Happy Thoughts

 Are these flowers beautiful or what?  They were a gift from my husband.  I told him I needed a vacation. He gave me these.  It was the thought that counts.  Nice to know he is still actually listening to me.                                                          

I was really inspired by this colorful mix of penny candies I bought at the store.  I bought a variety of other kinds but they were quickly eaten and never made it to the blog.

This was the only cherry gummy candy left in the bag. They are so cute and so addictive. They would be perfect for a rockabilly inspired theme party or wedding. I was inspired to make something with cherries so I decided to go with a cherry pecan brownie.  I used mayo in place of eggs.

Here they are, hot out of the oven.  They were really good. I had a nice slab with a cup of tea but then decided they needed a little something else.

 A scoop of chocolate frozen yogurt and a drizzling of cherry sauce. The frozen yogurt would have been better if it was real ice cream but my husband is on a diet and doesn't feel as guilty polishing of a half gallon of this stuff.

 Finally,  I need to share this giant cup cake filled with a yummy chocolate cream filling. A friend brought it to share but even one fourth was too much.  I have definitely satisfied my sweet tooth for the week. Hope to find more "inspiration" to share.

Happy Memorial Day!!!!!!

Today, I wanted to give a shout out to all the Veterans, as well as the wonderful people that helped to build this wonderful nation of ours. Memorial day is not only about remembering the dead, it is a lovely day of reflection and cook outs.  I thought I would post this little documentery on the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.  This beautiful cemetery is not only a bird sanctuary, with incredible history, it holds a special place in my heart because my grandfather is buried there.  Many people in Boston are not aware of this amazing little gem tucked in the back pocket of Cambridge.  It is a wonderful place to take long walks and they even have tours and classes.  The unusual thing is none of them have to do with death.  This place was designed for the living.  I hope you like it.

Nothin' Fancy

Last night, Chick and I decided to check out a new-ish, local Mexican eatery. We had the intention of checking out some Boston area Mexican restaurants back at the beginning of May starting with  Cinco de Mayo.  We decided to go to Qdoba in Dedham, for something unexpected but settled with chicken quesadillas and three cheese nachos.
    We were hoping to find the elusive fish taco we keep hearing so much about and have not yet seen on any Boston menus.  At least, not on any of the Mexican style restaurants we have gone to.  It was all pretty much what we expected, cheese and salsa with something else.
                 It was good but very salty and a little spicy so it was imperative that we stopped at one of the most popular ice cream establishments in the area.  J.P. Licks, to cool things off. They never disappoint.  I chose the brownie ice cream sundae.  It was really yummy and rich but it left me poor, with it's over eight dollar price tag.  Anyway, all in all it was a successful  outing with good conversation.  I think Chick and I are done with Mexican fare unless it is a jar of mild salsa accompanied by some blue corn chips.

                                          The cow stands outside J.P. Licks.  I love the sign.

To run or not to run?

I have really big plans. I have decided to run the 19th annual Corrib Pub Road Race, in West Roxbury.  It is a 5k run that takes place in a few weeks.  How hard can it be?  It can be really hard. I hate running.  I hate exercise.  Strangely enough, I love dancing and could do it for hours, I even enjoy manual labor. Yard work, gardening, hiking, getting down and dirty, it is all good.  It cost thirty dollars and all the proceeds go The Corrib Charitable Trust.  What does that mean?  The thought of paying someone else so I can torture myself for some ambiguous charity seems a little crazy but, hey, no one else seems to be asking any questions. Who am I to upset the apple cart?  I am joking of course.  I know the pub donates tons of money to kids sport teams and community projects.

 However, back to running, there is something about your feet slamming the pavement and the pounding heartbeat you feel in your brain that really bums me out.  I can't stand the feeling of those flabby extra layers of "insulation" gyrating with each step.  Then, I look at the hundreds of people running these races. Look at the thousands lining up to jog The Boston Marathon.  Even old folks, running along, not getting winded, not to mention wearing a confident, happy look on their face.  I know when I run, my face looks like I am experiencing a horrible, unfortunate demise.

