add all of the above ingredients, except the cabbage and play pretties, and cook over low heat while blending together. Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped cabbage. The mixture will have a pale green cast. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm enough to eat. Put in the pretties and eat very cautiously. Serves about 6 healthy eaters.

Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake

250g (8-3/4 oz.) choc-chip biscuits (cookies)

75g (2-2/3 oz.) butter, melted

3 t. (1 T.) gelatine (gelatin)

1/4 c. (60ml) water

2 x 250g (2 8-oz. pkg.) packets cream cheese

3/4 c. (165g) caster sugar

300ml (10-1/2 oz.) thickened cream

1/3 cup (80ml) Baileys Irish Cream liqueur

2 egg whites

Blend or process biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl; add butter, stir to combine. Press biscuit mixture evenly over the base of a 24cm springform tin (inside top measurement 23cm); refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Sprinkle gelatine over the water in a small heatproof jug; stand the jug in small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the gelatine dissolves; cool for 5 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cream; beat until thick. Stir in gelatine mixture and liqueur. Beat egg whites in a clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into cheese mixture. Pour mixture over base in the prepared tin. Cover, refrigerate for about 4 hours or until set. Serve cheesecake with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce

200g (7 oz.) dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup (250ml) thickened cream

2 T. Irish Cream liqueur

Combine the chocolate and cream in a small heavy-based saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in the liqueur.

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A little Irish trivia for your amusement:

Questions:

1. Where is it claimed that leprechauns bury their pots of gold?

2. Where did the faeries keep kidnapped brides and babies?

3. In St. Patrick’s time, who ranked as high as kings?

4. What was St. Patrick rumored to have removed from Ireland?

5. St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in what American city?

6. What two rivers are dyed green every year on St. Patrick’s Day in the United States?

7. A popular Irish dish of shredded cabbage, minced onions and melted butter is known as?

8. What is an Irish shillegah?

9. What was the birth name of St. Patrick?

10. How long did St. Patrick serve as a missionary?

11. Who began the custom of pinching those who don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?

12. Is it true or false that all lent restrictions are dropped on St. Patrick’s Day?

13. How did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?

14. Was it really snakes that St. Patrick drove from Ireland?

15. Where was St. Patrick born?

16. Which city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade garners the largest viewing audience?

17. What did St. Patrick consider himself to be at the age of 16?

18. St. Patrick was canonized by which pope?

19. Which group established the St. Patrick’s Festival?

20. Which service for fairies are leprechauns said to perform?

21. What was St. Patrick’s Latin name?

22. What was St. Patrick’s father’s occupation?

23. Why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated on March 17th?

24. In what year did St. Patrick’s Day become a public holiday in Ireland?

25. What color, other than green, was once associated with St. Patrick’s Day?

26. The longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parade in Canada occurs in which city each year?

27. The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the UK is held in which city?

28. In what year did New York City celebrate its first St. Patrick’s Day parade?

29. What symbol is most commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations?

30. The circle in the middle of a Celtic Cross represents what?

Answers:

1. At the end of the rainbow

2. In fairy mounds for up to 100 years. Some farmers still will not disturb small lumpy hills on their land because they believe spirits are in them.

3. Poets. St. Patrick was so taken with Irish poet Caoilte that he declared all Irish tales be told “where every third word have melody.”

4. Snakes

5. Boston in 1737

6. The Chicago River and the San Antonio River

7. Colcannon

8. A big walking stick.

9. Maewyn Succat

10. 30 years

11. Children

12. True

13. By pounding on drums

14. Snakes are not indigenous to Ireland and it is commonly believed that serpents were likely a metaphor for druidic religions which steadily disappeared from Ireland in the centuries after St. Patrick planted the seeds of Christianity on the island.

15. Wales

16. New York

17. A pagan

18. None. He was never formally canonized

19. The Irish Government

20. Making their shoes

21. Patricius

22. He was an alderman

23. It is the day St. Patrick was said to have died

24. 1903

25. Blue

26. Montreal

27. Birmingham, England

28. 1762. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. In 1848, several Irish Aid societies united to form one gigantic NYC St. Paddy’s parade. With 150,000 participants, it holds the distinction of being the largest civilian parade in the USA. Nearly 3,000,000 watchers line a 1.5-mile route to watch the procession that takes more than five hours to pass by.

29. Shamrocks

30. The sun

Time flying...

2010-03-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

If you want see time physically passing in front of your eyes, trying going out at the same time early each morning. On my recent forays to watch Little Bit the past few weeks, I could literally see the changes happening.

Week before last, it was dark as pitch when I left at 6:30 a.m. and still dark when I reached my destination 45-50 minutes later. Last week, I could see soft pink and purple tendrils of light barely creeping over the horizon when I headed out to my car.

Two days later, vibrant electric pink clouds were already piercing the entire lower part of the sky as I headed east. In less than ten minutes, the sun was peeking over the treetops and in five more minutes, I was lowering the visor and reaching for my sunglasses.

Time is fleeting…

My opinion

2010-03-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

Saying the recent exit of several politicians from Washington is a “brain drain” assumes there have actually been brains at work there in the past decade or so. It’s more like rats deserting a ship that they’ve helped sink!

I wonder

2010-02-28T20:34:00.002-05:00

why Forever Sharp knives come with a sharpening stone.

Random Observations

2010-02-27T19:44:00.001-05:00

When Rooms-to-Go gives a delivery window of 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., they actually mean dead on seven.
I don't know which is stranger: a zebra roaming around downtown and on the connector in Atlanta or a bison on the other interstate.
It's more than a little unsettling when you're driving on the interstate and look up and see those googly Geico eyes seemingly floating free, staring down at you from several hundred feet above the city.
It's even more unsettling to hear a 3-year-old use the word "succeed" in the correct context.
Every 24 hours, the world turns over on someone who was sitting on top of it.” ~ Crankshaft
Life lesson #9001: Frozen Cool Whip makes a passable substitute for ice cream if you eat it right away but it makes a lousy Coke float.
It's pretty darned embarrassing to pull into a McDonald's drive through at 6:30 a.m. and realize your window is frozen shut. Actually, three windows.
When I was young I thought getting old was the worst thing that could happen to you but as I've aged, I've learned there are things that are far worse, one of which is not getting older.
"Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again?" (Milne)
Few things are sadder than sitting alone at Waffle House on a Saturday night.
When a DeKalb County police officer asks if you know why he pulled you over on I-20 driving 62 mph in a 55 mph zone, “Umm, for slowing up traffic?” is probably not the best answer.
"You can get further with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone." ~ Al Capone
Not only is life a bitch, it has puppies. ~ Adrienne Gusoff

Never a dull moment in Hotlanta

2010-02-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

A zebra on the interstate last week, a bison this week ~ what's next? Mongooses on Marta?

A Different Light?

2010-02-24T21:35:00.002-05:00

I hope I never become too jaded to appreciate beauty around me, no matter what form it takes. Going out to TS’s early in the morning this winter has shown me a side of Atlanta I didn’t know was there. I’ve seen the skyline hundreds of time before but not in the hours just before daybreak. Or, perhaps I have, but making the journey several times revealed a view not noticed before.

The spectacular buildings with their varying shapes outlined in lights are breathtaking. Triangles, squares, circles, rectangles, astonishing freeform, even ads and logos reveal an angle you would never dream is there during daylight hours, nor in the first part of night when there’s so much light pollution diminishing the effect. Taillights weaving their seductive scarlet ribbons throughout the city beckon you to follow so enticingly that it’s difficult to ignore them. You have to be careful not to become so mesmerized that it takes your attention from the road as it easily can (and has).

I’ve always known I was in the wrong place all my life but being here has convinced me. Every day is new and different and I look forward to each one…

Making mountains out of "mole" hills

2010-02-23T16:02:00.003-05:00

Well, we did have a nice break in the weather for a couple of days, at least. The girls and I basked in the sun over the weekend, in between breathing treatments for them and a doc visit for me for the sinus infection/bronchitis combo. Good thing, too, since today is chilly & they're predicting a possible "wintry mix" tomorrow!

