Quote of the Week

We don't always get to where we want to go, but we always get to where we're going.

- Robert Brault

I think this pretty much speaks for itself.  We can choose our own path, and plan our future but life's bumps along the way may affect where we end up.  Nevertheless, we always get there, where ever our "there" happens to be.

Valentine's Day...Dinner?

Today is Valentine's Day, whether you celebrate it or not.  Apparently a lot of people do according to the wait times and packed parking lot at every restaurant we tried.  We drove through a half dozen parking lots and actually went in to check wait times at two.  First we tried Texas Land & Cattle.  They had a 25 minute wait, which some days is not too bad, but it was getting late and we were already hungry.  Next on the list was Macaroni Grill.  We drove through the parking lot and past the door.  Too many people standing around.  On to TGI Friday's.  They had a 30 minute wait.  Same story, and we didn't want to wait.  We drove past O'Charley's, and saw the same pickup that had been leaving the Macaroni Grill parking lot when we drove through.  The driver had apparently sent his lady friend in to check the wait.  She came out and got back in the truck.  That told us all we needed to know.  We thought about a couple other places, but our style was rapidly going downhill as fast as our hunger was growing.  So we ended up going home...without dinner.  Thanks for the ride!  We still had our sense of humor, thanks in part, to a well-stocked freezer and a gas grill.  

You may ask why, knowing that it was Valentine's Day, and a huge dine-out day, did we wait until so late to decide to go.  It was just one of those days, and I was feeling a bit off.  Not bad, just off, and wasn't sure what I wanted to do.  By the time I came to the conclusion it would be just fine with me to go out, we were getting hungry and still needed to decide where to eat.  I narrowed it down to the three places where I had some type of coupon.  In the end, I would have settled for anywhere we could get in and eat before we were too weak from hunger to get out of the truck.  

So what did we finally eat?  Before we got into the house, the grill was lit.  I popped some tater tots into the toaster oven, and pulled some salmon burgers from the freezer.  Yes, the Trident ones from Costco (the same folks that make those yummy fish sticks).  I tossed those on the grill for 8 minutes, made up some of my special sauce and we were good.  We washed that down with the remains of last night's wine - Spanish Quarter, a Chardonnay and Albarino blend.  It was great with last night's crab cakes (review in progress).  It might not have been the fanciest Valentine's dinner ever, but it hit the spot.  Some of the best meals really are had at home. 
I hope you all had a wonderful day, no matter what you did.

What a Winter

This is the most snow, or number of snows (4 so far), we've seen around here in years, so I guess we're due.  The snow and all the rain we had this fall and winter has offset the years of drought, and brought the water levels up to normal or above.  That's a good thing.  It was getting scary when the weeks and months went by without measurable rainfall.  Even though we only got an inch or so this time, it made for some really good pictures.

 

These are the seed pods from our Poplar tree, filled with snow.  They look like snow cones.

 

View up the driveway.

The snow came with the night, and the day dawned clear, but it was still cold and windy.  Thankfully, though, it was not like last Wednesday with 50+ mph winds.  We do pick great days to car shop!

A Lunar Vacation Part II

Remember the new Lunar vacation  spot, the hottest or coolest new getaway scene?  It seems that the monetary cost is not the only price to be paid. Another danger to be considered may be even more difficult.  With extended time in space we lose bone density - kind of like a rapid onset of osteoporosis, and weightlessness, or zero gravity, is the culprit.  How do we combat that for the chance to vacation among the stars, other than Hollywood, of course. A possible solution?   If we can simulate weightlessness here on earth for the purpose of space training, then isn't it possible to simulate gravity in outer space?  This is where it does take a rocket scientist to figure it out.  However, I can envision a large arena, covered and climate controlled to keep our bodies on an even keel.  Filled with oxygen and whatever science has discovered to keep our feet firmly on the floor.  Think of the walled cities from centuries ago, only with a roof as well.  Everything you could need contained within, and going outside is dangerous.  Looks like sometimes we have to go back to go forward.

