Garlic Green Beans (a first for me)

Piling on to my previous post, I thought I'd elaborate about one of my side dishes, the garlic green beans.  I wanted something green to balance out turkey, stuffing and mac & cheese.  I had thought about bacon-wrapped asparagus, but the asparagus was all huge and dried out looking.  Yuck!  The Brussels sprouts and loose green beans were in much the same condition.  Zucchini was out since we had that all summer.  I was at a loss until I found a bag of green beans, already trimmed and ready to go.  Well almost ready.  You always have to look over your produce - even the bagged stuff.

Now, I'd had garlic green beans in a restaurant that I thought were good, so I pondered how one would make those.  I came up with cooking them until almost done then sauteing them with garlic.  I googled up some recipes and found one from Morton's Steakhouse in Atlanta that sounded like what I was after.  I minced 2 cloves of garlic and about half a shallot, and sauteed them in a mix of butter and olive oil.  When the garlic and shallots were softened and beginning to brown, I added the beans and tossed until the were done to my liking - tender but not mushy.  I'm not one for the crisp-tender vegetables.  I'm from the South ya know [grin] .  Anyway, the beans were a hit.  So pretty on the plate, and they held their green color very well.  

Here's the official recipe.

Next Up...Christmas!

Thanksgiving has now come and gone, and we are stuffed like the turkey himself.  We had two Thanksgivings and an "eat out" meal right in the middle of it all.  Not to mention the post-Thanksgiving pizza I made.  

Thanksgiving meal #1 was the traditional turkey with all the trimmings:  mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, curried onions (I think I referenced those in an earlier post), cranberry sauce, bread, and pumpkin pie.  That was all washed down with Deinhard Green Label Riesling.  Pretty tasty stuff, not as sweet as most German Rieslings, and without that dreadful petrol aroma/taste.  

Our second dinner was last night with friends.  They brought a turkey, and I did the sides and dessert:  Mac & cheese, stuffing, garlic green beans and pecan pie served with a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.  It was an all-around success, and a wonderful time as usual when we get together.  They also brought cranberry sauce and eggnog.  Now I have never tried eggnog, and was a skeptical participant in this holiday ritual.  I decided it was OK and tasted somewhat like melted vanilla ice cream.  Why not.  It's made with the same ingredients.  I added a bit of Captain Morgan to mine after I had sampled it straight up.  Either is fine, but the rum does give it an added something-something.

Now, Christmas is just 3 weeks away, and we get to turn around and do it all over again.  The cooking, the eating, the visiting, and the groaning after we've done too much of the eating.

Quote of the Week

Nothing is waste that makes a happy memory.

I saw this on a billboard in Stark, Florida on September 29, 2006, on our way home from vacation.  I take trip notes as we travel so I can remember things such as this, and I was struck by the truth of this statement.  An example might be the time spent enjoying a beautiful sunset instead of thinking about cleaning up after dinner.  So think back on all those happy memories, and remember what you were doing (or not doing).

A Day of Mourning!

Do you get really attached to your cars, or are they just a means to get around?  I remember very clearly the day I got my car.  It was April 17, 1997.  I had been shopping for at least two years for just the right car.  I tried out a Dodge Stratus, a Chrysler Cirrus, a Mercury Mystique, and window shopped many others.  I ended up test driving an Oldsmobile Cutlass, and almost got one but I didn't like the color of the only one they had.  I told the sales lady it was a fine car, but it was silver and I don't like silver cars. She couldn't understand that I would reject it because of the color.  I looked around the lot again and found a Cutlass Supreme SL - in Medium Beige Metallic.  When I drove it, there was no question that this was the car for me.  Now the car I was driving at the time was a Cutlass Ciera GT that I bought used at 3 years old.  Absolutely the greatest car on the planet at the time, but it was getting older, and  even though there was nothing wrong at the time, I didn't want to wait until it was critical to find something else .  So now I was getting a new car, the first since 1979.  We keep our cars a long time in my family.  

Since I was so emotionally attached to my Ciera, I decided this new car would be different.  It would be "just a car", and when the 7-year warranty expired, I would replace it.  In reality, though, that was enough time to fall in love so to speak.  I now have the 2nd greatest car on the planet.