One quirk in the sun worshipping: Roo and Little Bit were in the backyard getting off the trampoline when Roo began yelping and jumping around, saying "Eew, eew, eew!!! Argh!" or something to that effect. Not to be gross, but I thought she had stepped in a gift one of the dogs left for us. I try to keep the yard as poop-free as possible, but it can be a challenge. When I asked if that was the case, she yelled, "No, it's an animal!" Approaching apprehensively and silently cursing my poor hardworking husband for being at the office on a Saturday, I saw what she meant. It was a dead mole, actually a big larger than I would have thought. No mistaking the large hands and critter-like appearance, though. It looked intact, so my guess is it probably froze to death during the cold weather.

After a proper burial (um, slinging it into the woods with a shovel), I reflected that we can probably safely cross off any ambitions for a Bindi Irwin-like career for Roo. That is, unless Bindi makes her mom Lysol her "mole shoes" before she'll wear them again, too.

Observations and etc.

2010-02-21T18:53:00.001-05:00

“It’s such a pretty world today, look at the sunshine.” Despite allergies blooming with the maple trees, this beautiful day got off to a good start with an interesting, somewhat unconventional, Sunday school lesson followed by a lovely brunch at Marlowe’s Tavern on Peachtree. My first trip there but I hope not the last. It usually features a Louisiana bayou type menu so I had no idea what to expect at a brunch buffet. Nothing to worry about though.

There was pretty much anything one could want and far more than one could hope to eat ~ a little pricey but fantastic food. One of my favorites was amazing, very coarsely ground grits with tiny strips of green onion, cheese, butter, and no clue what else but delicious. There were also fruits, melons, salads, individual old-fashioned strawberry shortcakes served in shot glasses; something with whipped cream, cake, and chocolate chips in a shot glass, French toast with grilled bananas for topping, several veggies, blueberry-strawberry blintzes drizzled with chocolate and prepared while you wait, bacon, sausage, bagels, jams, and way too much else to name.

Another nice feature was being able to select fresh ingredients from a turntable for your own omelet. These were exceptional, none of the too eggy taste many of them have. I’ve never seen omelets prepared quite they way these were but the results were outstanding. The guy cooking them had three pans going at once, a feat I definitely envy! He would lightly sauté the fixings you chose over high heat before pouring a beaten egg mixture over them. After it cooked uninterrupted for a little bit, he would flip the whole thing over like a pancake, let it cook briefly, and sprinkle grated cheese over the middle before sliding it onto your plate and flipping it into a compact little piece of heaven.

Atlanta must be the best venue in the world for people watching and today was no exception. Loads of sunshine and minimal breeze brought out people of every ilk. Street performers strumming for tips, people standing in line at Flying Biscuit in Midtown (a weekend tradition), outside tables at restaurants filled to capacity, people watching at its finest.

When I stopped by Home Depot on Ponce, I couldn’t help noticing the complexion of day laborers hanging around the entrance of this shopping center has changed. Where it once was almost all Hispanic, others have joined them now, all hoping for a few hours work. I’ve noticed it in other areas of the city as well. Hard times are a dime a dozen but days like this are priceless.

Changed My Mind

2010-02-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

I said I would not complain about the pollen if warm weather would just get here but I've changed my mind. I had forgotten how much fun seasonal allergies can be but with all the trees around here, I have a feeling I will be made to remember it in spades this year.

The sneezing marathons are bad enough in themselves but the itchy eyes and ears are already driving me nuts. Son #1 shared some Quercetin with me earlier so maybe it will be better soon. I hope!

A week in the life of...

2010-02-20T18:04:00.001-05:00

From snow and ice to buds and blooms all in less than a week, nature never fails to surprise. Despite the snow and rain and ice of last weekend, the maple trees and other unnamed culprits around here stubbornly held on through it all and their buds are popping out all over.

Even if I could not see them for myself, I knew something was afoot when the occasional blast from the first of the week turned into a three-day and counting sneezing binge. That, combined with itchy eyes and face, are the surest harbingers I know of spring. I refuse to complain. It seems like a small trade-off to see signs of one of the worst (if not the very worst) winters I can remember finally coming to an end.

Quirky weather, a zebra running around downtown Atlanta and onto the connecter at the height of the 5 o’clock rush hour, my good fortune to have missed the zebra debacle by about 15 minutes, nice new color and cut and a few other oddities have made for an interesting week to say the least. Who defines normal anyway? Bring it on!

Not a break for us

2010-02-18T13:11:00.003-05:00

Well, it's Winter Break...officially, anyhow. At our household, not so much. After approximately two days of fun in the snow, Roo's system decided it was time to be sick and so she has been for the past four days. A visit to the pediatrician diagnosed bronchitis, again. Since this is the third time in the past few months, they've put her on Advair as a preventative, at least through the springtime, in addition to the other meds. Now the girls have matching spacers for their inhalers, so I've had to Sharpie Roo's so I can tell them apart. Little Bit is starting to cough, too, so I've started her breathing treatments today and imagine we'll be taking another trip to the doc's office today or tomorrow for an antibiotic.

I must admit to a little jealousy when I see the FB postings of friends who are having a grand time with their kids over the break: trips to Chuck E. Cheese, the jumpy place, errand-running, etc. We've pretty much just seen these four walls since it's been too stinkin' cold to even let them out to see the sun. Believe me, I'm grateful it isn't any worse. I'm just bummed out a little that her break is almost over and we didn't really get to do anything. Even playing on the swingset would be grand right now!

Eye trash

2010-02-16T23:14:00.002-05:00

My “routine” appointment with the orthopedist today turned into a nearly three-hour saga. I had forgotten my book and rather than watching a strange movie involving Adam Sandler and a weird looking hamster, I took the opportunity to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes: people watching. And believe me, there was plenty to watch.

This is an upscale office with staff all neatly dressed in navy pants or skirts, white tops, matching blazer, and printed gold ascots but one look at the waiting room this morning and you have to wonder what people were thinking ~ if they were thinking! I really don’t remember this waiting room containing so many badly dressed people in past visits.

Don’t people care how they look any more? I know the days of dressing to the nines are past but it seems as though there should a middle ground between being all decked out in designer duds and scrubby gardening clothes.

There was the usual eclectic mixture of ages and nationalities with the minorities easily winning the better dressed category. Not that there was much competition for the title!

In what parallel universe is polyester black knit clam diggers, a purple polyester clingy top, a red purse and clay-stained athletic shoes considered suitable attire for going out in public? And, as if the outfit wasn’t off-putting enough, there were little trash cooties scattered over it all and her hair looked like a real rat’s nest.

One lady tried to pull her “ensemble” together with navy shoes. It may have worked a little better had she not been wearing light blue knit pants that fell about two inches above her ankles, an off white top, and carrying a brown purse. Her efforts fell short but she probably should be given points for at least trying. At least her clothes looked clean and that’s more than I can say for some of the others. Some of the jeans looked absolutely filthy. Not stained ~ just plain dirty.

The one thing almost everyone had in common was polyester. Cheap polyester that rode up their butt cracks, really not a pretty sight right before lunch. There was an abundance of sweats, jerseys, fleece, animal prints, fleece, and huge bellies hanging over pants tops.

A few were dressed neatly in casual clothing but the one redeeming sight was a cherubic little girl about two years old. Her parents had her in cute kid clothes and she was running around, checking everyone out, slipping her hand from her father’s hand just as quickly as he could take hold of it. Even so, I felt as though I needed to wash my eyes when I finally got out of there. Not a pretty sight just before lunch!

At least she's in the top two!

