Moments ago, we spotted a white convertible -- ancient; in fact, the plates read "1923" -- heading East on Artesia with one of those magnetized signs on the passenger side that read: "Christmas has been cancelled; go directly to dying eggs"
You'd think the car's antiquity would have been enough...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Shopping...
Good - Alert readers will remember my love affair with Polar Fleece Funnel-neck tops. Curious I went back to landsend.com to see if by any chance they made Polar Fleece pants and they do! Mine arrived yesterday morning and they are wonderful - a low, wide waistband that softly squashes belly fat and legs long enough to cover my Uggs to the foot. They were $24.95 which is pricy, so I checked out Target and while they have varous styles of tops/hoodies, no pants. Other sites listed were in Pakistan, etc., but Land's End tops and bottoms are made in Jordan.
Perhaps Not So Good - A catalog arrived for Richie the other day called "Joie de Vivre - Authentic French Specialities" - you can visit at frenchselections.com.
The front section covers various food products (fois gras, escargots, jams, jellies, etc.) But I soon became extremely suspicious of their mark-up in prices. Because we stay with Michelle in her condo, we cook and grocery shop; thus I know what Amora mustard (sort of the French's of France) costs and it is most decidedly NOT $6.95 for a 15.5 oz. jar.
The back half of the catalog covers bistro-ware, tea towels, oven pads, boxed cookies and so forth. One item did catch my eye and it is this: a doormat (made of coconut fiber so it'd last approximately 30 minutes in any rain) that has a horizontal line dividing it. If you are facing the front door, it says "Bonjour." If you are leaving the house, it says, "Au revoir" which I think is funny. But it's $30 plus shipping to have a laugh so ... fuhgeddaboutit.
Very Fair Price - They sell an 8-person raclette set for $119 plus shipping. "Raclette" is the French name for the Swiss custom of melting cheese at the table.
It's a rectangular or round grill top with an electric heating unit directly under it; then an open space of some 2 inches and the individual "skillets" to hold the cheese. The grill is used to heat up ham, salami, cured meats. The melted cheese is poured over boiled potatoes and the traditional garnish is those little bitsy French pickles called "cornichons." Each guest does his/her own cooking.
It's a great, informal way to entertain dinner guests and I recommend getting one. Comparison shop! Don 't buy the very first one!
Perhaps Not So Good - A catalog arrived for Richie the other day called "Joie de Vivre - Authentic French Specialities" - you can visit at frenchselections.com.
The front section covers various food products (fois gras, escargots, jams, jellies, etc.) But I soon became extremely suspicious of their mark-up in prices. Because we stay with Michelle in her condo, we cook and grocery shop; thus I know what Amora mustard (sort of the French's of France) costs and it is most decidedly NOT $6.95 for a 15.5 oz. jar.
The back half of the catalog covers bistro-ware, tea towels, oven pads, boxed cookies and so forth. One item did catch my eye and it is this: a doormat (made of coconut fiber so it'd last approximately 30 minutes in any rain) that has a horizontal line dividing it. If you are facing the front door, it says "Bonjour." If you are leaving the house, it says, "Au revoir" which I think is funny. But it's $30 plus shipping to have a laugh so ... fuhgeddaboutit.
Very Fair Price - They sell an 8-person raclette set for $119 plus shipping. "Raclette" is the French name for the Swiss custom of melting cheese at the table.
It's a rectangular or round grill top with an electric heating unit directly under it; then an open space of some 2 inches and the individual "skillets" to hold the cheese. The grill is used to heat up ham, salami, cured meats. The melted cheese is poured over boiled potatoes and the traditional garnish is those little bitsy French pickles called "cornichons." Each guest does his/her own cooking.
It's a great, informal way to entertain dinner guests and I recommend getting one. Comparison shop! Don 't buy the very first one!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Nursery Stuff
I hunted this up for friends who recently had a baby and showed it to dinner guests last night to see if anyone remembered what day of the week they'd been born. A gay guest hit the last two words, roared with laughter and said, "Oh, well - that explains it!"
Here's the poem:
Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child s full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child works hard for a living
And the child that is born on the Sabbath Day
is bonny and blithe and good and gay.
"Sabbath Day" indicates that this is a verrry old rhyme.
Here's the poem:
Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child s full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child works hard for a living
And the child that is born on the Sabbath Day
is bonny and blithe and good and gay.
"Sabbath Day" indicates that this is a verrry old rhyme.
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Day After Thanksgiving
Driving to the gym we noted that the Kiwanis tree lot had unloaded and set up a number of Christmas trees, but hadn't yet cut the individual trees out of their bindings.
You could have fired a cannon across the gym and not run any risk of hitting anyone.
Our route home takes us past Debbie and Jeff's Christmas Tree lot (last week it was Debbie and Jeff's Pumpkin Patch complete with two live chickens) where a big truck from Sun Valley, CA, was being unloaded. Richie spotted a woman overseeing the unloading and got all excited that maybe that was The Real Debbie.
