Monthly Archives: June 2012

Brace Yourself

Posted on June 27, 2012 | 1 Comment

I ironed this morning. I haven’t ironed in years but had a good reason to do so. More than one, actually. I took out my trusty Rowenta I haven’t seen in over three years! Auntie L is a veteran ironer (even does undergarments as did the late Auntie J), and she has a Rowenta I’ve used at her home and it’s done wonders for my summer linens.

Also it was the top of the line on Consumer Reports and I was sick of lackluster results from the under $10 variety of irons.

When my m-i-l visited a couple of weeks ago she brought cotton and linen tea towels she had embroidered years ago. A slew of herbs, some coffee-related, then Auntie L’s finds over the years. None of them can take my husband’s stains or daily washing.

So, I decided to put up a wooden dowel over my personal jetted soaking tub (I say mine because guys are pigs, normally, and also most guys don’t want to sit in their own filth). Gals, on the other hand, welcome a hot bath and emerge renewed to make dinner or take care of husband, kids and pets.

Here they are, some of my favorite herbs and they’ll keep me calm and soothed in perhaps a colloidal oatmeal bath, as soon as I donate the bath towels I’ve been given since I went off to college at age 17. That box is impeding bath time as it’s been sitting in there waiting to go to St. Vincent de Paul for two weeks now! Enjoy the day. Dee

Tea towel display

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Google and Cats

Posted on June 26, 2012 | 1 Comment

Google’s neural network used 16,000 computer processors to enable a computer to identify… a cat. They’re showing off their research in Scotland this week.

I told the NYTimes that I can identify a cat in an instant, without the need of 16,000 computer processors.

It’s asking my dog out for a walk, or grooming saying “I didn’t do it” or “I do like you but won’t show it.” I asked Google to do a new study on the differences between men and women. No-one understands cats (but I speak Cat). Dee

ps this is dedicated to Nathan and Mickey Mouse, aka Mick Dundee, who taught me everything I needed to know about cats.

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Four Things

Posted on June 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

There are four things I hear from the 15th floor overlooking sunny Lake Michigan. They are: car horns, folks here love to beep at people if they’re annoyed for a millisecond in traffic; squealing brakes, a lot of those at night; sirens, yep, a lot of them, too; and Harleys. In the home of the Harley-Davidson and brief summers, they’re out in force.

We don’t hear cars or people, just these things. We’re used to living at ground level (but 6.400 feet above sea level) and now we’re about 550 feet above sea level and can breathe real air and have some humidity in it. Not Houston humidity, that’s over 90% most of the time and we were living at three feet above sea level there and when the Bayou rose, it took out trees and Hurricane Ike flooded our building and garage.

I really miss the mountains. The Lake partly makes up for it but I miss our neighbors and pot luck dinners and knowing we had each others’ backs in a severe winter storm. There were only a few of us there year-round in a resort community.

We’re not in a resort community now, but are getting to know the neighbors slowly, except out of seven on our new floor, two that we know are moving out at the end of the month! Hope it’s not that we’ve arrived three weeks ago.

While the sun comes up at 4 a.m. it does go over top of the building by 12-1, then later in the afternoon the sun shines from the other side onto the Lake and it reflects up so I have to put the shades down again.

Remind me, I have to make a trifle (pound cake, lemon curd/whipped cream and fresh berries) for the staff here. I now have two trifle bowls, one in storage. I’m thinking of having a “sale” of my duplicate kitchen equipment, encouraging folks to just come in and take something off the kitchen counter and leave a donation for a worthy charity.

So, that’s what life is like on the 15th floor. I don’t hear neighbors upstairs or next door but due to gaps around our front door, I hear every key in every lock in the other six units on this floor. I actually don’t listen for them, but a certain canine of ours does. And I say “Tchhhh (Cesar Millan) We have neighbors, get used to it,”

For the record, my husband took up balloons for work (he’s a software engineer and wanted candy in his desk for kiddos who visited but I told him to find something more unique so he started watching YouTube and ordering latex balloons from Sweden). Yes, I created a monster.

He has a presentation today out of town and made a Wile E Coyote as a “door prize” for a question well-answered. Our dog Zoe was OK with it when he started two summers ago, but has become more fearful and yesterday when he made two Elmo’s she got her 35 lb body all the way under our bed, underneath my pillows, to get away from the squeaking.

We decided he would not ever make balloons in the house when she’s present, or anywhere she is present. She has never been hit or kicked by her owners like my old dog was by the Deputy Sheriff, but if this balloon-making gets her that upset, I’ll take her home or elsewhere while my husband makes balloons for the kiddos. Oh, work has just drafted him to do their annual company picnic next month! He’ll have to practice and get up to speed elsewhere. Cheers, Dee

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Door Number Three

Posted on June 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

You’ve won yourself a trip to …… Milwaukee, Wisconsin!!! [to the tune of Back in the Saddle Again] it’s Back to the Great Lakes again, folks.