2010-02-15T15:39:00.000-05:00

From Thirtysomething: This afternoon at our house...Little Bit: "Mama?" Me:"Yes, Little Bit?" Little Bit: "I love you." Me: "Aw, I love you, too, sweetie." Little Bit: "And I REALLY love worms." It's always nice to know you rank at approximately the same level as worms on life's totem pole, isn't it? ;)

Waffle House Blues

2010-02-13T22:21:00.001-05:00

I finally dug myself out of self-imposed hibernation tonight and drove to the nearest shopping center to try and find a pair of warm shoes. No luck. My second errand took me to Piccadilly's to pick up some takeout for dinner. Closed.

Since Waffle House was right across the street, I decided to stop at the place that never closes. While I was waiting for my food, I began to wonder if there is anything sadder than sitting alone at Waffle House on a Saturday night?

An anonymous sea of nameless faces, watching traffic and humanity flow by.

Music playing erratically on the jukebox; an ancient couple who looked as though they had been together forever; a young family; a sixtyish guy with red-rimmed eyes, wearing far too much handmade jewelry, all poorly crafted (I’m sure there’s a story there.); a few young men, half neatly dressed, the rest struggling to keep their pants at a legal level; a friendly young waitress still wearing braces on her teeth; a little older and slightly more jaded waitress; a cook who looked as though he was barely old enough to drive ~ all playing out this little vignette.

I think the saddest part is they were still busy when I left an hour later.

Observation

2010-02-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hell hath no fury like a child whose Pez dispenser won't dispense.

Presidents' Day?

2010-02-12T20:18:00.003-05:00

Martha Washington’s Great Cake makes an ideal Epiphany dessert.

Martha Washington’s Crab Soup is a great way to warm things up on cold winter days.

Shrewsberry Cakes are more like English biscuits (cookies) and American Tea Cakes, also a type of cookie.

Presidents Day ~ or is it?

"I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent." ~ ~ George Washington, (U.S. President April 30, 1789-March 3, 1797)

Do you celebrate Presidents Day on the third Monday in February? Yes? Are you sure?

While many states call this holiday Presidents Day and celebrate the birthdays of George Washington (February 22, 1732) and Abraham Lincoln (02/12/1809) simultaneously, the holiday is still officially Washington’s Birthday. And, contrary to what some may think, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday has never been a federal holiday.

Washington's Birthday was celebrated in the 17th century while he was still living. However, it didn’t become a federal holiday until 1885 when Chester A. Arthur signed the bill designating it that. A 1968 attempt re-name it Presidents Day died in committee and has not been resurrected.

Because of the Parson Weems’ tale, our first president is forever doomed to be associated with cherries whether it be chopping down one of their trees or eating them. According to biographers, George Washington did indeed love cherries as well as a wide variety of fruits, nuts and fish and preferred simple meals over fancy ones. His Mt. Vernon home was completely self-sufficient with extensive farms, orchards, meat preservation facilities (to make ham, bacon, etc) and animals. Family recipes were recorded in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery.

Washington’s eating habits were far from gourmet. In fact, they were relatively simple. Some of his favorite foods were string beans with mushrooms, cream of peanut soup, and mashed sweet potatoes with coconut. Martha Washington’s grandson once described his habits thus: "He ate heartily, but was not particular in his diet, with the exception of fish, of which he was excessively fond. He partook sparingly of dessert, drank a home-made beverage, and from four to five glasses of Madeira wine." Washington did enjoy his wine but it is said a silver mug of beer stood beside his plate except at state dinners. He was also particularly fond of nuts and would buy hazelnuts and other types of nuts by the barrel.

If food reflects the man Washington presented an interesting dichotomy of a man disinterested in refinements of the table but anxious to offer as many as possible to his guests. Food in that era reflected the times as well as the man and dishes served at the President's table during his tenure were indicative of the new nation's dependence on the land. Wild game, roast beef, lamb, turkey, duck, plantation-grown fruits and vegetables and fish from local rivers revealed the abundance of the land but remnants of Washington's English heritage--puddings, cream trifles, and a taste for port and wine can be seen throughout the menus as well.

Popular desserts in George Washington's time were plentiful and delicious. While fresh fruits, melons and nuts were frequently part of the meal, Martha Washington's recipes also included fruit preserves, candied fruits, dried fruits, fruit cakes, sugar cakes (like cookies), carraway cakes, Shrowsberry (Shrewsberry) Cakes, Great Cakes (enriched spice cakes), Marchepane (Mascarpone) Cakes, Bisket (biscuit) bread (like lady fingers), Mackaroones (macaroons), Ginger Bread, Jumbles (enriched sugar cookies flavored with vanilla, almond or lemon), Jellies and Pie/tarts (fruit, apple, cherry, berry, nut, almond or mince), custard (lemon, orange, almond), cheese cakes and Snow.

Many of Mrs. Washington’s dessert recipes still linger in various form but one that has stood the test of time though is simply known as Martha Washington’s Cake or Martha Washington’s Great Cake. It’s the type of cake traditionally served for Epiphany (12th night) and also happens to be the date of George and Martha Washington's wedding in 1759.

Martha Washington’s Cake ~ The Original Recipe

Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks & beat them to a froth then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream & put the whites of eggs to it a Spoon full at a time till it is well work'd then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered [sic] to it in the same manner then put in the Youlks [sic] of eggs & 5 pounds of flower [sic] & 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it add to it half an ounce of mace & nutmeg half a pint of wine & some frensh [sic] brandy.

Adapted Recipe for Martha Washington Cake

10 eggs

1 lb. butter

1 lb. sugar

1-1/4 pounds (20 ounces) flour

1-1/4 pounds (20 ounces) fruit*

2-1/2 t. ground mace

2-1/2 t. ground nutmeg

2 oz. wine

2 oz. French brandy

Preheat oven to 350° F. Separate egg whites from yolks and set yolks aside. Beat egg whites until they reach soft peaks.

Cream butter and slowly add beaten egg whites one spoonful at a time to the butter.

Add sugar slowly to egg whites and butter mixture, one spoonful at a time.

Beat in yolks, then add flour slowly. Add fruit. *(See note.). Add mace, nutmeg, wine and brandy. Cream sherry and other types of wine work well but since one of George Washington's favorites was Madeira, it would be an appropriate choice.

Lightly grease & flour a 10-inch springform cake pan. Put batter into pan and place in oven. Bake for about 75 minutes or until done. Remove cake from oven, cool and serve plain or iced. Serves 12-16.

*Mrs. Washington would have used seasonal ingredients or something that was available dried, and because nuts were considered a fruit, one of the following or a combination can be used for this adapted version:

Ø 5 oz. of pear (peeled, cored and diced, about 1 large pear);

Ø 9-1/2 oz. of apple (peeled, cored and diced), 2 medium/large apples;

Ø 3-1/2 oz. raisins;

Ø 2 oz. sliced almonds (about 1/2 cup).

18th Century Icing Recipe from Martha Washington

Take two Pound of double refin'd Sugar, beat and sift it very fine, and likewise beat and sift a little Starch and mix with it, then beat six Whites of Eggs to Froth, and put to it some Gum-Water, the Gum must be steep'd in Orange-flower-water, then mix and beat all these together two Hours, and put it on your Cake: when it is baked, set it in the Oven again to harden a quarter of a Hour, take great Care it is not discolour'd. When it is drawn, ice it over the Top and Sides, take two Pound of double refin'd Sugar beat and sifted, and the Whites of three Eggs beat to a Froth, with three or four Spoonfuls of Orange-flower-water, and three Grains of Musk and Amber-grease together: put all these in a Stone Mortar, and beat these till it is as white as Snow, and with a Brush or Bundle of Feathers, spread it all over the Cake, and put it in the Oven to dry; but take Care the Oven does not discolor it. When it is cold paper it, and it will keep good five or six Weeks.

Modern Adaptation of 18th Century Icing

3 egg whites

1-1/2 c. 4X (confectioner’s) sugar

1 t. grated lemon peel

2 T. orange-flower water

Combine egg whites with 2 tablespoons 4X sugar and beat thoroughly. Repeat with 2-T. additions until sugar is used up. Add lemon peel and orange water and beat until icing is stiff enough to stay parted when a knife cuts through it.