Back to the day I actually got the car.  I remember calling Daddy to give him the news, and ask if he wanted to be here when they delivered my new car.  Boy was he surprised!  He knew I'd been looking, but was caught off guard by this apparent sudden purchase.  Well, sudden isn't exactly the word to describe this process, but he wasn't expecting it "so soon".  Of course, he came over, with his checkbook.  I was Daddy's girl, and he always insisted on helping buy my cars.  When they delivered it to my house and they drove my old one away, I hid in the bathroom in tears.  Wimpy, I know, but I loved that car!  

Now I stand at the crossroads between another car I love and the challenge of finding one to take its place.  It is a day of mourning for me.  Last night my beloved car of 12 years gave up the ghost...pause while I blubber some more, and swear that it'll be different next time, and a car will be just a car. 


Edited to add a visual:

 

 

Quote of the Week

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That's why we call it the present.  

- Babatunde Olatunji

What does this mean?  It means we should live each day fully with thanks and appreciation.  In doing so we ensure that our history has no regrets because no one knows what tomorrow holds in store.

Cheers to You!

A while back, around Halloween maybe, I mentioned our Cheers group, a bunch of friendly, wine-loving folks who get together about once a month to share wine, food and friendship.  I promised to tell the story of how we all came together.  I think it was late in the year 2004, a small wine shop called Carolina Winesellers opened in Lewisville, NC and they specialized in North Carolina wines.  That wasn't all they sold, but it was their primary focus.  This came at a time when, although there were local wineries that had been around for some years, the bulk of the North Carolina wines were just arriving on the scene.  As with most wine regions, it takes a while to get started.  The vines need some maturity  before they produce grapes that make good wine.  We tasted a lot of local wines over the next two years, much of which we found utterly lacking when compared to more mature areas such as Napa, and Europe.  Now, we wanted to support our local wine industry, but  the price point was far above the quality of wine being produced at that time.  That, I am happy to say, is changing.  There are now a number of fine wines being produced around the area. 

Anyway, back to the wine shop.  On most Saturdays there would be a tasting at the wine shop.  The owners are great folks and have become friends,  We would go quite often on Saturday afternoons and hang out around the tasting bar meeting people and talking about wine or whatever else was on our minds.  Unlike most retail shops, occasionally they would host wine dinners, and/or have other entertainment such as live music or movie night.  I think one night they showed Sideways (we'd already seen that, and while we enjoyed it, we didn't feel compelled to see it again).

I guess I should really get to the point.  After about 2 1/2 years they determined that they really weren't "making it".  The shop was essentially breaking even or paying for itself, but not contributing to the family income.  Since they had two boys still in school and were looking at college, they decided to sell the business or close up shop if they found no buyer. They sold wine by the glass and people started gathering there on Friday evenings.  During their last month or so of operation, they decided to have potlucks each Friday night.  Folks would bring appetizers, and buy wine.  We would sit around and get to know each other over wine and food.  Food always brings people together, and add a little wine (or more) since you always got your money's worth at Carolina.

As the days counted down to the close of the shop, we were filled with sadness because we had all come to love the shop and had made friends there.  Memorial weekend in 2007 was the last days of business, and on Memorial Monday, we all got together at the shop for a farewell cookout with hotdogs, hamburgers and everything imaginable to go along side, plus all the wine you could drink (within reason and legal limits of course).  It was on this day that we decided we wanted to stay together as a group.  This was just too good to give up, so we passed around a paper to collect e-mail addresses, and thus our group was born.  I don't know exactly who to credit with giving us our name, but several people remarked that we were like that group on the TV series Cheers.  It stuck!  Our get togethers are referred to Friday Night Cheers, although many times now it's held on Saturdays which is more convenient for some of us.  

