Adam and ABC Pig?

I thought I had seen it all until I happened to come upon the Today's Photos on the Life magazine photos website. 

I will never understand why some folks think it is OK to display inappropriate, sexually charged music, dancing, and information on prime time television.  Even though we live in an era of such hi-tech equipment and fast paced news, the family (in my world, anyway) is still sacred.  The family is still held near and dear.  Family values should mean something.  What children and teenagers are exposed to should be important.

Adam Lambert's offensive display on the Music Awards show last night was unconscionable and, to be honest, it was sickeningly degrading.

Girls - please monitor what the kids are watching!  You cannot control what is outside, or in school, or at the mall, but you can control what goes on in your own home.  

Enough is enough! 


Love and totally ticked off

Zum, Zum, Zumba! Not.

Oh, how I wish I could shake my booty like these Zumba dancers!  Why wasn't I blessed with that long, slim torso, great breasts, and long fab legs.  Oh - and the long thick gorgeous hair?  What about me????  I love the Latin beat.  I love to dance and, given some really good music, I have quite a bit of stamina for an old gal.  Wait a minute - I am not old!  I am just getting it cranked.  Actually, I have a minimum of 38 years left.

Unfortunately, I am sorta kidding you and myself.  I mean, I do have a minimum of 38 years left for fun and games but - I guess I am out of the Zumba class.  Too late.

So - instead of Latin dance - I went for the Latin FOOD!!  Now we are in my ballpark.  Wait til you hear this!  This restaurant is now my new fav.  Nuevo Latino, Baby!  Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar.  All flavors of Central and South America, Cuba, and the Latin Caribbean foods and drinks.  All freshly made on the spot.  House-made salsas, root veggies, guacamole made right before my eyes (by this gorgeous hunk).

The challenge for me was to pick just the right dinner.  I asked our server for her suggestions.  I started off my night with a fishbowl (!) of delicious sangria loaded with fruit.  The soup a was smoked butternut squash tortilla blend with sweet onions, tomatoes with smoked corn and green onions.  Although a couple of my friends ordered it and loved it, I felt as those my intestines would never by the same if I ate it.  So - I ended up with the Ensalada Mixta - a very nice sald with avocado, pumpkin seeds, blah, blah, blah with sherry vinaigrette.  It was good - nothing special.

I chose the mariscos frescos for my entree.  Fresh seafood for those of you who are not in the Latin loop.  Cuban sofrito basted scallops.  Luscious jumbo juicy sea scallops with sauteed zucchini.  A real treat.  Some sort of Cuban spices there and some other stuff that I didn't recognize, but all good.  So far, so good? Whew!  I had to take a deep breath because I had to smell the dessert menu.  I do not see the point of going to a fine restaurant and then not just taking a peek at the dessert menu.

Of course, all of the girls had to have that peek.  The birthday girl of the night chose the Cuban bread pudding spiked with rum soaked raisins and covered with caramel sauce -  which she loved, obviously.  Another picked the pumpkin cheesecake.  Two others chose the churros, which came out hot out of the oven.  My choice made my heart practically do flips.  Tres Layer Chocolate Cake, mi amigas.  Tres.  Three layers of chocolate mousse cake drenched in Mexican chocolate and topped with fresh vanilla whipped cream.  This and a cup of fresh latte accompanied by a sugar cane stick left me feeling spent.  I almost needed a cigarette.  If I were a smoker.

Whoooooo-ahhhhhh.  What a dinner.  If you are within range of a Paladar Kitchen, I highly recommend it.  After eating the Cuban/Latin food tho - there is no way that I would be able to Zumba.  Not in this lifetime.  Maybe the next.  Then, I will be hot.

Love and plantains 

Plethora

I love this word.  Plethora.  I am impressed when someone uses it.  It is an adjective meaning full, or containing the highest amount, or abundance.  Plethora.  It just sounds so important, doesn't it?  Kinda highfalutin, huh?  This is another fascinating word.  Highfalutin.  Here I thought is was just something that some old cowboy like Gabby Hayes would have used.  This word is also an adjective that mean pompous, or pretentious.  Wouldn't it sound funny, tho, to say that someone was a highfalutin ass instead of a pompous ass?  I mean, the list goes on and on.  Words are such interesting little things.  We usually do not think about the functions of words.  Where did they all come from?  Who thunk them up?

I have no idea why I went off on that subject.  I forgot already.  Oh yeah!  Plethora.  Tonight I have a plethora of subjects to talk about.

First of all, I certainly hope and pray that you all are recycling as much as you can.  Which brings me to those pesky, annoying little styrofoam peanuts that you get in boxes.  Do not throw them in the trash!!!  Your local UPS store is taking them and reusing them!  I did not know this until last night - a couple of hours after I dumped a ton of them in the garbage can.  I had to scurry to pick the clean ones out so that they could be reused.  