 I am choosing to make the sacrifice, though I am being driven by humility.  I am so embarrassed that I have been trying to build up some stamina for nearly four months now and one mile still feels like thirty.  What is wrong with me?

I am also running the race because of peer pressure. Can you believe that?  A bunch of  my friends are doing it.  The worst part is they are looking forward to it.  They aren't afraid like me?  I can still hear  my mother saying, "if your friend jumped off a cliff would you do it too?" Lesson learned. Thank you Mother, for the inspiration.  My sister's told me they were afraid I might have a heart attack.  Thanks for the vote of confidence  girls.  I didn't realize that age forty is the new eighty.  Maybe I won't run. 

On a different note,  The Corrib Pub has really awesome teriyaki  steak tips. They are definitely worth running for.  I would rather take my thirty bucks and buy two orders of tips for me and Chick.  Now that sounds like a plan.

Diane's Beautiful Bento Boxes

“Why is there a bear-shaped egg in your lunch?” Or, “Eating healthier and happier by learning to make bento boxes”, by Diane Verrochi.

 (Contents: Bear-shaped egg in a bed of non-fried kinpira, stewed zucchini & summer squash with tomatoes and onions, honeyed sweet potatoes, mixed fruit, and samosa-like lentil snacks.)

A friend of mine had been making Japanese bento boxes for months and posting pictures.  They ranged from very basic to very creative, but always looked better than the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I was subsisting on for my work breaks.  So, when I started a new job, I decided it was a good time to try using the bento approach to packing my lunches.

Bento is a meal in a box.  Beyond that, it can be anything.  There are a few broad categories of bento meals, including the elegant lacquered boxes one might order in a Japanese restaurant and picnic-style boxes intended to feed several people.  The particular type of bento that appeals to me is “kyaraben” or “cute,” often (but not always) the province of lunches packed for children.  I'm a holistic nurse, and so the idea of a colorful and/or cute lunch that is also healthy makes sense to me as an added pick-me-up on the mental/emotional as well as physical level.

As you can see from the pictures, I use silicone cupcake cups to portion out my meal.  There are several advantages to these: they keep drippy things from getting all over the rest of your lunch, and if you want to heat only one or two items, you can easily do so in either a microwave or a toaster oven.  Sometimes, I even have time on my break to do that, though a prerequisite for anything I pack is that it also has to be edible and enjoyable cold.  The colors are an added bonus in the cheerful-looking department, and I've noticed that I tend to (not always consciously) load them with foods that contrast with each cup.

(Contents: Pork smothered in onions, cucumber-tomato salad, rice with rosemary-oregano seasoned olive oil, strawberries, and baby carrots.)

I haven't been doing this for very long yet, and a lot of the ideas I'm incorporating come from the Just Bento website (http://www.justbento.com) and Bento Love by Kentaro Kobayashi.  One thing that has become clear to me is just how useful it is to get into the habit of building a “stash” of ready-to-go foods.  If you are suddenly called into work on short notice, for example, I've discovered that it is entirely possible to throw together a healthy and maybe not so creative but still colorful lunch in a matter of minutes, so long as you have some items that are easily tossed into the cups and/or box.

Planning a box can seem daunting.  It helps to have a basic structure in mind.  For the most part, my lunches tend to have one main protein item, one starchy item, fresh fruit, and the rest vegetables, possibly with a secondary protein like the “lentil snacks.”  A more traditional bento would tend to have rice as a staple, possibly comprising as much as half the box, but since I'm including fruit, which has a lot of natural sugar, I try to minimize the starch.

If you're trying to work out the calories in a box, the rule of thumb is the number of milliliters the container holds should be a reasonable estimate, so long as you're not using lots of fried or sugary items.  This is useful if, like me, you could stand to cut your caloric intake but have no patience (or time) for actually weighing and counting things.  A 500-600 calorie meal is likely to fit well into a healthy diet, so long as it's balanced, and finding workable 500-600mL containers is fairly doable.  As an added bonus, the combination of having a variety of foods as well as the fiber from all the veggies and fruits tends to make the box sufficiently satisfying that, so far anyway, I've never felt like I'm “reducing” anything.  Compared to having PB&J every single day, in fact, I feel like I'm spoiling myself!