Tonight was one of those nights.  Everyone (or couple) brings a bottle of wine and something to eat, either savory or sweet.  It is like the box of chocolates right out of Forrest Gump, because you never know what you're going to get, or who you're going to see.  Not everyone can come every time, but we are die hards and are there pretty much whenever the call goes out.  Tonight there was a selection of dips and crackers, smoked turkey (from Honky Tonk Pig on Jonestown Road), ham, rolls, a broccoli & cheese cornbread, shrimp, chips and salsa, and pecan pie.  I took pecan pie mini muffins that I made from a recipe I found on southernplate.com.  These were a hit, and I brought home an empty plate - always a good sign.  Wine wise, our theme for tonight was Pinot Noir and Gewurtzaminer (is it possible I spelled that correctly?)  There were a lot of Pinots, but I think only one Gewurtz.  There was a tasty Albarino.  Not holding with the theme, but very good nonetheless.  There is no right or wrong at Cheers...it's all good! As always, a good time was had by all, and that is how we came to be.  
Edited to correct spelling - it was a late night!

Thanksgiving Day and the Twice-Baked Turkey

Thanksgiving is a day of feasting, family and friends, and being thankful for all that we have.  It is a day steeped in tradition drawn from years of living, loving and giving.  Although we gather but once a year to celebrate our humble beginnings, we should live every day of the year with an attitude of gratitude.

One of the most memorable, or at least interesting Thanksgivings I can remember was at least 30 years ago.  My aunt, uncle and great aunt came down from New Hampshire as they always did - nothing unusual there. What made it interesting is that this is the Thanksgiving when we cooked the turkey two or three times.  Yeah, not the greatest plan I know, but it was a big turkey, probably 20 lbs. or so.  I don't know why we needed a turkey that big for six people.  However, when we were ready to dive into the feast, all the sides were hot and ready, and everyone was salivating over the thought of a scrumptious plate piled high with stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the other goodies that make this day different from the other 364 days of the year, the star of the show, Tom Turkey wasn't.  Parts of his parts were still undercooked.  Now what did we do with everyone waiting...we ate, of course.

We sliced off what was cooked and safe to eat, and put the rest back into the oven to cook for the next round of feasting.  Now I don't suggest using this method of preparation but it all worked out, and no one got sick.  I think that the third cooking involved the walkers and flappers (legs, thighs and wings) as the dark meat takes longer to cook.  Did I mention that this was a really big bird?

I'd love to hear your about your Thanksgiving adventures or traditions.  Please feel free to share.

Wine Lover's Club Monthly Meeting

Do any of you drink wine?  Maybe you enjoy a glass with dinner or like to share a special bottle (or several) with friends.  If you do, then maybe you'd enjoy being part of the American Wine Society by way of a local group of like-minded, friendly, wine loving folks known as the Wine Lover's Club.  We started out as the Lewisville Wine Society with meetings held at the former Carolina Winesellers shop in Lewisville.  We were soon the largest chapter in NC with 40+ members, although our numbers have diminished somewhat in part due to economic times and personal circumstances.  We would love to have you join us for a meeting to see what we're all about, and how much fun we have (you are allowed 3 visits before becoming members).

Here is a little about what went on tonight.  Since it is the week before Thanksgiving, we had the traditional turkey, stuffing and several versions of cranberry salad (made with cranberries, apples and other goodies), which I thought of as dessert since it was sweet.  The official dessert was raspberry brownies.  We were served 4 pinot noirs from California, Oregon and New York.  The objective was to taste each wine with each type of food and determine which we thought paired well.  That is not my strong suit, so I pretty much just enjoyed the food, wine and camaraderie.  I don't know, maybe my palate is just not as fine-tuned as a lot of folks.  I will say that I enjoyed 3 out of 4 wines and thought they went well enough with the food with the exception of the brownie.  I just don't care for a dry red wine with chocolate in most cases. 

In light of the fact that we had hot, tasty food to enjoy, we held the meeting in reverse in that we had our food and wine before attending to business.

Meeting information:
We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at Sociale located at 380 Knollwood Street, Winston-Salem, NC at 7:00 p.m. [update:  this location information no longer valid]

Quote of the Week

I decided I wanted to blog because I thought I had something worth sharing. However, you are only sharing if people are reading. 

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. 

- Cyril Connolly

I suppose this sums up my writing up to this point.  An audience must be earned, so I'll continue to post whatever moves me at the moment and see where it leads me.