Such is the excitement on the day after Thanksgiving here.
You could have fired a cannon across the gym and not run any risk of hitting anyone.
Our route home takes us past Debbie and Jeff's Christmas Tree lot (last week it was Debbie and Jeff's Pumpkin Patch complete with two live chickens) where a big truck from Sun Valley, CA, was being unloaded. Richie spotted a woman overseeing the unloading and got all excited that maybe that was The Real Debbie.
Such is the excitement on the day after Thanksgiving here.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Mandatory Phone Greeting onThanksgiving Day
Phone rings. You grab it and say this:
(gobble, gobble) Saaave me; saaave meeee" in a falsetto voice.
Guaranteed the caller will crack up.
(gobble, gobble) Saaave me; saaave meeee" in a falsetto voice.
Guaranteed the caller will crack up.
Toasties
According to Bon Appetit, this is what New Zealanders call a warm open-face sandwich. The recipe they gave is for AVOCADO TOASTIES WITH KIWI SALSA AND BACON
8 slices bacon, cooked, drained and set aside
Salsa
1 T plus 2 tsp. fresh lime juice - set aside the 2 tsp. juice for the avocado
1 teas. honey
3 large kiwis, peeled and cut into dice
1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro (seems like a lot, doesn't it?)
2 green onions, chopped
2 teas. hot sauce
Mix together and set aside
1 loaf ciabatta or pain rustique cut in half horizontally. Using a large griddle, put the bread cut-side down on it and "toast" it until it's the color you want.
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled - mash them with the 2 teas. lime juice
Spread the mashed avocado over the toasted bread, top with a slice of bacon and some salsa.
But I don't think New Zealanders then say, "Bon appetit!"
8 slices bacon, cooked, drained and set aside
Salsa
1 T plus 2 tsp. fresh lime juice - set aside the 2 tsp. juice for the avocado
1 teas. honey
3 large kiwis, peeled and cut into dice
1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro (seems like a lot, doesn't it?)
2 green onions, chopped
2 teas. hot sauce
Mix together and set aside
1 loaf ciabatta or pain rustique cut in half horizontally. Using a large griddle, put the bread cut-side down on it and "toast" it until it's the color you want.
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled - mash them with the 2 teas. lime juice
Spread the mashed avocado over the toasted bread, top with a slice of bacon and some salsa.
But I don't think New Zealanders then say, "Bon appetit!"
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Mothers and Daughters
First I read "Mama Makes Up Her Mind" by Bailey White. Unfortunately, I stupidly took it back to the library before I jotted down the publisher, number of pages (not many, it's a slim book) and price. Go to amazon.com; I did.
White seems to have made a cottage industry out of living in the South; she has at least four other books out. She writes about the vagaries of living in the South and with this one, pretty much living with her mother.
Her account of Mama's doings -- a Volkswagon stored on the front porch; Mama always sleeps on the back porch -- reminded me strongly of Big Edie and Little Edie Beale of "Grey Gardens" but she's just not quite as insane as they were. yet.
Next up was "Tip It" by Maggie Griffin. Apparently there is a television program called 'Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List" and her 90-something year old mother has frequently appeared on it.
Kathy wrote her own biography; so here is Mom's which is, by and large, a lecture; don't dress your little kids like tramps and 'hos; why Bill O'Reilly and Judge Judy are her heroes and the book is punctuated with "witty" asides from Kathy. Based on her interjections, I would think she's kind of an angry objector with 'way too much mouth. I'm sure she would call it "biting sarcasm." To which I would say, "Not."
There are also 'way too many references to gay people and their lifestyles. I wanted to say, "Uh, it's 2010 now? They're queer and they're here? What part of that don't you understand?"
White seems to have made a cottage industry out of living in the South; she has at least four other books out. She writes about the vagaries of living in the South and with this one, pretty much living with her mother.
Her account of Mama's doings -- a Volkswagon stored on the front porch; Mama always sleeps on the back porch -- reminded me strongly of Big Edie and Little Edie Beale of "Grey Gardens" but she's just not quite as insane as they were. yet.
Next up was "Tip It" by Maggie Griffin. Apparently there is a television program called 'Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List" and her 90-something year old mother has frequently appeared on it.
Kathy wrote her own biography; so here is Mom's which is, by and large, a lecture; don't dress your little kids like tramps and 'hos; why Bill O'Reilly and Judge Judy are her heroes and the book is punctuated with "witty" asides from Kathy. Based on her interjections, I would think she's kind of an angry objector with 'way too much mouth. I'm sure she would call it "biting sarcasm." To which I would say, "Not."
There are also 'way too many references to gay people and their lifestyles. I wanted to say, "Uh, it's 2010 now? They're queer and they're here? What part of that don't you understand?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