Second prize was two weeks in Philadelphia, PA. I don’t know, I kept this title to use somehow and it doesn’t work here because we got a good deal and it wasn’t a contest, OK it was a work interview. But the sun came up at 4:12 this morning and the dog was whining, not to go out but for me to lift her up to the bed so she could get her beauty sleep. She’s the most rested creature I know.

I cheated last night and had my husband grill pre-made beef/cheddar burgers (outsides rolled in black pepper)  on our stalwart Coleman folding propane grill. We made the first one for the soldier who was on the desk last night pulling a double shift. Then we made ours, all with chips and fresh cherries from the market.

My baby, my car for five years, is in the shop because it somehow “kissed” a concrete pole in our incredibly tight parking garage. Ouch, poor baby. I’ve had her for five years and plan to have her for five more. For a nine year-old, the insurance guy says except for the dent and scratch, she looks great. I’ve all the papers since the day she drove off the lot in San Antonio. Every oil change, tune-up, tire rotation. So now I have a Chevy for ten days. It fits my spot.

We are living in a small city on a big lake, just like where I grew up. But I was on Erie, not Michigan. Accents are similar (Buffalo-area accents are harder) but I know all the names and they’re German, Polish, Italian, less Russian, Greek.

I see the church spires, not anymore because now I see the Lake, and know it is a Roman Catholic city, which should move me but it does not. I only go to Mass in Florence, Italy at Santa Croce. Hearing the Mass in Latin and the homily in Italian is preferable to hear how much I have sinned (I haven’t but the priests have, in droves). I prefer to talk with my God alone, without intermediaries.

In Salt Lake City there is the great Temple, the Stone of Scone of the LDS Church. Then there are Ward churches every few blocks. Few people leave their Ward, so marry at the Temple and settle down on the block next to their parents and grandparents and have 8 kids to perpetuate the faith, and tithing of 10%.

It’s nice, architecturally, not to see Mormon Ward churches everywhere, and I look forward to exploring some of the Catholic art and churches here and in Chicago and Indianapolis.

Eating is what we do a lot of. Three times a day we refresh ourselves with food. I cook my husband a hearty breakfast and dinner. He’s on his own during the week for lunch, but on weekends that’s our treat, lunch out.

We’ve been getting to know some of the restaurants in the neighborhood, the northern communities and downtown. We haven’t gone the “sausages and beer” route but we’ve liked a lot of places (check out TripAdvisor.com where I’m a Top Contributor).

So while my husband is from Texas, I’m Back in the Great Lakes, Again. Yee ha. Dee

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Thank-You Notes

Posted on June 24, 2012 | 1 Comment

Few know the power of this old world treasure, the thank-you note. It costs the sender little but gives his/her host great pleasure.

We received my Great-Uncle’s Lebkuchen from Switzerland in early September but had to wait until December to see it, then until we all wrote thank-you notes to try some. It was stale but still we loved it. When I found it fresh years later in a specialty market the flavors were incredible. It wasn’t stale and I didn’t have to send a thank-you note!

But we had to write and post a thank-you note to Switzerland before we could open the treasure, and that it was, a treasure.

We recently received a very nice thank-you note from a young guest and can only guess that it was initially not of his own volition. There are certain social constraints for adults, parents and their children. The note was kind and I know he had a good, educational time with us.

My sisters and brother and I always had to write a thank-you note for everything. One time my brother was told to do so and addressed an empty envelope in protest. Unfortunately that was to our aunt, his godmother. Things haven’t been the same between them since that time.

After many years of walking with a dictionary on my head and learning what fork or spoon goes where on a table, I do appreciate my upbringing, and higher education, and that I was taught the proper way to do things.

I do believe that families should try to eat dinner together every night and talk about their days. Manners are essential to teach children how to deal with adults first as a child then as an adult. Manners must be taught with other age-appropriate childhood needs from their parents.

We always had to ask to be excused from the table so I’d ask and Dad would say “why would you want to put a monkey in the oven” and I’d say, “may I be excused” and he’d say something just as ridiculous. Then the neighborhood kids would call on him to play ball and his rule was that everyone, no matter age or gender, was included. So my sister and I got to play every game.

So, today I’m giving another thank-you to my Dad for being a stand-up guy and being sometimes too strict as we grew up. I was mitering at age seven, running a Toro riding mower at age eight. My husband thinks who knows what, except that my enchanted forest is something I want to see again.