Saturday in the Park

Yesterday friends and family gathered at Tanglewood Park to celebrate a birthday.  The birthday boy was a whopping 6 years old.  It was a beautiful day considering it is the middle of November, and we were just out of a mini-monsoon season courtesy of Ida.  Birthday-boy's Dad made a wonderful devil's food cake with homemade praline & chocolate icings.  It was rich and wonderful and oh so filling.  It hit the spot and was sure to cure any sweet tooth for miles around.  He claims not to be a cook, but you know when he's in the kitchen there will be something delicious on the table.  BDB's Mom made him a round brownie color wheel cake.  BDB doesn't eat just anything...

We were the only ones not directly related to BDB.  Others there were his grandparents (Dad's side), his other grandfather, his aunt, uncle and two cousins, Mom, Dad and older brother. We watched him open his presents, and play with a radio-controlled car that belonged to his grandfather.  After everyone had had their fill of cake, soda and playtime, we packed up the stuff, and toddled off for a walk to look at the Christmas lights.  I'd never seen the lights at Tanglewood before.  After breaking off and going in separate directions, we all eventually met back up at the cars.  By that time it had gotten dark, and the lights were really pretty.  We made a slow drive out enjoying the scenery.  We decided to forego the pizza we had planned for dinner in favor of a quick dinner out at a Mexican restaurant in Clemmons.  We hadn't eaten at Cozumel in years, but we used to like it a lot. We split a 3-enchilada plate with extra rice and beans.

Not to worry that we were deprived, however we had the pizza tonight. Yum!

A Lunar Vacation?

I just heard that there is water on the moon.  Now why it has taken NASA and a whole host of scientists 40 years to discover this, I'm not sure.  But what a breakthrough.  This could be the resort of the future, the Lunar Riveria.

Let's think about this.  We need transportation, shuttle pilots, flight attendants, gourmet food service and in-flight movies, which means more shuttles, larger accommodations, more pilots (read astronauts) and flight attendants. To build the resort, we need engineers, architects and plumbers trained in minimal gravity design...think toilets.   We don't want that stuff flowing upstream now do we?

As for electricity, how would we produce that in space.  Burn coal?  Can't.  Fire won't burn without oxygen.  Besides we've already polluted one planet.  Let's hope we've learned something.  As far as I can tell, there is no wind on the moon, so wind-generated power is not an option.  I know, how about giant solar panels so we can capture solar energy and store it.  If you can store heated water, and power lights and radios, there should be a way to power other things.  This is not new technology.  The concept of solar energy has been around for many years.  As a child I had a solar powered radio - actually I still have it, and it still works.  However, the methods of collecting it, storing it and using it have surely improved over the years.

All of these measures have no consequence, if we cannot breathe.  This brings us to greatest obstacle - how do we get oxygen in adequate supply for survival?  Possibly large tanks of oxygen and a distribution system?  Too bad we can't pipe it in like natural gas. Picture that pipeline!  To go outside one would need to don a space suit in order to survive the lack of air pressure.  Otherwise all the liquid in your body would boil, and what happens next would not be pretty.  There is an up side to this.  The fashion designers would all be competing to come up with the hottest new line of space apparel. Good-bye itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini.  I guess space age swim suits would kinda take the fun out of things - at least for the guys!  That's a argument for indoor swimming pools - heated with the solar panels, especially given that there is an approximate 500 degree swing in temperatures on the moon's surface.  Bottom line is step foot outside without protective gear and you're dead!

At this point I am thinking we need a much larger shuttle system involving cargo transports for the building materials, oxygen tanks, solar panels and storage units, contractors, etc. and that is just to provide life-sustaining structures.  

Speaking of life-sustaining measures, what about food? In such extreme conditions, crops can't be grown or or livestock raised, so all food would have to be transported from earth.  This would definitely require more transports and create more jobs.

This is just the beginning... Financially speaking, your Lunar Riveria getaway will make a Hawaiian vacation seem like a trip to Walmart, and cause your credit cards to expire on the spot.  So, who's paying for this adventure?  There are many questions unanswered...after all we just discovered that there is water on the moon.