As a final bonus, unless you decide to go all crazy on what you cook to put in them, bento boxes are actually much, much less expensive than, say, ordering in at work.  You can use leftovers from earlier in the week.  Fresh veggies from the local farmer's market are often both less expensive and tastier than the over-waxed stuff in the grocery store.  Best of all, you don't have to figure out what to tip the delivery person.

People love to be ripped off.

This might be blasphemy, but I am going to say it.  What is the big deal about risotto! It is rice...get over it.  I hear people talking about certain restaurants and throwing in "they make a really fantastic risotto".  How fantastic can it be?  I am going to take it a step further. I ordered a lobster and mushroom risotto recently and to me it tasted like, cream of mushroom soup on rice. Sure, there was a piece of lobster on the top which probably validated the thirty dollar price tag.  I was appalled. Why are folks so easily impressed?  Is it because they like saying the word risotto, with a slightly Italian twang?  It is so pretentious. I am just not fooled.  This is just another incident of people going with what is fashionable or in, even if it is a rip off.  Risotto or rice, even short grained, creamy, slightly "al dente"  rice, is dirt cheap to buy. However, people will spend foolish amounts of money, because it is so good.  It is definitely good for restaurants and their profits.  I would prefer to fill up on a basket of bread and some spreadable garlic. To be perfectly honest, I would rather fill up on popcorn. Restaurants don't use popcorn as much as they did back in the eighties. That is because we are so much more sophisticated now. In reality, it was because I was hanging around burger places that geared more towards the younger generation.

Risotto is only one way we are being taken advantage of.  Look at socks.  It is getting harder and harder to find socks that go above the ankle anymore.  I hate seeing my sons wearing those ankleless socks never mind, full grown men.  They might as well have a pastel colored pom pom on the heel like the little tennis socks of yesteryear. Are people buying them because they are what is available or because they like them?  To me, it is another example of people paying the same amount, if not more money, for less product. I also look at all the sleeveless dresses and tops. Arms and shoulders are only cute up to a certain age. Most women need to purchase a sweater to cover those guns. How about hairstyles. Everyone has been walking around with straight middle parts, up to the shoulder if your over thirty and longer if you're younger. Again, going down memory lane, people seemed to be changing hairstyle, cuts and colors all through the seventies and eighties. The Dorothy Hammil, the Farrah Faucet, the Bo Derek, then perms and big up do's all fizzled out mid nineties when someone decided middle parts with no style is the way to go.  It is cheap , easy to maintain, less work for hair dressers, no complaints from customers and I guess we continue with this trend until it hits a twenty year streak.  Maybe then someone will decide hats are the way to go. I would actually be happy about that.

This is too long but it does have some fabulous hats. I finished a cup of tea watching it. Don't get me started about how overrated theater is. Another story for another day.

Feelin' good Friday!

Friday is Pizza Day.  Every Friday in school we could order pizza.  We always looked forward those hot cheesy squares sitting in orange grease. The pizza itself, represented good times.  Especially, because we would usually do our serious classes and quizzes on Friday morning.  After pizza, meant gym class and finally my favorite class...Art.  I can still smell all those wonderful art supply smells.  Construction paper, jars of thick paint in contemporary colors and of course rubber cement.  All my friends had rubber cement balls in their desk. We would add another sticky layer to it any opportunity we got. If it wasn't totally dry the thing would fall apart.  It really took some craftsmanship. There were a few boys in the class who took part in the rubber cement ball challenge as well.  They always seemed to be starting their rubber balls from scratch.  They couldn't resist throwing them randomly in class or stealing their pals, only to have them confiscated. I saw friendships ruined over incidents smaller than this.
I always loved the art teachers as well.  When I was in school in the seventies and eighties most of the folks in the Art Department were ex-beatniks or hippies. Interesting, enthusiastic people who would really encourage the kids. They would get down and dirty with paper mache', clay or collage assignments. They would push us to dig deeper for inspirational ideas and concepts.  They taught us how to look at and appreciate another students work.  Many times, I would think my painting was much better than the kid next to me. I can still see the "Bob Ross" type teacher, sitting on the desk with his worn out, brown corduroy pants, and unruly hair, asking them about their work.  Many times, after hearing the other student explain their work, my opinion would change, not only about their twisted self portrait, but maybe about them as a person.  Fridays, art and pizza, it's all good.  Hoping to find a little inspiration myself this weekend.  Maybe, it will be good enough to share.