Kids, write your thank-you notes. No-one does anymore so you’ll be special, in a good way. Your teacher, your mentor, your relatives, just say thanks for everything they do for you. Cheers, Dee

 

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Mom Missed It

Posted on June 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m up in the middle of the night and just watched Dinner:Impossible with her “boyfriend” NYT Crossword editor Will Shortz. Every dish had to be a puzzle. I’m a crossworder, amateur, years ago the Times by Thursday had me beat.

I used to copy my local paper and the NYTimes crossword every Friday afternoon and after work our team would go at them and have a beer. Interesting that other teams always visited us on Fridays after 5:00! And they never shared.

It was enjoyable, though, and won’t take away from Mom’s other “boyfriend” Charlie Rose. Sorry, Charlie. Haha. Mom is gone now but I still think of her from time to time and prefer to remember the good things.

I’m wide awake at 4 a.m. and have a lot to do tomorrow. At least now I have a shade by my desk so can sit here in the morning and do some work. Cheers, Dee

 

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Italian Restaurant

Posted on June 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

My family just opened up an Italian restaurant, no, I was never consulted or even told much about it. Fine as I was busy with other things, like moving halfway across the country. We hope to visit after things settle down and our guests are gone and the restaurant is open and running.

It’s not in town, but at least 8 hours by plane, boat or auto. The menu sounds great and I’ll send it to you once I’ve the OK.

It’s a Tuscan restaurant with fresh local ingredients and a classic menu like my family has eaten in Florence for many years. More to come on this new development! Dee

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Food Texture

Posted on June 17, 2012 | 2 Comments

I’ve taken a lot of ribbing from my family for many years about my ideas on the texture of foods. There are many foods I’ve tried, on my travels and in cooking school, and some I do not like for their texture alone.

For example, a perfectly cooked fried squid is delicious, rings only, no tentacles. I did try octopus in Greece and found the texture unpalatable.

I won’t eat tofu mainly because, what’s the point? No cottage cheese (lumps) or dried coconut flakes (shards).

I’ve no desire to eat brains or pig rectum on a dare, but have eaten veal kidneys and sweetbreads and just choose not to make them on a regular basis.

So, my secret is out. I’m a texture-phobe. Oh, a good friend who now lives abroad used to meet me for bubble tea with tapioca “pearls.” I’ve never tried it and it was even painful watching her sip it through a straw.

Cheers, have fun with your textured foods! Dee

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Great Storm!

Posted on June 16, 2012 | 3 Comments

What happens when you wash your car? It rains. What happens when your 15th floor windows have just been cleaned on the outside on a 1X per year plan? Bingo.

We have 12 floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of Lake Michigan. Now I can’t see anything and it’s the 2nd or 3rd round of lightning and thunder. Dog and husband are asleep and safe, I just love watching storms.

Yes, they both went to sleep at nine and awoke at 7 a.m. while I braved Hurricane Ike alone. The Mayor told us to stay put and all the skyscrapers 1/4 mile away had their windows blown out. Ours was the only loft of 140 that was not damaged.

We were across from City Hall so must have had some special powers in the electrical department as our power was only off for several hours. We had no water for five days, and no food or water to drink.

I wanted to stay in the bedroom but as long as we had power, I wrote, I blogged, and watched the hurricane’s force. Know that as we took in the haggard refugees of Katrina (New Orleans), that city didn’t offer a finger, much less a hand in friendship over those dark days.

Many years ago I underwent a month-long culinary apprenticeship in Mendocino CA and one of the waiters wanted to sublet his cabin. No heat, a wood stove, broken windows, privy lock on the front door. He left a mattress, sheets and a blanket next to the wood stove.

I had windows all around and no coverings so when a big storm came up I sat up on the kitchen counter and watched it. Nothing like a good storm. Cheers, Dee

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Happy Accidents

Posted on June 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

Yesterday, I pulled up my contacts and sent an email to a neighbor saying we’ve moved next door and will have her over as soon as the dining room is operational and we get rid of the remaining boxes.

My husband had been pulled into her grand-daughter’s birthday party and he came across the hall and got his balloon kit and made every girl her own balloon, including Wile E Coyote. The thank-you card will be framed (when I find it) and hung in his office. It is a work of art with each girl drawing herself with her balloon.

A few years ago I thanked BBQU Grillmeister Steven Raichlen for one of his recipes and heard back from his assistant, Nancy. She was automatically added to my address list on my MacBook.

So who did I send this email to? Steven Raichlen’s assistant, Nancy. She called and asked who I was and we talked for some time and promised to keep in touch. No, it’s not my neighbor, Nancy, but these kinds of mistakes are fate.

I love Steven Raichlen, watch him often and have a couple of his books. When I sent her an email, I said I was going out to turn on our grill, clean the grates, oil them and cook us burgers! Lessons from the master, turn lemons into lemonade, or perhaps charred lemon slices on a piece of salmon with a lemongrass seasoning paste…….. Mistakes can be good, taste good anyways! Dee

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