Rainy Day Ramblings

It's a rainy afternoon, and my gas tank is on Empty.  Is that a sign?  So where did all this rain come from anyway?  Only Ida knows, as she blew into Alabama early this morning.  We've had such good weather here lately that I hadn't been keeping up with the national weather scene.  I've spent much time in the yard cleaning up after Mother Nature as the trees eject their dying leaves.  Yes, that's right.  The trees kick the leaves out to dry up and wither away, sucked up and hauled off to become mulch in someone else's yard across the street or across town.

Yes, I am rambling today, but I don't have any big sales to talk about, no community events to invite you to, and no coupons or rebates to tempt the bargain hunters.  It's just me musing on the day.  I went to the Y for my Zumba class, and for lunch I had a tasty chicken salad sandwich prepared fresh from my kitchen.  OK, I'll admit it, I used canned chicken, but it is good.  I used Valley Fresh all natural white and dark meat.  I get it at Wal-Mart for about $2 for a 10-oz can.  It has less salt per serving than the other brands and is made with both white and dark meat which gives it more flavor.  In my book that means more bang for your buck.  Add that to whole grain bread and you've got a healthy lunch, or at least reasonably so - I did use mayonnaise, and garlic pepper for seasoning.

The big question that remains is am I going to brave the rain and get gas, and possibly go to Wal-Mart, or just tell myself there's nothing I need that badly, and hang inside until the rain stops.  From the looks of the radar that's going to be a while.

Pause while I check out the noise in the kitchen.  Well, that was exciting, at least for one of the cats.  Sophie was eating, and a sharp crashing sound nearly scared the fur off of her.  Food went flying and water sloshed into the food bowl.  So much for that - soggy food goes into the trash can.  What happened was I have a decorative item on the ceramic tile in my kitchen held on by a small suction cup.  Every now and then it turns loose and hits the counter.  Not really a big deal unless you're a skittish feline twit.  What can I say, she's our twit!

click to enlarge

Here she is with one of her favorite toys.  It was Rosie's toy, a fishing pole we brought back from a shop in San Diego. But Sophie took it over, and promptly ate about 8 inches off the end.  I picked it up one day and noticed it was considerably shorter.  When I couldn't find the missing length, we were pretty sure we knew what had happened to it.  Sure enough, after several days it showed up - I won't say where but I know you know.  Needless to say, she doesn't get to play with that anymore.  Oh, and that's not all she's eaten...

Quote of the Week

Friends are family you choose for yourself. -  Author Unknown

This is very true.  I have some self-chosen family myself. My best friend and I have known each other since childhood, and have been close all of our adult lives.  She is like the sister I never had, so her family is my family.  I chose well.

A Veteran's Day Thank You

Wednesday, November 11, is Veteran's Day, and several Winston-Salem restaurants are saying "Thank You" to those who have served our country and those currently on active duty.  

Applebee's is offering all Veterans and active duty military a free entree with proof of military service.

Outback is giving a free Bloomin' onion and beverage (non-alcoholic or a draft beer) with proof of military service.

Krispy Kreme is giving free doughnuts to all Veterans and active duty military.

Golden Corral is honoring our nation's Veterans on November 16 with a free dinner buffet between the hours of 5-9 p.m.  They are doing this the Monday following Veterans Day so as not to conflict with other offers.

This would be a good time to join the special Veteran(s) in your life for dinner (or a doughnut).  See the websites for details.

Charitable Donations Needs for the Winston-Salem Area

This is the time of year when the needs of others should stand out in stark relief against the backdrop of the sparkling Holiday Season.  Too much time, energy and money are poured into "keeping up Joneses" so to speak.  Every Christmas there are ads all over TV for individual "gift ideas" that just one alone, would deplete the holiday gift-giving budget for many.  We are made to feel cheap if we don't give to everyone, right down to the mailman and the trash collector.  Next thing you know we'll be sending gifts to the tax collector for sending out our tax bills.  I guess that is an exaggeration, but not by much.