Second - this is huge.  I found a website that will make your skirt fly up.  It is www.blackfridayinfo.com.  This site gives you a zillion stores and their Door Buster Deals just at the tip of your fingers!!  Girls, it doesn't get much easier than this.  You can pull up the site and, with pen and paper, go ahead from store to store and see what you want, how much it is, etc. Make your list and check it twice.  

Third - Listen to this.  I found a sweet potato recipe that you might like - especially if you will be rushed.  This makes 12 but, of course, make what you want.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes w/Pecan and Marshmallow Struesel

(compliments of that handsome Tyler Florence on the Food Network)

Preheat oven to 400

12 large sweet potatoes

3/4 C. unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 C. light brown sugar

3/4 C. flour

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 C. toasted pecan pieces ( I never toast mine - I think it's a time waster)

1 C. miniature marshmallows

Bake or microwave your sweet potatoes until done (the method I use depends on my mood).

Mix butter, brown sugar, and flour until crumbly-looking.  Add cinnamon, salt, pecans, marshmallows.  Fold it altogether to combine.

Slice the potato down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up.  Generously stuff the spuds with the stuff and return them to the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes or so until the top is bubbly and brown.

Mmmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmm, mmmmmm.  I love sweet potatoes.  I would rather eat this than the whole damn turkey.  As a matter of fact, I don't even like turkey.  I would like to eat the sweet potato, stuffing, and pie and skip the bird altogether.  I wonder if I could get away with that.  

I guess this would be Fourth.  I saw this in Time Mag.  It is listed as one of the 50 best inventions of the year.

This year British textiles experts unveiled an 11-ft. long spider-silk cloth made in Madagascar.  Are you ready for this???  Each day 70 people collected thousands of golden orb spiders.  Now here's where my feet come off the floor.....  Workers carefully spooled out the saffron-hued filament from each spider before releasing it.  All told, the feat took four years, half a million dollars, and more than a million spiders and some bites.

Jesus H!!!!!!

That would be all that I have to say about that.

Fifth, here is a pretty little thought from one of my magazines.

"It is, indeed, THE SEASON of regenerated feeling - the season for kindling, not merely the fire of hospitality in the hall, but the genial flame of CHARITY in the heart".  

And last, but absolutely not least, I wish my beautiful girl a very happy birthday.

Love and pleasant thoughts..

 

This Is It, Baby!

Love

A big head's up, my friends!

Tomorrow, Tuesday November 17, is FREE SHIPPING DAY at a lot of online shopping sites.

Check it out!

www.freeshippingday.com

You will thank me later.

Love

Who give a Flying Fig??

I gave them plenty as our birthday club actually went to The Flying Fig in Ohio City on the west side of Cleveland.  A little pricey but, Oh, what you pay for deliciousness!

This was the second time that we have visited this restaurant and I was excited to go again.  There are seven folks in our birthday club but only the 5 girls went tonight.  Ralphy is at a football game and the Dickster is drowning in the nor'easter on the coast at a golf resort.  He will be very sorry that he missed this one - especially when he finds out about the organ meat.  But that's another story.

I checked the menu online earlier this week and had my heart set on the beet salad and I was dying for a big slab of meat.  When I went to pick up the other girls I was reminded that this place doesn't have a big slab of meat and that the last time we were there I had the duck.  WTF?  I never ate a duck in my life.  This is what happens to "older adults".  

Anyway - I will get to my point - if I can remember what the point is.  OH YEAH!  The beets.  We are promptly seated by the short guy with the tattoos and were given a drink menu.  My friend, Suz, and I always get a wine with our dinner.  The others drink Diet Coke and iced tea.  Can you even imagine?  My wine came and it was a really nice big glass of wine - just like I like it.  I figure if I am going to pay $12.00 for a glass of wine, somebody better be pouring and pouring and pouring, right?  It was perfect.  The special salad of the day was roasted pumpkin salad.  Hmmmmm, I was curious.  Roasted pumpkin, lentils, frisee, with a raspberry vinaigrette.  I ordered that instead of the beet.  

You have to be holding on to something before I can tell you about the entree.  Are you ready?  

Braised short ribs
horseradish potato puree
and some ordinary green beans


You are holding on because of the short ribs.  Killer.  Tender as all get out and, oh, so delicious.  Perfectly done and nicely portioned.   The horseradish potatos were luscious and nicely presented.  The green beans were non descriptive.  Now - about the salad.  The pumpkin was very good.  Then, they put about 1 cup of freaking lentils in this small dish.  I don't mind a lentil or two - don't get me wrong.  But a cup of lentils?  This just took my 60ish-year-old innards up about 10 years.   

Now - since you know all about that and really don't care, I will tell you my reason for telling you in the first place.  Dessert!  Guess what The Flying Fig restaurant has for dessert?????

FIG ICE CREAM!!