Another thing has come up, and this is an area for the space wear fashion designers.  We need outfits that are some two inches longer than our earthly clothes.  Why?  Well, it is a known fact, at least to the space bound, that the human body grows two inches over the course of a 12-week exposure to zero gravity.  Bone loss and height increases are both attributable to weightlessness.  There is nothing pulling you down, so your bones reconfigure themselves to adapt to their new circumstances.  Your height will return to normal back on earth, and scientists are working on ways to prevent the bone loss.  It's not likely that any of this will be a serious problem for the casual visitor.  Heck, we can't afford to stay long enough to be affected.  The full-timers do have a problem, though.  So bring on those shuttles, rocket scientists, engineers and fashion designers and lets get busy.  The ultimate vacation awaits. 

Does Your Bathroom Need a Pet Door?

Seriously.  I suppose y'all think I'm nuts for asking such a question, but if you live with cats or at least cats like ours, you know what I'm talking about.  We have three cats, and some days it's like Grand Central Station in and out of our bathroom.  They won't close the door when come and go, so out goes my heat and I end up shivering in the shower, well at least after my shower anyway.  Are your cats like that?

OK, just latch the door you say.  Ha!  You don't know our cats, do you.  Sophie will beat her head or some other body part (I can't tell because I'm in the shower at that point) up against the door until the offending door is opened for her - by someone else when he gets tired of the racket or worries that she'll beat her brains out (no comment).

Quite often when she realizes someone's going into the bathroom, she gets up and heads in to get her attention.  She'll put her head down and pretend she's going to roll over to one side, then switches to the other side - ha! faked you out.  This is prime petting time for her, and she doesn't always leave when you leave, she just waits for the next visitor.  She's been known to spend hours in there.  Sometimes she stays during the shower.  If she's already in there when get ready to start my shower, I latch the door.  She's usually OK with that, and it means I stay warm.

Here's Sophie holding court in the bathroom.

Dood, on the other hand, will just lay quietly on the other said of the closed door, waiting.  He is the patient one of the bunch.  If the door is not latched, he'll come in and sit and stare at the shower curtain.  Hmmm, what's going on in there?  I wonder if he's surprised when I peak out at him?  Then he'll leave and come back and leave again.  See why I think our bathroom needs a pet door?  There's too much in-ing and out-ing going on, and it's not unusual to have more than one in at a time.

If the door is closed and Rosie wants in, he'll sit outside and cry...er meow.  Nah, Rosie never "meows".  He has his own language with an extensive vocabulary.  He'll occasionally stay in the bathroom for showers too.  Sometimes, I find him in the small space between the tub and the toilet.  No idea why that particular spot appeals to him but I do believe he feels warmer in there.  He has long, silky hair without the undercoat most cats have, so he feels the cold more than the others.

I guess to sum it up, all of our cats, even those who have gone on, have enjoyed bathroom visiting for whatever reason.  I'd love to hear your cat stories!

Edited to add the pics.

Change back from your dime!

Think I'm kidding?  What, you ask, can you get for under 10 cents?  Well, I was in CVS picking up a prescription for my hubby, and I had these Extra Bucks that were going to expire soon.  Now I wasn't about to let that happen.  No siree, that's money!  So I started looking around the store for something I wanted, needed, someone else needed, but I came up empty, not even a Valentine card.  I was about to walk out when I decided to hit the food aisle.  No, I don't usually buy food at a drug store, but sometimes you get lucky.  Now, I had $3 in Extra Bucks and the DAK canned hams just happened to be on sale for, you guessed it, $3.  That's not the brand I normally buy, so I was going to pass.  I walked a bit further up the aisle and spotted small boxes of Wheat Thins for $1 each (marked down from $1.99).  It just so happened that I had a coupon for $2 off any 2 boxes of Nabisco snack crackers (no size or variety restrictions).  I couldn't pass that up - 2 free boxes of crackers.  Thinking just how great a deal it would be to get the ham with my Extra Bucks and free crackers, I went back for the ham.  After the EBs and coupon, my subtotal was $0.00, and I paid only tax.  And that, folks, is how I got change back from my dime.  I mean it didn't seem right to swipe my card for 8 cents.

Good things come to those who coupon.