Spread icing over top and sides of the cake. Place cake in a 200° F. oven and let dry and harden for one hour. Icing will be brittle and will shatter so don’t be surprised when you cut into the cake.

The Shrewsberry Cakes Mrs. Washington served were English in origin as were many of the dishes of that period. They are a type of biscuit (cookie to us Colonists) and are less crumbly than shortbread but have a buttery flavor. Even though they were made to accompany many dishes, they were especially popular with syllabub, a sugared, whipped cream, flavored with cider or sherry and are traditionally baked as thick, large biscuits (cookies).

Sugar was an important trade item and refined sugar was considered to be very fashionable. A recipe using white sugar would have been pinched off a sugarloaf and then ground or beaten until fine enough to use in the recipe.

Early Version of Shrewsberry Cakes

Take a quart of very fine flouwer, eight onces of fine sugar beaten and cersed, twelve ounces sweet butter, nutmeg grated, damaske rosewater- work together with your hands for halfe an houre, then roule in little round cakes about the thickness of three shillings, then take a glasse and cut the cakes, then strow some flower on white papers and bake them in an oven as hotte as for manchet. If the oven be not hotte sett your lid downe ( there is a long explanantion for testing/changing the heat in the period oven which i have omitted) until they be baked enough, for they must lokke browne not white. you may keep them halfe a yeare but new baked are best.

Modern Shrewsberry Cakes Recipe

4 oz. white, caster sugar

4 oz. salted butter, softened

1/4 t. grated (or ground) nutmeg

2-3 t. rosewater

3-5 T. tap water*, room temperature
Extra caster sugar for sprinkling over the tops, opt.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and mix with a fork until mixture is like fine breadcrumbs. Add rosewater and enough tap water to make a soft dough. Gather dough together with your fingers and knead lightly

Roll dough on a floured surface to about 1-1/4 inches thickness and use a large cutter to cut out the cakes. Prick the surface of the cakes with a fork, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let firm up on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling. These will keep a long time when stored in an airtight container.

*You may need more water to make dough firm enough to handle, the amount depending on the flour you use.

According to Washington’s step-granddaughter Nelly Custis Lewis, Washington favored a simple breakfast featuring hoecakes made from Indian meal and tea. Custis said he usually rose early and read until his breakfast was ready and “…ate three small mush cakes (Indian meal) swimming in butter and honey, and drank three cups of tea without cream."

Nelly Custis’ Hoecakes

"The bread business is as follows if you wish to make 2-1/2 quarts of flour up-take at night one quart of flour, five table spoonfuls of yeast & as much lukewoarm water as will make it the consistency of pancake batter, mix it in a large stone pot & set it near a warm hearth (or a moderate fire) make it at candlelight & let it remain until the next morning then add the remaining quart & a half by degrees with a spoon when well mixed let it stand 15 or 20 minutes & then bake it - of this dough in the morning, beat up a white & half of the yilk of an egg - add as much lukewarm water as will make it like pancake batter, drop a spoonful at a time on a hoe or griddle (as we say in the south). When done on one side turn the other - the griddle must be rubbed in the first instance with a piece of beef suet or the fat of cold corned beef..." (Nelly Custis)

Modern adaptation of Hoecake recipe:

8-3/4 cups white cornmeal, separated

1/4 t. dry yeast

1 egg

Warm water

Shortening or other cooking grease

Honey and Butter

In large container, mix together 4 cups white cornmeal, 1-1/4 teaspoons dry yeast, and enough warm water to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter, about 3 or 4 cups. Cover and set on the stove or counter overnight.

In the morning, gradually add remaining cornmeal, egg and enough warm water to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter (3-4 cups). Cover and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Grease a griddle or skillet and heat until water sprinkled onto it will bead up. Pour batter, by the spoonfuls, onto hot griddle and brown on one side. Flip hoecake and brown on other side. Serve hot with butter and honey while cakes. NOTE: This batter has a tendency to separate so you will need to stir it well before pouring each batch.

Martha Washington Crab Soup

"Two cupfuls of "picked-out" crab meat. Two quarts of boiling water in which one pound of corned pork has been boiled one hour. Yolks of two eggs, well beaten. Two cupfuls of milk - half cream if you can get it. Salt and cayenne.

Let the stock made from the pork get perfectly cold; skim off the fat and re-heat the liquor; add the crab and cook half an hour. Heat the milk in a separate sauce-pan; take from the fire and pour gradually upon the beaten yolks. Put this into a bowl and stir in the minced crab with the liquor in which it was cooked. Season to taste. Set in boiling water for five minutes before serving."

Modern Adaptation of Martha Washington’s Crab Soup Recipe

1/2 lb. fresh crabmeat

1 T. butter

1-1/2 T all-purpose flour

3 hard boiled eggs, mashed

Rind of 1 lemon, grated

Salt & pepper to taste

4 c. milk

1/2 c. cream

1/2 c. Sherry

Dash Worcestershire Sauce

Boil enough crabs in salted water to make 1/2 lb. or use 1 cup of canned or frozen crabmeat. Combine butter, flour, mashed hard-boiled eggs, lemon rind, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Bring milk to a boil and pour slowly into the egg mixture. Add crabmeat to milk-egg mixture, return to saucepan and cook gently five minutes. Add heavy cream. Remove soup from heat before it reaches a full boil and add sherry and Worcestershire Sauce. Serve piping hot. Yields 6 servings.

**********

Bits and bytes about George Washington

Ø Washington left school at age 15 to become a surveyor. Although the family was not considered poor, his mother still couldn’t afford to send him to college

Ø He created the Order of the Purple Heart in 1782, while he was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.

Ø His favorite horse was named Lexington.

Ø He is the only man whose birthday is a legal holiday in every state of the United States.

Ø He never lived in the White House and is the only president never to live in Washington.

Ø He had to borrow money to attend his own inauguration.

Ø George Washington loved ice cream lover so much that kept "ice-boxes" full for his family and guests.

Ø He inherited 11 slaves from his father when it was commonplace to own them but as he grew older, Washington’s attitude toward slavery changed dramatically and in his will he emancipated those 11 people and his estate paid each of them a pension for decades.

Ø He had to commute to work by boat from Mt. Vernon to Washington.

Ø He was promoted to from four-star to six-star “General of the Armies of Congress” by President Jimmy Carter. (Carter believed the first president should also be America’s highest military official.)

Major Events While in Office

Ø Elected to first term with a unanimous electoral vote (1789)

Ø Made Thanksgiving a holiday (1789)

Ø First United States census (1790)

Ø District of Columbia established (1791)

Ø Bill of Rights ratified (1791)

Ø Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

Ø Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

Ø Jay's Treaty, a/k/a The British Treaty and Treaty of London (1795)

Ø Pinckney's Treaty, a/k/a Treaty of San Lorenzo and Treaty of Madrid (1796)

Ø Farewell Address (1796)

States Entering Union while in Office

Ø Vermont (1791)

Ø Kentucky (1792)

Ø Tennessee (1796)

Last words:

“I die hard but am not afraid to go.” (12/14/1799)

Update

2010-02-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, I found out late last night that schools were closed today and I would not be driving out to stay with Little Bit. Thankfully, I left their valentine gifts out there on Wednesday. When I spoke with them on the telephone this morning, Roo graciously thanked me then asked sweetly, "Do you have a second to talk to my sister." Sisterly love, so nice!

On the same note, there's notihng pretty about something that keeps you pretty much trapped inside for a whole weekend! What's with this 3+ inches of snow? This is supposed to be the sunny south for pete's sake!

Not talking about DQ Blizzard here!

2010-02-11T22:19:00.001-05:00

This weather has everything so up in the air that it’s making it difficult to plan ahead. Some counties don't post school closings until the last minute, therefore I probably won't know until in the morning if I will be staying with Little Bit in the morning.

She want to light a fire so badly Wednesday morning that I told her I would get some at the grocery store and bring them out tomorrow. Of course, I forgot it. I'm hoping she has too but with her elephantine memory, I seriously doubt it!