Yes, yes, yes!!  You haven't LIVED until you have had the creamy, dreamy, fig ice cream swirling around on your tongue.  I am drooling just writing this.  I'm telling you, girls - it is TOO DIE FOR!  If you ever have a chance to try some - get the vat.  You won't regret it.  The fig ice cream was worth the price of the entire dinner - no lie.

Don't say that I never let you in on these things.

Love 

 

 

Did someone say Belgium?

I guess I failed to mention that our gorgeous daughter and family are moving!  To - of all the places that you could ever think of - Belgium!  Come to think of it - who the hell ever moves to Belgium?  I never heard of such a thing.

Anyway - that's where they are going.  And soon!  As soon as school is out for the year they will all be leaving.  Two parents, 4 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cars - just with a snap of the fingers.  Click!  They're gone.  Our society has become so mobile that this will be a piece of cake.  Or, should I say, a big piece of Belgian chocolate. 

At first, I thought they were kidding.  They have sung this song before.  This time the deal was done before we even knew.  I was so surprised!  Very happy, but very surprised.  I think I am most happy for the grandchildren who will be able to experience things that not a lot of kids can experience.  I mean, can you even fricking imagine getting on a train and going 2 hours or so for lunch in Paris?  Who can even come to grips with that thought?  Not me, that's for sure. 

Who can imagine taking a short ride to Germany - just for something to do?  Taking a couple hour train ride to Amsterdam to see flowers or eat more chocolate?  Wait - do they have chocolate too?

I wonder what kind of food they have in Amsterdam?  Moose?  I have to look that up.  Do they even have a moose?  Look at all the stuff that the average person doesn't know.  I wonder how the coffee is in Belgium.  How can you have a piece of Belgian chocolate without a nice, big, fresh and fab cup of Joe?  Good coffee is my life.  I would rather DIE of thirst than drink a cup of coffee that is over 30 minutes old.  And, believe me - I know.  I can sniff it out, brother.  Or sister.  I cannot be fooled.

Man - I got going on that coffee thing.  I have to calm myself.  Back to daughter...... we talk on the phone probably an average of three times a day.  This is going to be a problem.  A huge problem.  How will I know things when they happen?  How will I immediately know the kids' soccer scores and when they have band practice?   How will I know immediately when they get an "A" on a math test?  You see, now the kids call and tell me these things practically while they are happening.  I am in that loop.  Ya know which loop I mean?  When your grandchildren think enough of you to call you on the phone three states away and tell you that they scored the only goal in the game, or got a very hard earned "A" on the test.  Or when one of them is chosen to show the moves at the dance class.  I am in that loop.  I like my loop.  It is going to be painfully hard to give up my loop.

We, of course, will have the web cams.  This is OK if you want to talk for a short period of time.  But daughter and I talk.  And talk.  And talk.  About whatever.  About nothing.  About everything.  About life.

I have to stop now.  I have pain in my loop.

Love

Cooking - or not?

Isn't this kid adorable?  I was going to talk about what I did today and the absolutely delicious Finnish Pulla that I made but I was going through my photos and all I could see was this innocent little face.  Although, he is not that innocent!  When he doesn't want to do something he yells, "I am not doing anything!   Zero things!!".

How can you not burst out laughing?

Love

It's Veterans Day, Girls

Enjoy your family and friends and never forget...

Love

Bittersweet day today.....

in that I had to take my dear friend to the airport so that she could go back home to Tucson. The very sweet part was that we got to spend 3 great days together and had just the very best time!

I don't know if I mentioned this, but I found her on Facebook! I hadn't seen her in 20 years and I couldn't believe that she was right there on my screen. I emailed her immediately and she emailed back in about 2 seconds. She flew here to see me and I picked her up at the airport. When she came out of the terminal we were both jumping for joy! We were holding on to each other and hugging and I looked over at this girl sitting on the bench waiting for a ride and she was crying!!! It was so cute. She was so happy for us and we didn't even know who it was! She became suspicious when we invited her to come to lunch. Anyway - we hit the gate running and talked for three days straight. We saw "This Is It" with Michael Jackson, we ate great food, we took a beading class and each made a beautiful necklace and earrings. Let's see.....talked and talked and talked. I don't think anyone could talk that fast without drooling. Maybe I did that too - who knows?

All good things must come to an end. Her husband was waiting for her and it's always good to get away, but always good to go back home. She will be coming again in July for our 45th reunion. Jesus H. 45 years. I haven't even figured out what I am going to do with my life yet and it's just a little bit more than half over. I am expecting to live to 100, you know. That is the minimum. And - I will do it with humor and wine.

The old jammie party is this weekend, as you know, and I just packed the big suitcase. I am ready to go again. After this trip, nothing more til Ralphy and I hit the forest at the end of November for Thanksgiving. There's nothing like cooking Thanksgiving dinner in a cabin in the woods. Whoooooo-ahhhhhhh!