Giving Plastic a New Life

A ban went into effect on October 1, 2009 requiring all plastic bottles such as soda bottles, milk and laundry detergent containers, etc. to be recycled rather than tossed into the garbage.  This posed no problem for the folks of Winston-Salem.  City residents have been recycling at a rate of 84%.  The city's curb-based recycling program makes that easy.  It is not so easy for people outside the city limits where there is no curbside pickup.  One company is working to make recycling available for their customers.  Rural Garbage Services, Inc. which services eastern Forsyth Co. is currently providing that service for free, with pickup of recyclables on regular trash collection days.  Chris Parrish, president, says he has been an environmentalist and recycling for years, and will continue to provide this service until there is a better solution.

While the ban on disposing of plastics is difficult to enforce, it does encourage recycling.  The success of this can be measured by the amount of plastic collected.  For the one-year period from September 2008 - September 2009, collection averaged 14,000 lbs. per month and increased to 19,000 per month for the first three months following the ban.  

There is a huge market for plastics to recycle, and North Carolina has some of the largest processors, with a new plant under construction in Fayetteville.  With one out of two bottles going to China, it leaves the US fighting for recyclables  The ban should help us retain more for our own use.  There are many items made with recycled plastic such as flower pots, strapping, tiles, plastic furniture, and yes, even new plastic bottles.  

While there is an expense to collecting and recycling these items, and a it is a much discussed issue between city and county officials, it does help extend the life of our landfills by not filling them with unnecessary items.  

So please help give used plastic a new life.  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle today.  For more information see the full story in the Winston-Salem Journal, or my original post on the ban.

Quote of the Week

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.  - African Proverb

I've had a tough time with this one, trying to find the deeper meaning here and express it successfully.  I think it means that if you are at peace with yourself, if you are not torn or conflicted by things going on in your life, then you will be better prepared to weather the ups and downs of life and less likely to fall victim to the wrath of others.  This state of being, however, will not protect you from the physical side of living.



 

Just Messin' Around

If things look different at times, it is because I'm messing around with colors, fonts, pictures, etc.  Maybe I'll come up with something I like better.  This is a work in progress with a lot of experimentation going on, so don't be surprised and think you've landed in the wrong place. 

For your viewing pleasure, here is a gorgeous sunset from last year.

  View from my front door

Snow Again!

It's not your average winter here in North Carolina.  I mean we do get snow and sometimes a lot of it all at once, but that doesn't happen every year, and some years we're lucky (or unlucky if you dislike snow) if we get a dusting.  This is an unusual winter because we've had three ground-covering snows since the middle of December.  We even had a white Christmas thanks to the deep freeze that descended on us after that first snowfall.  Lots of times it snows, and the next day the temperature is 50 degrees.  Bye-bye snow!

Not this year.  No sir.  Why we even went sledding.  I dusted off my nearly antique sled, waxed the runners and took off.  We bundled up and went over to Ashley's to sled on their street.  Unfortunately, since I said we wouldn't be able to go sledding by 11 a.m. they made other plans.  [pouty face].  They did stay and sled for about 20 min. before they really had to leave.  They said "Go to Mt. Carmel".  There is a hill there beside the church that is just the best for sledding.  We weren't first.  There were lots of kids (big and little if you know what I mean).  We were among the "big" ones.  My sled did OK, but it is made more for street sledding where the snow is really packed down and slick.  This hill was snow-covered grass but it had been semi-packed by the tube sleds.  Those are great, by the way.  We borrowed one for a few trips down the hill, and it was a wild ride.  You end up spinning around and flying down the hill backwards.  It leveled out to a flat straight away and some tall grass before you go into the woods.  Such fun.

Later I paid for that fun with sore muscles over the entire body.  I'm not too old for this.  Repeat.  I'm not too old for this.  I have recovered and would do it again except now all we have is white slush, and we are engulfed in a cold rain.

Here are some more pics from the last snow on Sunday after the sun came out.  Compare with these.  What a difference the sun makes!

View from the front door.

Street view looking left.

  

Street view looking right.