I really miss the days when weather forecasters would predict rain and/or snow or sleet and be wrong. I promise I will not be annoyed if they are wrong this time but I’m afraid they won’t. Nothing to do but wait and see. *sigh*

Putting things in the proper perspective

2010-02-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

When I was young I thought getting old was the worst thing that could happen to you but as I've aged, I've learned there are things that are far worse, one of which is not getting older!

I've always heard

2010-02-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

if you have nothing good to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. Notice how quiet I've been lately? I've been really busy but nothing interesting enough to share. Just busy.

One little funny though: I prepared chicken for Little Bit's lunch yesterday and about the time I put her plate on the table, she spotted a box of Trix on the counter and decided she wanted those. I told her she could have some but she had to eat some of her other food too. She agreed and promptly put two handsful of Trix in the catsup she was using for dipping and ate them with the chicken.

I have to admit it made my tummy flip a little but since I've never tried them, I really can't attest to how bad (or good) that combo it is. Sadly, that's probably one question I will never know to answer to!

Valentine Ideas

2010-02-07T15:24:00.004-05:00

Eggs in Heart Baskets

Luscious stuffed Raspberry Cream Cheese Toast is a decadent treat that can be enjoyed as a late supper as well as breakfast.

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without at least one chocolate dish and this Chocolate French Toast kicks breakfast up a notch. Served in a puddle of raspberry sauce, it lends a touch of red in honor of the holiday.

**********

Cupid, Chocolate, Etc

I claim there ain't

Another Saint

As great as Valentine.

~ Ogden Nash

In past Valentine’s Day columns, I’ve shared the history of the day, accompanied by recipes for special treats for the day. This year, I’m suggesting starting the day off in the right mood with special breakfast recipes, one of which is chocolate of course. I’m also including miscellaneous data to help create your own trivia game for family and/or friends if you wish. Enjoy!

Strawberry Smoothie

2 c. frozen sliced strawberries, unsweetened

1/2 c. cranberry raspberry juice

1/4 c. orange juice

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

2 fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)

Place the strawberries in the bottom of a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, add juices, top with the yogurt and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with each with a strawberry.

Eggs in Heart Baskets

2 slices whole wheat bread

3 t. butter, softened

2 large eggs

Sea or kosher salt and pepper to taste

Use a cookie cutter to cut heart shapes from the center of each piece of bread, leaving perimeter intact, and set aside.

Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place one teaspoon of the butter on the griddle and use remaining two teaspoons to butter one side of each piece of bread, including the cutout pieces. Place bread, butter side down on the griddle. Break one egg into a small dish and gently slide it into the hole of one of the bread slices. Repeat with remaining egg and bread slice.

Cook 1-2 minutes until egg is golden on the bottom. Flip gently and cook for a minute on the other side. Flip heart shaped pieces of toast and cook on the other side until toasted. Serve eggs baskets with heart toast while hot.

Raspberry Cream Cheese French Toast

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. raspberry jelly

2 T. chocolate chips

1 loaf French bread

6 large eggs

1 c. milk

1 cup half & half or light cream

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/4 t.. salt

Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Stir cream cheese, raspberry jelly and chocolate chips together in a medium-sized bowl. Cut bread into 1/2-inch slices and spread cream cheese mixture over half of the bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices to make sandwiches. Place sandwiches in prepared pan in a single layer. Cut sandwiches if necessary to fit pan.

Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over sandwiches, turning several times to coat well. Cover and chill at least 8 or up to 24 hours.

Cover French toast and bake 30 minutes in an over preheated to 350 F. Remove cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with powdered sugar and syrup or your favorite toppings. If served in a pool of raspberry sauce, you really don’t need other toppings but again, this is simply a personal preference.

Chocolate French Toast

8 slices day-old challah or Italian bread

3 eggs

1 cup milk

2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

3 T. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

1 T. butter

Place bread in a sprayed 9 x 13 baking dish, making sure pieces do not overlap, and set aside.

Whisk eggs, milk, cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla together in a medium bowl and pour over bread slices. Turn bread until it is coasted well. Heat a griddle or a large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat before adding butter to it.

Place bread slices on griddle and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned and cooked through. Serve with sliced strawberries and powdered sugar or other fruit if desired. Serve French toast with sliced strawberries or raspberries and powdered sugar. Note: Avoid using fresh bread if possible. Slightly stale challah or Italian bread yields the best results.

*********

Valentine Q and A

Q. Next to Christmas, what is the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year?
A. Valentine’s Day

Q. What famous inventor applied for a patent on Valentine’s Day in 1876?
A. Alexander Graham Bell. The patent was for the telephone.

Q. Which state produces the most roses?
A. Oregon

Q. Cupid was said to be the son of which Roman dieties?
A. Venus and Jupiter

Q. What is Cupid said to use to inspire feelings of love?
A. Magical arrows

Q. What were humorous valentines of the 19th century referred to?
A. "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny Dreadfuls"

Q. In what year did the infamous St. Valentine’s Day massacre occur in Chicago?
A. 1929

Q. In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to do what to a Valentine’s Day card?
A. Sign it

Q. When was the “I Love You” computer virus detected in Hong Kong?
A.. May 1, 2000

Q. The first televised tour of the White House aired on February 14th of what year?
A. 1962

Q. Which 70’s rock icons were married on February 14th, 1974?
A. The Captain and Tennille

Q. Which famous English explorer was murdered on February 14th, 1779?
A. Captain James Cook

Q. St. Valentine was a Roman priest during the time of which Emperor?
A. Claudius

Q. How many saints by the name of St. Valentine, all martyred on February 14th are recognized by the Catholic Church?
A. Three

Q. Where can one find the oldest known Valentine card?
A. The British Museum

Q. Which industry promoted Valentine’s Day as an occasion for giving jewelry?
A. The diamond industry

Q. In what year was the feast of St. Valentine first declared?
A. 496 A.D.

Q. Approximately how many Valentine’s Day greeting cards are sent each year worldwide?
A. One billion

Q. Who invented the first Valentine’s Day candy box in the late 1800s?
A. Richard Cadbury

Q. Which holiday has the highest percentage of male card buyers, compared to other holidays where women purchase more cards?
A. Valentine’s Day

Q. During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that which animals chose their mates on February 14th?
A. Birds

Q. During which war were the first valentines seen in the United States?
A. The Revolutionary War

Q. On average, who receives the most Valentine’s Day cards?
A. Teachers

Q. What do florists refer to as a “signature rose”?
A. A single red rose framed with baby’s breath

Q. Most roses sold on Valentine’s Day in the United States are imported from where?
A. South America

Q. Which west coast city is home to almost 600 varieties of roses and is known as “The City of Roses”?
A. Portland, Oregon

Q. Which author refers to roses more than 50 times in his writings?
A. Shakespeare

Getting the last word?

2010-02-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

Seen in an AJC obit last month: "She is survived by three children who didn't deserve her and a husband who did."

Super Bowl 2010 Column (Recipes & Trivia)

2010-02-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

Appetizer Tree

Refreshing Tzatziki helps offset the heat of spicy dishes.

Asiago Artichoke Dip

Super Bowl time for super game and super eats!

Super Bowl time is here again: a time to get together to eat, root for your favorite team, eat, drink, eat, party. Oh, and did I remember to say eat? With Super Bowl Sunday second only to Thanksiving as the largest food consumption day in the United States, I musn’t leave that part out.

Since food seems to be a main focus, it’s time once again to share recipes for something other than the ordinary fare of chips and dips, plain old hot wings etc. for those who can’t make it to Miami. First though, some tips to make the day a little easier.

Ø Do as much prep work as possible, i.e., chopping, slicing, dicing etc., ahead of time.

Ø Store chopped veggies in plastic bags so they will be ready when you need them.

Ø Crockpots are great for keeping foods like cheese dip, meatballs or sausage links warm. If you’re throwing a really big party, you might need to borrow extra pots from your friends.

Ø Have a quick and easy homemade or store-bought sauce and a small can of tomato sauce on hand. Combine the two for a quick sauce with for meatballs or sausages.