This is a great way to kick off the weekend. Who doesn't love Frank? This is one of my favorite songs as well. Love!!!!!!!

Let's hear it for locked in freshness!

It is Thursday!!!!! Hooray! Thursday is a great day because it is Friday eve.  That means I can mentally relax a little and focus on the things that are most important to me. House projects and quality time with family and friends.  However, at the moment, there seems to be some sort of activity going on every weekend through to the Fourth of July.  Too many social obligations can be exhausting. It is hard being so popular.

I was invited to yet another jewelry party. Sigh. I would prefer a candle party, a prepackaged foods party or even a classic Tupperware party. With all the money I have spent on junk jewelry, I could have bought a diamond ring.  The jewelry is never my style and falls apart a week later or tarnishes. I guess it is all about being a good and supportive friend.  Speaking of Tupperware, I found this hilarious video. Who knew air tight cake containers could evoke such excitement.  This fabulous dance sensation won't be happening here in Boston where bake sales are considered illegal. Enjoy!

Thinkin' bout cookies

I am going to bake cookies today.  I am not a fan of baking cookies because in my house, they are gone ten minutes after I make them.  I am thinking on making something good, nutritious but not too good.  Something hearty and old fashioned. Maybe an oatmeal raisin, peppery gingersnap or better yet..... a molasses cookie.
 I had neighbors , when I was very young, an elderly threesome, two sisters and a brother, that were all over eighty years of age. That means they were born in the late eighteen nineties.  What an incredible link to the past. None of them ever married.  They were Quakers to boot. Anyway, there was always a delightful smell of molasses cookies in their home. I feel like that was probably the smell of most kitchens, turn of the century.
Molasses comes in different grades.  It is basically the byproduct of boiled and bleached sugar.  Once again all the health is drained from our food to make it look prettier. My mother swears by black strap molasses as an iron supplement. It has such a strong flavor and viscous consistency that I would gag trying to swallow down a spoonful as a child. My mother should have mixed it up in a banana shake with ice cream. That sounds yummy. Note to self, try that later.
The smell of molasses brings me back to my childhood.  Molasses also has a very sinister past here in Boston. Back in 1919, a huge drum of molasses exploded. The Great Boston Molasses flood was no joke, it resulted in several deaths. They say you can smell molasses on really hot days in Boston. In that case, that endearing memorable aroma would be the smell of death............ Well, that just changed everything. New plan, I am going to make.......I mean, go out and buy, chocolate chip cookies. Enjoy the day!!!

The Prom

This is Prom season here in Boston, and I believe, all around the U.S.A.  Here we call it "The Prom" where in the rest of the country it is just "Prom".
 I thought this video was terrific.  It is a pre-prom party for the Boston High Prom.  It looks like even little sister got all dressed up for the event.  I adore the classic table spread with finger sandwiches and dainties.  Mom must have gone all out, just like I would.

I love the beautiful dresses. Last year many friends posted photos of their daughters in their prom dresses online.  What a disappointment.  They were wearing these tiny strapless bubble dresses with no shape.  The dress manufacturers made a killing last year. Parents everywhere were spending over one hundred dollars for under a yard of fabric.  I really wanted to say, they looked beautiful, but, the girls looked like street walkers.  This year, from what I can see, there seems to be a lot more variety. A few friends said their daughters ordered vintage gowns online. I think that is great, vintage dresses are better made, classic designs which means they can be sold again and good for the environment.