Here is what it looks like today.  We got about 2.5 inches of snow overnight, and the road was snow covered about 7 a.m., and then the rain started.  These were taken around 11:30.

Today's view from the front door.

Slushy footprints on the sidewalk.

Is the Eggo Shortage Affecting You?

A while back I started seeing signs in the grocery stores about a shortage of Eggos.  I hadn't noticed, nor had I seen anything in the paper.  Now I don't read the paper word for word, cover to cover, but you'd think I would have seen the Eggo thing. Oh well.  We do eat Eggos, but we'd been getting them from Costco in the 60-count box, and up until the last month they had a good supply.  Now our supply was cut off.  I found a few boxes in the grocery stores for the outrageous sum of $4.99 for a "family-sized" box of maybe 16-20.  We pay $6-7 for the big box.

We decided to try the Kirkland brand 60-count waffles that Costco had as a replacement for Eggos.  Now we're getting to the heart of this post.  We had two Eggos left so we opened the Kirklands and did a side-by-side taste/texture test.  They are two completely different products.  The Kirklands, in taste and texture, are more like homemade waffles, but drier and less flavorful.  The Eggos, to me, have never been really waffle-like, so I eat them like toast, with just butter.  OK, laugh at me, but that's what I've always done, and I like them that way.  The Kirklands are not that great that way, so I do the butter/syrup thing  The problem is that I make homemade waffles every Sunday morning which we eat with butter and syrup, and thus it is just more of the same.  This doesn't affect my DH, though.  He always eats Eggos that way.  The weirdness is all me. 

Here is an excerpt from the Eggos website about the situation and the outlook on getting Eggos back on the shelves:

Kellogg Company recently experienced supply constraints caused by flood damage at our bakery in Atlanta. In addition, we’ve been making significant equipment enhancements and repairs in our largest waffle bakery. Unfortunately, this is taking longer than anticipated.

The Eggo™ team is working around the clock to bring everyone’s favorite waffles back to store shelves as quickly as possible. We hope to regain full distribution of Eggo® products by the middle of 2010. This is a top priority for Kellogg Company.

Click here to receive periodic updates from the Eggo® brand about your favorite products, including news about when they will be back on shelf, or for more information, call 866-971-3320. Thank you for your patience during this time, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Don't get me wrong, both are good products, I just enjoy them in different ways, so yes, the Eggo shortage is affecting me.  How about you?  Is it affecting you, and what you are buying in place of Eggos. 

Eating Out For Less!

We all like to eat out now and then, and now we can do it for less.  Restaurant.com offers deeply discounted gift certificates of $10, $25, $50 (and up) to many restaurants.  For example, you can get a $25 certificate for $10.  After the initial purchase, that equals a $15 savings.  Go here to see what restaurants are available near you, and enjoy the savings.  Just enter your zip code (or any zip code where you will be dining) in the "Find a Restaurant and Save" box.

Now here's where it gets even better.  These certificates go on sale every so often for up to 80% off.  That makes a $25 certificate only $2  Wow!  I got a $10 one for La Botana for just 80 cents.  We used it Monday and got $10 off our $21 total.  We had two entrees and one beer on the bill.  The meal was delicious, by the way. 

Just to be clear, there are restrictions such as a minimum purchase amount, and some restaurants do not include alcohol in the required purchase amount, so read carefully before you select your certificate.  They e-mail you the certificates and you print them out, so you don't have to wait for snail mail.  They make great gifts, too.

Treat Your Sweetie!

Valentine's Day is a couple week's away so there's still time to plan a special evening, that is if you are inclined to celebrate.  It is not a serious holiday for us, meaning that we are not consistent in our celebrating.  Sometimes we go out for dinner, sometimes I cook.  Sometimes we exchange cards, sometimes we don't.  Occasionally there are flowers or gifts, but more often not.  Now we do have a good excuse for our lack of heart-shaped enthusiasm.  We both have birthdays in February, and we actually met in February 1986, so we have a lot more meaningful dates to celebrate.

That's not to say that there haven't been any special V-days or never any surprises.  One year I got a big balloon and some candy (Hershey's dark chocolate kisses).  Was that the year I got flowers, too?  After nearly 23 years together, the lines between the years begins to blur a bit.