Now you may say that it is better give than receive, and I agree wholeheartedly.  That brings me to the point of this post.  I have compiled the following list of organizations that need our help.  The need is there 365 days a year, but during the Holidays it is much more evident when there are families who have to choose between having heat, food and medications, and are unable to buy even the smallest gifts for their children.

I don't want to sound preachy or self-righteous. I'm not rich or perfect, and I am certainly not pointing fingers, nor am I trying guilt you into digger deeper than you can afford. Only you know what you can do. I just want to bring to the forefront some of the ways in which we can help make Christmas a little brighter for some.  See the end of post for ways to stretch your donation dollar.

This information was gathered from the Seasons Greetings NC website, and this a partial list of organizations and their needs' lists.  For more details and contact information, please visit the website.

Bethesda Center for the Homeless 930 N. Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27101, 722-9951.  http://www.bethesdacenter.org

Needed: Cash donations to help pay for winter utilities, such items as socks, ear muffs, first-aid supplies, handkerchiefs, winter wear (hats, gloves, scarves for men and women); toiletries, new or used blankets, bath towels, soap and shampoo. 

The Children’s Home Inc. 1001 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104-3200, 336-721-7600.   http://www.tchome.org.

Needed: Monetary donations, item donations and volunteers throughout the year. Christmas gifts such as toys, games, sports equipment, clothes for ages 0-18.

Crisis Control Ministry Inc. 200 E. 10th St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101, 724-7875.  http://www.crisiscontrolministry.org

Needed: Canned juice, nonperishable food items for the food pantry, and money. Shampoo, toothpaste, razors, baby products, washing detergent, donations.  

Elizabeth and Tab Williams Adult Day Center (formerly the Senior Services Adult Day Care and Alzheimer’s Center), 231 Melrose St., Winston-Salem, NC 27103, 724-2155.

Needed: Such gifts for clients as women’s and men’s handkerchiefs, gloves, scarves, warm hats, toiletries, shaving items, bingo prizes, socks, hand lotion, craft supplies and colorful seasonal paper supplies for meals and snacks such as napkins and paper plates.

Family Services Shelter P.O. Box 604, Winston-Salem, NC 27102, 724-3979.

Needed: Money and such gifts for women and children as dishes, pots and pans, flatware, glasses, irons and ironing boards; kitchen appliances; towel sets, dishcloths, new pillows, sheet sets, blankets and comforters (twin and full); baby items; sanitary napkins and tampons; laundry baskets, alarm clocks, flashlights, batteries, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizers, car emergency/safety kits, hair dryers, hair products, bedroom slippers, socks, flip flops, underwear, umbrellas, phone cards, gift cards, grocery gift cards, reading glasses (+1.75, +2.00, +2.50, +3.00); new smoke alarms, space heaters, fans and family games/playing cards. Monetary gifts are always appreciated. No used clothing accepted.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina 3655 Reed St., Winston-Salem, NC 27107, 784-5770.  http://www.hungernwnc.org

Needed: Food and Food Drives: Canned meats, soups, fruits and vegetables; packaged rice and pasta; canned tomato sauce and stews; peanut butter.

Silas Creek Manor 3350 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, 765-0550.

Needed: Hats, ball caps, handkerchiefs, costume jewelry, small games, playing cards, lap blankets, soap, hair products, lotion and wrapping paper. Radios and cassette players.

Winston-Salem Rescue Mission 717 Oak St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101, 723-1848.   http://www.wsrescue.org.

Needed: Underwear, handkerchiefs, socks, disposable razors, flannel shirts, especially sizes extra large and 2X, gloves, deodorant, shaving cream, bath soap and plastic soap holders, toothbrushes and plastic holders for toothbrushes, toothpaste, nail clippers, foot powder and staple foods. Money for Christmas gifts and dinner are needed as well as unwrapped Christmas gifts.

Winston-Salem Rehabilitation and Health Care Center  1900 W. First St., Winston-Salem, NC 27104, 724-2821.

Needed: Donations of lotions, jogging suits, Kleenex, socks, clocks, throws, large-print books and word-search puzzles are needed.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of needs to be met.  Topping the list are cash, food, toiletries and personal care items, and winter clothing.
 