I have a problem with the music they play at proms.  It is as depressing as when they start blaring the rap music with raunchy lyrics at weddings.  I always cringe because I know, as I call it,  "the Drunk Girl Shuffle" is going to start.  I know everyone is familiar with it.  It is when the ladies kick off their shoes and bop around with a beer bottle in their hand, pointing at friends and singing the wrong song  lyrics.  So unsophisticated. I think they should play big band music or classic jazz at weddings and proms. I remember being all decked out in my very puffy, eighties, electric blue gown and dancing to "Walk like an Egyptian", by the Bangles. It just kind of lost something.  I wanted something dreamy and romantic, I did however, marry my prom date.  Good times.

Mother's Day was delightful!

Mothers Day was wonderful! There were flowers blooming, birds singing, a soft warm breeze blowing, and the sun was shining.  Needless to say, it was gorgeous!  We got together with family for our annual Mother's Day Barbecue.  My parents hosted the event.  They had cheeseburgers and hot dogs, barbecued pork spareribs, teriyaki  chicken wings and cold salads.  The special Mom's menu included a fabulous lobster casserole, and strip steaks with mushrooms and onions. The luncheon was all topped off by a beautiful Italian Rum Cake and pastries with ice cream.  The ice cream was hand packed from Brighams* of course, one of Boston's oldest finest ice cream companies.  My folks even supplied chocolate " Jimmies" for the children. If you are not familiar with what Jimmies are, then you are not local.  The rest of the country calls them "sprinkles", those little candy bits that people decorate their ice cream cones with, for a little added flavor and crunch.  Here in Boston, the chocolate flavored sprinkles were used as a fund raising novelty to benefit children's cancer, through the Jimmy Fund.  They charged, I think, a nickle extra for Jimmies on your cone.  I think it was a great idea and the name stuck.  Personally, I even call the multicolored ones, Rainbow Jimmies. It just sounds much cooler. You can't get away with saying "rainbow sprinkles" with the Boston accent, it just doesn't sound right.

                                                               Yummy pastries!

 Pretty flowers!  There was color and whimsy, everywhere, not to mention butterflies but I couldn't get any nice pictures of them.  I just love Spring!!!

                                                          These smelled amazing!

 The children were having so much fun checking out Grandmother's chickens.  It actually looked like they were in the coop. Too funny.

A short PBS documentary about Steampunk

    This little segment does a great job in helping others understand what Steampunk is and why it is so popular.

Gettin' Steamed in Waltham

Here is a little slideshow of some of today's highlights of the Waltham City Watch Festival.  It really is an incredible event. Steampunk enthusiasts from all over, gather in Waltham MA.  People dressed in costumes and exhibiting unusual hand crafted items that represent the world that could possibly exist in an alternate history where the Victoria Era/Wild West meets a science fiction world. It is an interesting concept.  It was a ton of fun and there were so many gifted artist and musicians not to mention fascinating contraptions.  Some people are so clever! In the first photo there is a blacksmith who made beautiful things out of iron.  Really cool. I loved the anvil. I had only seen them in cartoons.

I posted photos of three beautiful calliopes playing pipe organ/carnival music. It was nice to see these incredible machines refurbished and entertaining so many people. Little kids were dancing around as a man dressed as a ring master blew gigantic bubbles.  It was all so festive.

Finally, I am sure you would agree that the costumes speak for themselves. I could have sat there all day and watched the crowds of interesting characters go by. It was definitely worth the trip.

Comfort Food

 This has been a long, raw, hectic week.  It rained a lot and I was longing for some down time and comfort food. I got the phone call to play some last minute Bridge.  The hostess lit a warm, winter candle.  I think we were all feeling a bit chilled. We talked, drank tea, ate tons of  buttery carbs and never actually got down to playing cards.  I hate when that happens, but at the same time, I love when that happens.

Yesterday, I made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and macaroni salad.  Elbow pasta is such a comfort food.  I love it hot in macaroni and cheese with a crumbly topping or cold with veggies and mayo or sour cream.  The one in the picture was made with canned mini shrimp, sliced cherry tomatoes, celery, mayo, vinegar and dried basil flakes. It is not fancy but it always get's eaten at cook outs. I have also had macaroni salad with fruit and yogurt. It was pretty good but I think I would have preferred it with orzo pasta.