Anyway, one dinner I clearly remember was in 2005 (I kept notes on that).  I had a recipe that I'd been wanting to try, and Valentine's seemed like the perfect occasion.  It is from Southern Living's Easy Weeknight Favorites.  Everything I'd made from this book was good so I figured this would be too, and it was.

I got a couple filet mignons from the Fresh Market just to make sure I started out with good quality.  That, of course, was when I didn't have to go across town to get there.  The recipe is for four steaks but if you're just cooking for two as I was, it's OK, just make the gravy as instructed. You'll just have a little more gravy for your potatoes.

I followed the recipe to a tee, and those were probably the best steaks I ever made.  My side dishes were homemade mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.  I had French bread (probably from the Fresh Market as well) and a nice Cabernet to wash it down.

Now I know we had dessert, but please forgive me, I don't remember what it was.  If it comes to me, I'll update with that critical information.  Here is the recipe.  I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did. 

 Happy Valentine's Day!







Filet Mignon with Horseradish Gravy

4 (5 oz.) beef tenderloin steaks

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 (3/4 oz.) package brown gravy mix

½ cup water

½ cup red wine

2 ½ TB prepared horseradish

1 (8 oz.) package fresh mushrooms, sliced

Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.  Add steaks to hot skillet; cook 1 minute on each side.  Place steaks in a greased small baking dish.  Add gravy mix and next 3 ingredients to skillet.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Stir in mushrooms.  Pour mixture over steaks.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or to desired doneness.  Yield:  4 servings.

Notes:  The times in this recipe work with 1-inch steaks to give you a perfect medium.  Allow more time for thicker cuts or more doneness.  You may also make your own gravy from scratch and then add the wine.  The package makes about 1 cup of gravy.

The Quest Continues

In spite of the wintry blast we received this past weekend, the quest for wheels continued today.  At least our sales guy didn't come out and say, "Oh it's you again".  The search seems never ending.  Today was another round of SUVs.  As you recall, last time it was the Highlander and Escape.  Now it was a 2002 CR-V and a 2003 RAV4.  Both were great vehicles and I didn't dislike either, other than the color, they were both black.  

I should state that the terms I use when describing steering are not technical terms, but just me trying to describe how it feels compared to other vehicles, and that aspect that is important to me.

The RAV4 steering had a softer feel than I have been used to, and the 2.0 litre engine seemed to lack get up and go on the highway.  There were some nice features including front wheel drive,  the outside temperature and a compass on the rear view mirror, the gear stick was on the floor, and it had a center console, albeit a small one.

The CR-V had a nicer ride, it seemed more solid on the road (it was a 4WD and had a 2.4 litre engine), and the steering was more solid, too, although my DH didn't like it as well.  The gear stick was on the dash, which is not my choice, but it was OK.  It did not have a console, but a cup holder/tray that would fold down to allow access to the back seat. Helpful, but I would prefer a console.  I went down some streets that were not cleared, but not slick.  It powered through with no problem.  On the highway, I felt secure, and it had good power and smooth acceleration.

With regard to ease of parking, I honestly didn't park the RAV4 other than just to stop in an empty parking lot to change drivers.  I successfully parked the CR-V between two cars in a 90 degree spot.  I cheated and pulled through instead of backing up, so I parked again but this time beside a car with no car on the passenger's side.  I find that the shorter wheelbase and tighter turning circle presents a different challenge in that one can cut the wheel too soon when backing up.  It is something that would take practice, but is not a negative like the car being too long.

The down sides to both, other than color, were the lack of power seat controls and cloth seating. They put in a sunroof, but no power seats.  Go figure.   I understand that the CR-V isn't available with these options until the 2009 model.  That pushes the price point out of my ballpark.  The search continues...

Quote of the Week

A man may smile and bid you hail

Yet wish you to the devil;

But when a good dog wags his tail,

You know he's on the level.

- Author Unknown

I participate in an on-line community devoted to good food, good wine, and good people.  One of those people is grieving this week, as she lost her beloved dog, a loyal and much loved member of her family.  My heart goes out to her in this time of sadness. 