My little Jackie called me this morning to tell me that he just completed Book 2 of "The Diary of the Wimpie Kid", which is a huge thing for him because this is the first time he has finished a book and he has finished Book 1 and Book 2. He did have the notion, tho, that I would be so enthralled with his news and so excited that the kid read something that I would immediately rush out and get Book 3. I did. He's a brat.

Has anyone tried the chocolate cake recipe yet? I am going to make the Baked Brie this weekend as my sister, daughter, and I sit and eat like hogs. That is one problem that we have always had. Miss Aunt Sue brings on the M&M's, ice cream, jelly beans (!!!!!), wine, cheesies, cookies - anything that is over 5,000 calories. Then, Jennifer and I have a few beers on top of it. Then we go to sleep. It's enough to kill a normal girl. We have BEGGED Miss Aunt Sue to stop providing these things but - NOOOOOOOO - she won't hear of it. That's the only time she eats anything but Cheerios and nothing will get in her way.

We have a 30-minute massage (ahhhhhhhhh), a fab facial, manicure. Oh my - do I love a massage. You get all comfy on this warm sheet in this dimly lit room and there's some kind of funky-do tinny music playing ever so softly. Then the oils come out. Warm, wonderfully scented oils are applied on your back, arms, legs and massaged into your shoulders......whew! I wonder if Ralphy could do that? I could save myself $75.00. He probably wouldn't tho because we don't have any tinny music.

I have been doing really well on my new eating plan. No potato, no pasta (gulp), no cookies, candy, breads of any kind. Do I look any thinner? Toned? I just wondered.

Is anyone there?

Love

I'm still here -

I have been traveling around so much these past few weeks that I just haven't had time for any updates.  Baltimore, Atlanta, Virginia, now back to Virginia this week.  This schedule would seriously maim a young person.  

I am going back because daughter, Miss Aunt Sue, and I are having a jammie party.  Can you imagine the fun?  Massage, facial, pedicures, manicures, dinner out, lunch out, UNO, wine, shopping, wine.  And - I will bet you that Miss Aunt Sue will provide bowls and bowls of M&M's.  She does those things, ya know.  It will be so nice to just go and have some fun with the girls.  My daughter-in-law can't come because she has just started a new job and has no time right now.  But that would have made it 100%, for sure.  Anyway - I will let you know what I buy.

Here is a question for you - have you heard of facial threading?  It is a method that Middle Eastern women use to remove hair from your face.  They take this thread and twist it around some how and out it comes.  Have you had it done?  I am seriously thinking about this as a solution to my problem.  I have threading, waxing, John Deere.  What a choice to make!  I am beginning to look like Chewbacca.  

Ok, Ok, I know you are waiting for the recipe of the day.  Here it is.  Do you have a pencil?  Unfortunately, I do not have any photos as of yet because I don't have my shit together enough right now to put my pictures on Flickr.  I just do not have time to do anything that I want to do.  I always seem to be doing 10 things at once and not one of them is what I want to do.  It's really starting to burn me up.  So - in due time, my pretties.

Anyway - here is the recipe:  This will be unbelievably delish and easy for your holiday soirees.

Baked Brie with Fresh Fruit

1 jar of apricot preserves (or whatever)

1 8oz. can of crescent roll dough

1 6oz round of brie cheese

***********************************

Preheat oven to crescent roll directions (350-375?)

On a baking sheet, roll out the dough to create one large piece, overlapping and crimping the sections together where needed.

Spread a thin layer of preserves all over the dough.

So far, so good?

 Now, put the brie in the middle of the dough - with or without the casing.  Carefully wrap the brie with the dough and crimp edges to keep in place.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until the crescent dough begins to brown.  When finished, transfer to serving dish.

Now - here's where it gets seductive.....

While all this is going on....slice up a pear and an apple leaving the skin on.  Place the fruit around the brie and drizzle with some blackberry sauce or some other fruit sauce that you like.  Spread the warm cheese on the fruit or some crackers or a small baguette.

Then, squeal with delight.

Let me know what you think.

What book or books have you read recently?  Can you believe that I am still reading this Franklin and Lucy book?  It's been two months already, which is ridiculous.  This was LAST month's book club pick.  This month's pick is The Color of Water by James McBride.  Have you read this one?  I have no clue what it is even about and the club meeting is next week!!  Can I do it?  I am hoping to read it on the flight to BWI this weekend.

Then - guess what else I have?  Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.  Do you have that?  I haven't even opened the fricking box yet.  I wish I could be alone for about a month so I could work on my photography skills.  I have this fab new camera and this new software and I am up to my can in everything but....

I am going to try to get some photos taken this weekend, so I will put them up next week.

That's it, girls.  Send me a note and let me know what's shaking in your trees!

Love