I also made a really nice chicken soup with alphabet pasta for fun. I used a whole onion with some chopped dill and carrots. Chicken soup is such an east satisfying meal.  It was just thing with some crunchy rustic bread with butter.

                                         

                                                                       

         

         

         

                                        

Thoughts about Mother's Day

It is Mother's Day weekend!  I am a Mom and I have a Mom.  I am looking forward to some cute cards made by my children and maybe some flowers and candy.  The flowers will most likely be the flowers I just planted in my yard.  How can I get angry when I see those cute little faces beaming.  They get so excited.  I might even get breakfast in bed. The possibilities are endless.

I will also do something nice for my Mother.  There is usually a nice dinner planned at her house that my Father takes care of.  He realized years ago, that when everyone comes over, they're usually looking for food so it is best to have a spread ready in advance. It will most likely be a barbecue.

 My Mother likes to get a lot of little gifts rather than one.  She will be expecting a gift basket with candy, make-up, hand cream and maybe some cute accessories. She will give all the candy to the grandchildren, tell me the make up is the wrong shade and then complain that the accessories are cute but I should take them for work.  I have decided to buy things I like just because it seems to be the same routine every year. Of course, I love the lady but she can be a challenge.  My kids are probably starting to see me in that light as well.  I will blame the stubbornness on getting older.  It seems more acceptable.

Making snacks even better!!!!

                                         

I am always thinking to myself, what could make this better?  When it comes to food the obvious answer is more butter, cheese, salt, cream or sugar. These yummy food items get a bad rap but there is no denying people love them.  I will watch the shows on television that travel around the country testing out new dishes at local greasy spoon type establishments. I have seen people lining up in the cold to wait for their 4000 calorie hot dog.  They are loaded up with cheese, chili, sour cream, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, hot peppers, blue cheese and occasionally, french fries. Once and a while there will be a fried egg thrown on top as well.  I can't seem to get my head around that.
One thing is certain, these shows are more popular than the healthy cooking shows that usually only last one or two seasons. The bottom line is people like to enjoy themselves. We can pretend we love basic plain foods, free of condiments because we like to be healthy.  However, can't we have it both ways?  Why can't we reign it in and show a little self control?  Can't we have that piled high burger and skip on dessert?  Can't we ask for gravy but drink ice water with our meal?  Can't we be like the French and have it all?  No we can not.  We are Americans and we want to live life to the fullest, so let's indulge.

             Today, I am thinking about potato chips. Lets dress them up!  Everyone loves the variety of chips out there. There is the kettle corn style that I don't like because they destroy the roof of your mouth, then there is the preformed style that comes in a can. We also have the plain old fashioned type as well as the textured ridge cut. I prefer to use the lined ridge chips because they are strong and crunchy but not too dangerous. Get yourself some plain potato, salt flavored chips and dip them one by one in some melted milk chocolate. Let them cool on wax paper.  They are so good,  bet you can't eat just one.  However, for me, five or six chips does the trick.  They are very rich. Definitely, the best of both worlds since chocolate pretzels. I have changed it up a little with melted butterscotch chips on sour cream and onion chips but if you can get a garlic potato chip, it will taste better.  I have also done dark chocolate on a barbecue chip and added a little crushed. red pepper to the mix.( Be sure to remove the seeds.)  That combo was "Off the chain!"

             See how it all came together with so little effort.  I wonder if chocolate mashed potatoes would work?

    Popcorn is also a great vehicle for chocolate but this is nothing new.  I like to throw hard candy into a food processor and sprinkle it over popcorn. It is best if the popcorn is put on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. I have done hot cinnamon drops, candy canes, fruit flavored lollipops, butterscotch with garlic powder, even horehound and anise.  I have not tried cough drops but I am curious. You just never know. The possibilities are endless!

 Those are edible shot glasses. I thought they were great.  Just don't get the outside wet or they will get very sticky.

     Don't be fooled by her cool avocado stove, this woman is pure evil!!!!! Feeding neighborhood kids fatty snack cakes. So wrong!!!!!