Ø Choose foods that require little, if any, silverware. Be prepared with plenty of toothpicks and napkins for finger foods.

Ø Have lots of coffee and sodas ready during the last hours of the party.

Ø Don't let your friends drive away if they are tipsy or worse.

Ø Mix cuisines rather than serving just one style. That way there will be something for every palate.

An attractive Appetizer Tree can serve double duty as a colorful table decoration as well as an edible treat and if you are talented enough, you can carve the fresh pineapple into a shape that suits your party. Modifying the food color scheme to include Colts and Saints team colors will help create a true Super Bowl XLIV theme.

You may use other fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and or/cooked meats in lieu of those suggested below if you wish. A few toasted pecan halves will also perk up the flavor nicely but since these are not easily skewered, wait until just before serving and scatter them around the base of the tree.

Appetizer Tree

1 fresh pineapple

Edam cheese, cut into 1/2-inch squares

Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch squares

Summer sausage or pepperoni, cut into 1/2-inch squares

Cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch squares

Assorted fruit, cut into 1/2-inch squares

Romaine leaves

Toothpicks

Choose a pineapple that will stand upright on its own. Slice off the green top, cut away the outer skin and carve into desired shape. Line serving platter with romaine leaves and place carved pineapple on top.

Beginning at the bottom, use toothpicks to attach cheese, sausage and ham in a decorative pattern. You may alternate colors or put similar colors in separate rings.

Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

This tree can be used at almost any kind of party just by changing ingredients and/or colors.

If you like a sweet, savory chipolte sauce that packs some real heat, you should enjoy this easy to make, kicky Raspberry Chipolte Chile Sauce.

Raspberry Chipolte Chile Sauce

1 T. olive oil

1/2 c. finely diced onion

2 t. minced garlic

2 t. chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

2 pts. fresh raspberries, rinsed

1/2 c. raspberry vinegar

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add onions, cooking and stirring until they are soft and slightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chipotle chiles, cook, and stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Add raspberries, continuing to cook 2-3 minutes or until berries are soft. Add vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Add sugar and salt, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and let sauce simmer until thickened and reduced by half. This should take 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Use as is or for a clear glaze, strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

This can be used as a barbecue sauce, glaze or basting sauce for chicken, shrimp and other meats. Alternately, pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve as a dip with club crackers or use as a sauce for meatballs or cocktail sausages. It’s also adds great flavor to wraps.

Baked Brie with Amaretto

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

1 oz. smooth amaretto

1 Brie round

1/4 c. sliced almonds

Baguette slices, toast rounds, crackers, or sliced apples

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat brown sugar and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat, add spices and amaretto, mix well and set aside.

Place Brie in an oven-safe casserole dish, top with sauce and sprinkle with almonds. If you don’t have almonds, you may substitute chopped walnuts but almonds go better with amaretto. Bake Brie for10 to 15 minutes or until soft or microwave on high at 30-second intervals until soft and warm. (Even though it takes just a little longer, I prefer oven baking to microwaving due to power variations on different models.)

Serve with baguette slices, toast rounds, crackers or sliced apples. Number of servings will depend on the size of the Brie round.

A Greek favorite, refreshing Tzatziki can be served to offset some of the heat from Tex-Mex fare found at most Super Bowl parties. It’s simple, easy and delicious.

Asiago Artichoke Dip is another delicious dip you may like to work into your menu. There are many variations of Asiago Dip and most are quite uncomplicated. Select the one you think you and your guests would enjoy most.

Asiago Artichoke Dip

2 oz. Alfredo cream sauce

2 oz. grated Asiago

4 oz. mozzarella Cheese

2 oz. cream cheese

6 oz. grated Parmesan Cheese

6 oz. chopped artichokes

Spinach

Heat Alfredo cream sauce in a heavy bottom skillet. Add cream cheese and let melt. Add Asiago. Mozzarella, Parmesan, artichokes and spinach and cook 2 – 3 minutes. Serve hot with grilled flat bread.

Tzatziki

Salt

2 T. chopped dill

3 garlic cloves, crushed, or more to taste

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated Put grated cucumber in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse cucumber well to remove the excess salt. Using small quantities at the time, squeeze out excess liquid and put cucumber in a bowl. Add yogurt and stir. Add garlic, dill, olive oil and vinegar. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed.NOTE: You can use mint instead of dill if you prefer.

For the ladies present who would like something different from ordinary beer, try this easy, interesting variation, Mexicali Beer Margaritas. (The guys will probably like it too!)

Mexicali Beer Margaritas

12 oz. limeade concentrate

1 1/2 cups gold tequila

3 12-oz. cans Mexican beer

1 whole lime, cut into 6 wedges

Pour limeade, tequila and beer into a pitcher and stir. Fill tall glasses with ice and pour mixture over the ice. Squeeze a lime wedge into each drink and serve.

If you prefer a less potent version, try just plain Beer Margaritas. The water makes them a little less lethal than their Mexicali counterparts.

Beer Margaritas

12 fluid ounces frozen limeade concentrate

12 fluid ounces tequila

12 fluid ounces water

12 fluid ounces beer

Ice

1 lime, cut into wedges

Pour limeade, tequila, water and beer into a large pitcher and stir until limeade has melted and mixture is well blended. Add lots of ice, pour into glasses and garnish with lime wedges to serve. Add extra water if needed.

For the more adventurous ones, try Shandy, a popular British drink. It’s light and has an interesting flavor as well. Their version calls for mixing equal parts of stout and lemonade and serving. Some mix it together or pour the stout in first, followed by lemonade on top. There are several versions of this drink but it originally began with stout and lemonade.Some Americanized versions call for equal parts beer and ginger ale or similar drinks. There’s less waste in this beverage as you mix it as you drink it instead of making large quantities that might not be completely consumed.

f Shandy doesn’t suit your taste, perhaps a Poor Man's Mimosa. This is another drink that can be easily made by the glass.

Poor Man's Mimosa Recipe

4 oz beer

4 oz Orange Juice

Pour beer into a highball glass, add orange juice, to taste and serve immediately.

**********

You can test your personal knowledge or use some of these bits of trivia to create a half time game for your football party guests.For fun: perfectly useless but interesting Super Bowl trivia