For all you "couponers" out there, here is where you can use your money-saving skills to build up donation boxes, bags, baskets, or unload some of your bounty from recent bargain hunting.  If you are new to the whole coupon-clipping, rebate-seeking concept, there are several good sites that have coupon/sale matchups, and they give you the heads up on where to get the best deals.  The more you give, the more you get, and the more you get, the more you can give.  Hip to Save and Southern Savers can get you started in the right direction. 

You may want to bookmark this post to refer to as you make your shopping list, and as always, please feel free to share your ideas and experiences.

Time Out For Lunch

I took time out for a long lunch today with a friend from exercise classes at the Y.  We met a few years ago while waiting in the hall waiting for our class to start.  She had just moved back to North Carolina from Switzerland.  We do a lot of the same classes including Zumba.  If you haven't heard of Zumba, it is half dance and half aerobics done to Latin-style music

Anyway, we get together occasionally for lunch, and today it was La Botana, located just off Hanes Mall Blvd. about a block from Jonestown Road.  It is a small place with friendly staff, good service and very tasty food.  They serve up a variety of Mexican fare.  We both had the chicken enchiladas verde.  Tender chicken rolled in tortillas covered in a piquant verde sauce, served with rice and salad on the side.  I can't elaborate on the rest of the menu, as the lighting wasn't great and I didn't have my glasses, but if this is any indication of the rest, it is definitely worth a return visit.

It was nice to just sit and talk for a while and a great way to de-stress in the middle of an otherwise busy week.  If you like good Mexican food, and you haven't already tried La Botana, you should check it out.

Raffaldini Vineyards

Wanna be a winemaker?  Raffaldini Vineyards in Rhonda, NC invites you to come and blend your own red wine each weekend now through December 6.  Sessions will be held 1-3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  There will be a tasting of several single varietal wines led by owner Jay Raffaldini, and then participants will mix their own blend.  Each blend will be tasted by the winery, and the best one will be chosen to be the next Bella Misto blend.  The 2007 blend won a gold medal at the Lodi International Wine Competition in Lodi, CA.

Cost is $15 per person, and sessions are filling up fast so call 336-853-9463 to make your reservation now.  Who knows, you could be the maker of the next Bella Misto.

Please see website for directions and more details.

There's a New Restaurant in Town!

Let's celebrate the grand opening of Senor Bravo, located at 241 S. Marshall Street in Winston-Salem (former South By Southwest location).  Senor Bravo is owned and operated by the same folks who run Las Estrellas on Silas Creek Parkway.  I understand there is about a 60% overlap between the two menus, and the larger kitchen at Senor Bravo will allow a wider variety of authentic Mexican fare.

While I haven't had the chance to eat there yet, I've read good things about it, and I'm looking forward to checking it out.  To make it even more tempting, there is a coupon in today's Winston-Salem Journal good for 15% off on your next visit.  Please leave a note in the comment section if you go.  I'd love to pass the word!

Quote of the Week

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

- Mary Engelbreit

I think this is something we should all take to heart.  I know I should because no matter how much I know something is what it is, and I can't change it, I still waste way too much time and energy fighting it.  This is, in fact, not healthy either mentally or physically.  How we think about things can make a difference.

A Dreary Weekend

It is already November - can you believe it? I'm telling you the older I get the faster time seems to fly.  Now the years are shorter, and the days (and nights) never seem to have enough hours in them.  Alas, there is no formula for slowing down time.  If there were, some one of us would be richer for it.  Still, there are days we may not want to slow down.  

Anyway, I should get on with the point of this post.  I used to write poetry, or at least I dabbled at it from time to time.  Still do when the spirit moves me.  I wrote one a long time ago about a gray November day.  Now we rarely have snow here in November, but it can still put a chill in your bones.

November Gray

Cold and windy, bleak and gray
What more can you ask
Of a November day
Snow clouds and chickadees
Creep in and settle down
Ore the mountains and valleys alike
The last of the leaves
Crinkled with age
Are carelessly blown astray
Gentle flakes begin to fall
And blankets the earth in
Snowy white
To everyone, tall or small
It brings peals of laughter and delight
And adds some warmth to a
Dreary day dressed only in
November gray