 Maybe we aren't as cool as I thought.  The attorney General here in Boston just made a ridiculous announcement. Starting August 1st, there will be no Bake Sales allowed on school premises for fund raising because of the obesity problem in children.  What is this foolishness?  Why must these people continually destroy anything fun, not to mention fond memories from my childhood.  I remember what some insincere health agenda folks tried to pull with the character Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.  They started calling him Carrot Monster.  What a horrible campaign!  I found it was totally offensive. You can't mess with an icon like that, people get really angry. The best part was little kids weren't buying it.  There is nothing funny about seeing Cookie monster bite into a carrot.  Children love to see that frenzied blue fur ball with googly eyes throwing crumbs all other the place yelling "Yum, yum, yum, Cookies!"  It's hilarious.  Anyway, carrots can be dangerous choking hazards for kids.  Very few deaths are caused by cookies, right?......Boston's Attorney General would disagree. Sesame decided to relaunch the concept by saying that cookies are a "Sometimes food". So lame.

 I say, let's have cigarette sales!!!! Yes, you heard me right.  Did you know that a huge portion of taxes taken from cigarettes fund children's programs.  When the state, again, so concerned about our health, decided to have a cigarette terror campaign, people, by the thousands kicked the habit.  This was good but of course the consequence was kids after school programs were cut. The state had to charge crazy amounts of money for each pack to regain some of the lost revenue. Unfortunately, it was too late, many of these kids programs that provided exercise in the form of dancing and sports disappeared, never to be reorganized or funded.Let's look at smokers in general, they are all pretty thin.  It all make sense.

Of course, I am kidding.

  It makes me sad to think that they would attack something that to me is so "All American". I think about the local  school communities organizing an event like this. It seems so harmless.  Everyone doing there little part to raise money for a bigger cause.  What a great example to show our kids, that they can make a difference in the world by baking cupcakes. To me, that message is very empowering.  I guess I was wrong.  I am so excited to see how thin and healthy all these school kids are going to be. These yearly bake sales are really taking their toll.  My question is are these fund raising events going to be replaced by " jog-a-thons" or "soap free" environmentally friendly car washes? (no old creepy guys allowed.)  Deep down I feel like this is just another area where "the man" is trying to ruin everyone's fun because he is not getting his cut. Sorry, foreign children who are victims of naturally disasters, we will not be raising any money for you anymore. Oh well.

This is just wrong!!!

A hack is born everyday, who is paying these jerks?  I wish I thought of it.  The teacher of this class has a horrible accent. I totally would not want to hang with her. Now, Bill Baykaaa Seenya on the othah hand seems like a wickid nice guy. I could totally see me hangin out with him drinkin gingaaraeell n pup caaawwwwn and tawwwkin about poluhhticks nstuff, ya know what i'm sayiiinnnn?

Failure

This weekend did not go as planned. Chick had plans and I had a family party on Sunday to organize and throw.  I was hoping to sneak away, at the very least, for some local Mexican take-out. I jumped on-line to see what was out there in the Boston area.  There are plenty of fast food joints but I was looking for a Boston favorite mom and pop type establishment.
  I thought when making my choice, that it would be important to read any comments added by customers.  Needless to say, I was horrified. Apparently, Boston is not a big taco town.  There were tons of comments written about several establishments and they were all pretty lame.  Why would I waste my time? Then I noticed that most of the comments started with, "I'm from L.A." or " I am from Texas".   I then realized that Boston did not have a ton of Mexicans like some of these other states. That is just the way it is, and besides, we can't be awesome in everything. Nobody does Chinese food like we do here in Bean Town, and Boston's North End,...ever heard of it? They have "real" Italian pizza and pastries.  My family went to visit friends in New York last summer and they proudly took us to one of New York's best pizza places. I was totally not impressed but I did manage to choke down three slices. Anyway, the point is, I am going to put the Mexican mystery on the back burner until later.

Salsa and Stuff

                                This is what Kit and Chick decided to have to kick off their Cinco de Mayo               weekend.. It really was fantastico!!!!

 I decided to make a platter of mixed salsas.  I bought two smooth style salsas, and made two extra chunky.  One had avocado and onions mixed in a simple olive oil and lime juice dressing with a little salt and pepper. The other was a black bean corn salsa with onions, tomatoes and chopped red peppers.