Ø As of 2009, Super Bowl ads cost about $100,000 per second. That's $3,000,000 for a 30 second commercial up from $2.5 million in 206. The first famous Super Bowl commercial was a 1974 ad for Noxzema featuring Super Bowl legend Joe Namath.
Ø Joe Montana holds the record for most consecutive completions (13) in a Super Bowl.
Ø The player with the most rushing yards in a Super Bowl is Timmy Smith of the Washington Redskins.
Ø Cowboy QB Roger Staubach has the most career fumbles in Super Bowl history.
Ø California leads with five MVPs, followed by Ohio and Florida with four.
Ø Dan Reeves, Mike Ditka and Tony Dungy have appeared in the Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
Ø The first Super Bowl in which the winning points were scored on the final play of the game was Super Bowl XXXVIII by the New England Patriots.
Ø During halftime show of the Super Bowl in 2004, Justin Timberlake removed a piece of Janet Jackson's top, exposing her right breast with a star-shaped ring around the nipple. Timberlake and Jackson have maintained that the incident was accidental, adding a new phrase "wardrobe malfunction" to American lexicon.
Ø Jerry Rice has scored the most touchdowns (7) in three Super Bowls.
Ø Mike Lodish has played the most Super Bowls (6), four with Buffalo and two with Denver.
Ø No network footage exists of Super Bowl I. It was taped over, supposedly for a soap opera.
Ø No NFL team has ever played the Super Bowl on its own home field.Ø No Super Bowl game has ever gone into overtime play.
Ø No Super Bowl has ever ended in a shutout. Super Bowl VII with Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian's failed field goal attempt is perhaps the most dramatic example of a near shutout. The lowest amount of points scored in a Super Bowl is 3, put up by those same Dolphins in the previous year's Super Bowl, Super Bowl VI.
Ø The first Super Bowl MVP was Green Bay Packers’ Bart Starr.
Ø First time ever 3-time Super Bowl MVP was Joe Montana.
Ø The first wide receiver to be named MVP was Lynn Swann of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ø One MVP, Dallas' Chuck Howley, came from a losing team in Super Bowl V.
Ø One MVP, Washington's Mark Rypien, was born in Canada.
Ø Six non-Division I players have been named MVP or co-MVP.
Ø The Pac-10 and SEC have a player named MVP the most times (6).
Ø The 33 MVPs have been born in 19 states.
Ø Twelve MVPs are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Ø Six teams have lost the final game of the regular season and still won the Super Bowl.
Ø Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following Thanksgiving.
Ø Super Bowls are held in an American city that is chosen years in advance.
Ø The Dallas Cowboys have scored the most points (221); the Denver Broncos have allowed the most (206).
Ø The Dolphins are the only team that failed to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl game. Miami scored just three points in a 21-point loss to Dallas in Super Bowl VI in New Orleans.
Ø The first Super Bowl was played in 1967. The Green Bay Packers of the National Football League defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League, 35-to-10.
Ø The longest field goal in Super Bowl history was by Steve Christie. Christie hit a 54-yarder in the first quarter of Super Bowl XXVIII vs. Dallas. Jason Elam has the second-longest field goal of 51 yards.
Ø The Los Angeles Rams had the most losses (7) of any team to play in the Super Bowl.
Ø The NFL pays for up to 150 rings for the winning Super Bowl team at $5,000 apiece (plus adjustments for extra gold or diamonds) and 150 pieces of jewelry for the losing Super Bowl team, each to cost up to half the price of the Super Bowl ring
Ø The only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls under different head coaches is the San Francisco 49ers. They won Super Bowl XXIII under legendary coach Bill Walsh and the next year returned to victory under George Seifert.
Ø The team leading at the end of the third quarter has won the past 13.
Ø The team to score first has won 25 of 36 Super Bowls The team leading at the end of the third quarter has won 31 of 36 Super Bowls.
Ø The winner of the AFC Championship Game faces the winner of the NFC Championship Game, in the culmination of the NFL playoffs.
Ø The winning Super Bowl team gets the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games. Following his death in September 1970, the trophy was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy, first awarded at Super Bowl V in Miami. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is made by Tiffany, takes 72 man hours to produce, and it costs $12,500.
Ø In Super Bowl XLI (2007) Tony Dungy of the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears made history as the first African-Americans to coach in a Super Bowl.
Ø Tony Dungy is the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl.

Girls morning out

2010-02-03T22:15:00.002-05:00

Little Bit isn't even 3-1/2 yet but she’s growing and maturing in leaps and bounds right before our eyes, leaving her baby ways behind way too quickly. Well, for me anyway! The weather was nice for a change today so we decided to get out for a bit. We had lunch at Ruby Tuesday, went to Home Depot, and stopped for an item at Wal-Mart before going home. That doesn't seem particularly exciting when you see it written down but she behaved beautifully, far better than much older children you see nowadays. I guess that's something of an echo of what TS just wrote but I'm so happy she is teaching her children to behave and treat others well.

I do wish I had Bit's metabolism though. (Maybe I did when I was three but no more!) She doesn’t care much for breakfast but makes up for it at lunch and is still as slim as a rail. Today she ate some steamed broccoli, grilled chicken, most of the French fries that came with my chicken sandwich, the bacon off my chicken sandwich, three extra slices of bacon, and a big scoop of ice cream before declaring she was “all done.” She looked at me and grinned really big and said, "Bacon and French fries and 'i keam' are my favorite foods." I can only dream!

Some Days are Diamonds, Some Days are Stones

2010-02-03T17:50:00.003-05:00

Maybe some days are just 1/2 and 1/2, I suppose. That would be today. Pretty good day at work, enjoyed the kids at the preschool, then headed straight to Roo's school to have kids read to me and take their AR (Accelerated Reader) tests for the first time. The migraine starting on me only worsened when I got there and saw Roo coming in from recess, her cheeks flushed. I assumed she had just been running hard until she told me a kindergartener from another class had choked her. Roo's teacher was just about to go to the other classroom and let that teacher know.

This is not the first time she's had a child do something physical to her at school: so far, it's been a bite to the arm, a hit hard enough on the back to knock her to the ground, and now choking. Fortunately, the incident today was not quite as bad as I initially thought...the other kid did not choke her with his hands; rather, he grabbed her shirt from behind and pulled it up and it cinched tightly around her neck. Roo says she thinks the boy was trying to get her attention. This was the same story when she got knocked to the ground by another girl. I know kids can be rather uncivilized, but c'mon...they're 5 & 6 years old...do their parents not teach them the proper way to get someone's attention?? One of the other kids in her class has already been to the guidance counselor for his aggressiveness, including choking & hitting.

I am almost past the point of anger on this issue and feel rather despairing. Is this the world my girls are going to grow up in? Are these the kids that will be leading our country one day? I can't always shield them from the bad things that can and do happen, and I certainly can't count on my fellow parents to do the right thing and teach their children right from wrong. I know, from firsthand experience, that kids who behave this way have always been around, but now it seems to be the rule rather than the exception.

Back in Business

2010-02-02T13:39:00.003-05:00

Whew, the modem has been exchanged and we seem to be back in business. I'm not popping the champagne cork yet, however, since my laptop still seemed reluctant to start up this morning...not a good sign. Hopefully, just a temporary snafu....I have been somewhat surprised at just how much I depend on the Internet for daily tasks, essentially how everything in our society depends on it. I feel so sorry for those who fall on the other side of the "digital divide," namely some of the senior citizens I see at the library who need help & guidance from the librarians just to make contact with organizations.

On another topic, Little Bit and I just finished having lunch at Roo's school...always an ibuprofen-worthy experience. I know the kids are excited to be able to eat lunch and talk a little, but the cafeteria is sooooo loud sometimes. Even Roo is covering her ears. It was good to see Big Sis during the day, however....we miss her sometimes and she gets really excited about us being there.

Hope Life is resting up for another "fun-filled" morning with her granddaughter...God bless her...

Another synapse misfiring?

2010-02-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

Probably not PC to some but I'm still laughing over something my son said to me Sunday evening. His thought process is as convoluted as mine, and a discussion of someone I knew marrying a blind person many, many years ago led to his commenting, “I wonder if there are blind cross dressers. I mean, what would be the point?”

And he wondered why I cracked up! I told him that I could honestly say that was one thought that had never crossed my mind but I was sure I would not be able to get rid of it now. Is there any wonder why he and Roo get along so well? All three of us have the same pinball thought process, lol.

This & that

2010-01-31T16:58:00.001-05:00

TS has been without Internet for several days and while I'm pretty sure she is not thrilled about it, she's coping. I've about recuperated from the "fine dining" experience I had during jury duty and am happy to report I did not have to have my blouse dry cleaned. So nice to have a sun porch that I could hang it on to air. Just wish it was warm enough to sit out there and read but with all those windows and no heat, I'm not tough enough for that!

I did something this afternoon that I haven’t done since I was a teenager. No, nothing as outrageous as some might be thinking. I went to the movies alone. I really wanted to see “The Edge of Darkness” and decided if I didn’t go alone, I wouldn’t be seeing it until it is shown on television, sharply censored, a hundred years from now. It wasn’t exactly what I expected but an interesting story line and a good movie.

Son #2 is changing positions in his company tomorrow and won’t be able to work the late shift any longer so I’m back to triple duty with Little Bit for the next few weeks. Perhaps I should have used this afternoon to rest up for whatever she has in store for me!

Not necessarily what it seems

2010-01-28T19:59:00.002-05:00

Today gave new meaning to expressions that things are not always as they seem. Just because a restaurant has a name like New York New York doesn’t necessarily mean it serves sophisticated urban cuisine.