A Snow Day

It was a snow day in the not-so-sunny South.  For all y'all who don't live here, this is what it looked like this morning.

 

 This is the view from my front door. There is a street straight ahead in the picture

  

This is at the street looking right.

 

This is at the street looking left.

The snow began about 5:30 last night, and started sticking immediately even though it was slightly warmer on Thursday (upper 50s).  It appears that we got the bulk of the snow under cover of darkness.  Isn't that the way it goes?  I love to watch it snow, but it seems we get most of ours during the night.  It was sleeting when we got up this morning, and that lasted until after lunch (maybe 2 p.m.).  We bundled up and went for a walk.  Mind you the temperature was about 20 with a wind chill of 6 or 7 degrees.  Our faces were freezing, but hands and feet (at least my hands - I wore gloves, 2 pair actually) were quite warm.  Long johns help a lot, too!

To combat the chilly willies tonight, we had Shrimp Creole & garlic bread, washed down with half a bottle of Manyana Tempranillo.  This is some good wine for a good price.  I got it for $6.99 at Harris Teeter.  Might not be everyone's choice with Creole, but it went down quite well.

As I was getting dinner ready, we had another band of light snow come through.  It looks like everything has moved out for now, although we may get another round later depending on if it shifts a little further south.  I'm not a fan of the cold, windy days of winter, but I do love a good snow.  The temperature is supposed to dip to 14 degrees tonight.  Might be good sledding tomorrow!

Chick-fil-A is Spicing it Up!

Everybody loves Chick-fil-A, right?  Well I just heard about a spicy new addition to their menu [drum roll, please].  Coming this June from the Inventor of the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A presents their new spicy chicken sandwich. 

Here's what they have to say about it straight from the horse's, um, cow's mouth (sorry what was I thinking).

Be sure to try our hand-breaded sandwich seasoned with a fiery blend of peppers, pressure-cooked in peanut oil and served with dill pickle chips on a toasted buttered bun.  This spicy variation of our signature hand-breaded, pressure-cooked Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Sandwich will be coming to your Chick-fil-A this June. 

I know I'm looking forward to it.  I love spicy food!

Coupons in the Comics

Do y'all read Baldo in the daily paper?  Well, yesterday's was great.  Tia Carmen is a woman after my own heart.  Her conversation with Gracie went like this:

Gracie:  Do you have a shopping list, Tia Carmen?

Tia Carmen:  I don't need one Gracie.  My shopping list is very simple.  Things I have a coupon for and things that are on sale.

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

I have had a hankering for some new dishes for my repertoire.  When I need new recipes, ideas or just good chuckle, I tune in to Christy Jordan from Southern Plate.  She is down home Southern personified.  Not only do you get her yummy food, but you also get a peek into her life, her values, and the love of family that she pours into each and every recipe.  She does it all, from main dishes and casseroles, to sides and sweets, and many recipes go back for generations.

She appears on local TV in Alabama, and is even writing her own cookbook which will be in the book stores this fall.

Perhaps my favorite recipe is her hashbrown casserole. If you've ever been to the Cracker Barrel and tried their hashbrown casserole and thought it was good, try Christy's  It's way better, and everyone I've served it to loved it.

The recipe I tried last night was her Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole.  Now, I'm known to make changes, so I added my own touches here and there.

Here is her original recipe, followed by my tweaks:

Cheesy Chicken And Corn Casserole (this is a single recipe, I usually double it)

1 Box Yellow Rice

1 Stick Margarine

1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup

1-2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)

1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese

Cook rice according to package directions. Add rice and all other ingredients, except for 1/2 C of cheese, into a bowl and stir until well combined. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about thirty minutes, or until bubbly.

Notes:  I used 1/2 stick of real butter, a 10-oz. can of chicken, and I made a version of my yellow rice from scratch (rice, onions, garlic, turmeric and some diced zucchini) about 3 cups.

New Pic

Y'all know I can't resist showing off my kitties.  Here are my cuties today all snuggled up together.  They are the greatest buds! 

Rosie is the gray one, and Dood is black & white.