                    I love using this pretty dish for dips and condiments. It is an oldy but a goody.

This is the snack table. You will notice the grapes. I am all about healthy eating. Well, most of the time.  I put out a bowl of blue corn chips and the lightly salted plain corn chips. I made colorful little sombrero cookies I found online.  They took me ten minutes and are so cute. There are some cupcakes topped with little pinata donkeys that I made with molded chocolate. And finally, some orange soda with lime wedges. Certainly not that sophisticated but definitely festive.  A crockpot of chili and some tacos will complete the party. I decided to go with a sure thing and tacos are so easy. Have a great weekend!!!!!!

      Herb Alpert's Spanish Flea filmed in Tijuana, Mexico back in 1965. Love it!!!!!!

Dear Diary

Friday is here!!!!  Chick and I apologize for the current mediocrity of this blog.  We really need to jazz it up.  Actually, a little retro jazz playing in the background could really set the mood here.  I wish I knew how to figure that out......or understood blog page design.  Sorry, I have no clue how to do any of that.  Perhaps the pearls of wisdom that Chick and I plan to share will carry this spot to the top. I doubt it. Oh well.

However,  our cooking is something different. We always seem to pull it together with a little bit of this or that.  I am a total fan of the secret ingredient factor in recipes. I love watching puzzled diners try to figure out that special spice that sets our dishes apart.  I am easily entertained I guess. We look forward to perhaps sharing our neat ideas with you.

This is Cinco De Mayo Weekend!!!!  I have always heard it was Mexico's independence day.  I like to be informed so I looked it up.  I read that it is really El Dia de la Batalia de Puebla.  Who knew?   It doesn't change the fact that we are having Mexican food. Yay!!!!!  Everyone loves Mexican food...Right? Actually, I know a lot of people that hate it. You must admit, if you don't like salsa, rice, beans, peppers or tomatoes you are narrowing down your options.  I am assuming that combo is more prevalent at American Mexican restaurants.  I mean, I even a hard time believing fish tacos are actually Mexican.  Maybe I am wrong.  I haven't done the research yet.  Chick and I plan on going to some of the finest Boston Mexican restaurants and ordering something that we would not expect from a Mexican establishment.  We will let you know how it goes. Adios amigos!!!!

So stylish

See how much fun these ladies are having!!!!!! 

It is not even raining there.

Thoughts on a Rainy Day

It is rainy and chilly here in Boston today.  That means I can wear my cute, plaid, rain boots.  I love rain gear.  I love the variety of umbrellas, galoshes and cute rain coats.  I especially love those adorable little plastic rain hats that come in a little snap pouch.  Most people won't even know what I am talking about because only women in their seventies and older use them now a days.  These little bonnets were often given away for promotional reason by hotels, funeral homes and air ports. They were really not much more than a plastic bag you could pull over your hair do to keep it is place. Then it would fold back up and go in it's pouch til next time.  Nobody cares anymore about looking fabulous I guess.  Especially, here in Boston. In a national survey,we won for sloppiest dressers and meanest people in the country. It feels good to be number one.  However, I must explain that Bostonians are, as we would say, "wicked" loyal. We love our sports team and have a ton of pride.  A person from another state (with losing sports teams) might look down on a sloppy sweat shirt with a sport logo but here in Boston, we are all about family loyalty.  Personally, I don't understand where the reputation for being mean comes from.  Chick and I are going to try to change that reputation.

 Anyway, getting back to the rainy weather topic, we desperately need the rain.  I planted a cute, little veggie garden.  If all goes well, I imagine, I will be incorporating a ton of fresh produce to my recipes in the fall.

 However, most likely nothing will grow.  I will yield a few malformed tomatoes.  This is what happened last year.  It did not stop me from proudly displaying them on the kitchen window sill so that I could point them out to guests.  I would ask if they wanted my garden fresh, sliced "tomahhhhto" on their watercress finger sandwiches.  There were no takers; they were never actually eaten.  The poor tomatoes sat too long.  I feel bad about that.