I had to report for jury duty today and on an extra long lunch break, I waded through the ever present panhandlers that loiter around the Capital to a restaurant below it by that name. It was a bit of a surprise when I went inside and saw a mix of cafeteria-style serving, self-service salad bar and drinks, and a deli, apparently owner/manged by Orientals. Nothing New Yorkish about any of that! Not the management but all the rest. I left smelling of fried food ~ my coat, my clothes, my hair, my everything!

When I got home, I washed what I could and sprayed what I couldn’t. My silk blouse is airing on the sun porch now, and I’m hoping I don’t have to pay a dry cleaning bill just to get rid of the odor. I suppose you could describe the flavor as close-to-Southern and the food was mediocre at best, definitely not worth reeking of grease the rest of the afternoon. I really debated about whether to turn around and leave when I first walked in and now I wish I had!

The "dogs" are on their own!

2010-01-26T16:49:00.003-05:00

The other evening, I made tomato soup and grilled cheese, one of my favorite meals. Roo, formerly a big fan of it, has not been too enthused of it as of late. Little Bit has never been a fan of it.

In an attempt to make it more appealing, I took a tip from a magazine and took a square of toast and cut up a hot dog on it, floating it in the middle of the bowl and calling it "dogs on a raft." Roo got a kick out of it and ate a little tomato soup. 'Bit avoided it, instead chowing down on the grilled cheese. I said, "Look, honey, you have to get the dogs across the tomato river, try and eat some of it!" She studies the bowl, looking sort of sideways at it, and then says, "Nah, Mama, that raft looks pretty strong...I think it'll make it across the river just fine."

And the beat goes on...

2010-01-25T18:49:00.003-05:00

I thought the not-so-good news about my thumb was pretty much the worst thing that would happen this past week but I'm not quite so sure now that I'm sporting the first shiner I've had in many years.

I wish I could say something exciting caused it but I'm afraid not. I was hugging Roo goodbye last Saturday evening and as I turned to hug Little Bit, she stood straight up to hug me and her head popped me smack in the left eye. It hit me so hard I couldn't see anything but stars for a few minutes. Fortunately, I had switched my contacts for glasses so that lessened the brunt of it just a tad. I'm grateful it didn't break the glasses though.

It really isn't bad, unlike the first one I had that left most of the side of my face purple for several days. It hasn't spread too much, just some negligible swelling, and the bruising has (mostly) stayed beneath my brow and in the fold of the lid. You've probably already guessed Little Bit is hardheaded and now she's proven it!

Speaking of Little Bit, when her Mom saw her on the verge of tears a few days ago and implored her not to cry, she told her, "This is not tears. This is the beginning of tears." No moss growing on this one!

A Diffiult Choice

2010-01-22T23:28:00.001-05:00

Recent surgery on my thumb reminded me of this column I wrote about six years ago. Not that the thing with my thumb was nearly that traumatic mind you, but still aggravating.

Choosing the Lesser of two Evils

Crutches or a walker? A walker or crutches? Really not much of a choice.

I recently had to choose and I have an uneasy feeling that either one would have been wrong. I know that neither would have been easy!

I postponed some pretty nasty foot surgery for three years, trying all the other remedies offered, some more than once.

Even though I really dreaded wearing a cast for a long time, little did I know that would be the least of my problems.

After biting the bullet and finally going through with it last week, I took the advice of nurses and therapists and opted for the walker. I can’t speak knowledgeably about crutches, but I have a feeling things would not have been all that different. That little therapist did make it look easy though.

I need the walker to keep the weight off my foot for the next few weeks. Silly me. I thought it was used to help you get back into shape. Little did I know that you need to be in good physical shape to use one of these metal monsters.

It sits in front of me, its metal bars stretched into a toothless grin, laughing at me. Daring me to try to conquer it.

I rise to the bait when I cannot longer resist the urge for a drink or to get something I want badly. (After just a couple of days, I had to want it extremely badly to even make the effort!)

It’s the same routine every time. Hop a few feet, rest and puff; hop, rest, puff—over and over and over. After what seems to be forever, I finally make it 15-20 feet to the refrigerator to get a fresh drink or snack.

This will necessitate taking lots of extra steps or you can do as I sometimes do and say, “Forget it. I wasn’t thirsty anyway,” and fall back down in your chair.

I figure by the time I get my arms and left leg muscles in shape, I won’t need it anymore. But if I ever anticipate needing one again, I am going to start lifting weights and go on a diet well beforehand.

While I am a long way from being an expert on this after the short time I have been using the contraption, I feel I am in a position to offer a little advice.

(This is not for those who just need a little assistance in getting around but for those who need it short term. After my experience, I certainly have a whole new admiration for the people who have to use them every day!

First, several weeks before you will have to start using a walker or crutches, find someone who weighs the same thing you do and carry them in your arms every step you make, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If you have to keep weight off one foot, do the same thing, only hop on one foot with them in your arms.

If you cannot find anyone to cooperate with you in this venture, you can accomplish the same thing with weights tied to each arm.

Do not wait until you really have to go to head towards the bathroom. Get a head start when you even think you might have to go, yelling all the way, “If anyone is in the bathroom, get out!”

And carry a little bag with you. It is hard to carry a drink under your arm and use a walker at the same time. Not only is it uncomfortable, when you drop the thing, it will roll forever.

Also, get one of those reacher gadgets to help pick up stuff. That way you may be able to beat the dog to the cookie you drop.

Not everything is negative though. On the upside, there is no cooking or laundry or housework during this time.

I do miss getting in the car whenever I like and going where I want to go. And I confess to being more than a little tired of peanut butter and crackers and daytime television.

Weird or Just Very Sensitive?

2010-01-21T16:47:00.003-05:00

Okay, another example of how you never know with Little Bit. Yesterday, when she was playing with her baby dolls, I joined in and asked her what they were doing. She was just putting one of them down for a "nap" and said she wanted to sing the baby a night-night song. I said, "How about Rock-A-Bye Baby?," to which she readily agreed. There we are, her rocking the baby cradle and me singing the song and not noticing until almost the end the horrified look on her little face. "What's the matter?" I asked, a little alarmed. "Mama, what happened to 'dat poor baby?? The tree broke and the baby fell out of it! That's not good! Babies shouldn't climb trees, it's not safe! Was the baby hurt?? That's a SAD song, I don't like that song!!! And on and on and on....sigh.

Two lessons

2010-01-20T13:12:00.003-05:00

If I’ve learned nothing else in my life, I do know this. There are two arguments you cannot win: politics and religion. I do not discuss either and I do not inflict my opinion on anyone else.

I'm sure some are wondering what prompted this. It's just that lately everywhere I go it seems someone is raging about politics, even on Facebook. I'm of the opinion that if you cannot do better, be careful with your criticism. And if someone does not respond when you keep talking about a subject, realize they really, really do not want to hear/discuss it.

I like living in my new place but I unknowingly went from a quite liberal neighborhood to a hotbed of Republican ultraconservatism. I really do like my friends here, just wish they could find something else to talk about besides politics and money (indirectly). I've never joined in any of these discussions so I guess they are not sure what to make of me. Guess they will have to keep wondering!

To any of my Facebook friends reading this, I hope you don't take offense but I have wonder where all this religious fervor was when times were not so tough economically. When I look at my page sometimes, I wonder if I've accidentally strayed into a “tent” revival. I hate hiding anyone on my friends list but it has come to that when that is poltiics and religious are all a person posts. Sadly, it often makes me miss keeping up with someone I do care about.

This is not a judgment of anyone in particular but I think it gives religion a bad name when people you know are running around, swapping spouses, and violating other tenets of the Bible they are so fond of quoting suddenly become oh-so pious. I’m not really sure I want them to waste God’s time praying for me!

Overheard

2010-01-18T12:54:00.001-05:00

Overheard at Mary Mac's Tea Room at lunch today: Three very prim-and-proper looking, older ladies discussing "American Idol" and two of them breaking into an impromptu recitation of "Pants on the Ground" while trying to tell the third one about the program.