This is not a romantic picnic!!!!!

I wanted to find a cute, retro picnic video but I could not find anything that did not involve Yogi Bear and Boo Boo. I found this video and I am showing it so that you will realize that this is a terrible example of both a romantic picnic and a basic enjoyable outdoor eating experience.

This guy looks like a slob. He has messy unkempt hair and a dodgy, pilly sweat shirt. He would have been fine if he kept just his vocal track or better yet, if he took a shower.

Then we go to the most important part of picnicking.....The food.  This guy then proudly displays his picnic spread. We start with a dry, leaf sandwich. Looks a little too green to be watercress - and where is the filling? A  tasty sandwich should not merely consist of just a garnish or a condiment. Where is the meat, or marinated mushroom, or even a grilled pepper?

Next, we move onto the clearly moldy strawberries with a handful of blueberries. We have some semi-sweet chocolate and a lame hunk of cheese.  Where is the variety?  Where are the crackers or bread sticks?

We "pretty up" the setting with some dead Gerber daisies which normally live a week without care. Basically, this guy went around his mother's kitchen and found a few odds and ends, which he threw into, what I am quite sure is, a very musty smelling picnic basket. That happens a lot when they are stored in a basement under comic books. The worst part is he had the nerve to call this an instructional video for a romantic picnic. Delusional.

Do me a favor, and don't follow any of this guys instruction, unless you plan on bringing three bottles of wine to take the edge off. This dud is clearly not getting a second date. Good luck in summer love. :)

Lions, Tigers and Bears...Oh My!.

Everyone is worried here in the town of Dedham.  I guess a six foot, black bear has been spotted at the Legacy Place Shopping Center.  Who can blame the poor bear. There are so many great restaurants over there. The smell of yummy food from outdoor, summer diners permeates the air.  I already received an automated message from the local police department, "not to worry, and avoid contact with the bear." I feel so much safer now.

Bears are rarely in Massachusetts never mind my home town.  We have plenty of deer and coyotes and of course turkeys.  The strange thing is, when I was a child, we never had any of these creatures. Raccoon and skunks were the norm. I have to wonder why the population boom?

 The black capped chickadee was the official state bird until a few years ago when they changed it into the noble Turkey. I read somewhere that it was because the pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving in Plimoth, historical spelling, now Plymouth MA. That was of course because they ate turkeys there. I wonder if perhaps these birds were introduced back into the Eco system and then given the state bird title because the MA Chamber of Commerce thought it would be a bigger draw to Beantown. I don't know. Chickadees are pretty cute but you can't eat them a day later cold on bread with mayo, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Day after Thanksgiving, turkey sandwiches are totally delicious. I am inspired to buy some home-style, deli turkey breast, with some instant stuffing on some yummy potato bread with canned cranberry sauce. (the cranberry sauce needs to be berry-less and of course can shaped.) This seems like a great idea without all the pots and pans.


I hope they drive that black bear up north where he belongs.  I have a ton of picnicking planned and I don't want any trouble. Have a beary nice day!!!! 

Watermelon Magic

I have no idea what this says but I had to share this video. Who knew you could do so much with a watermelon. I thought I was clever because I cut watermelon into neat bite size triangles. I am so inspired to do something like this.  What a great centerpiece for a buffet table.

Aloha Friends!

  

 I had planned to search for vintage record albums this past weekend.  I knew about a few hot spots down near Cape Cod that I wanted to check out. I purchased a bunch of really fun records but I won't reveal them all right now.
I love theme parties and I thought this Hawaii record was just the perfect back drop for a small summer time luau lunch with my girl friends. I felt like I was actually sitting on the beach with a coconut drink, holding a tiny umbrella and a bendy straw. The music really made the soiree.

 Sushi is from Japan but who could resist these yummy spicy California rolls. I guess my little party had sort of an Asian Pacific vibe. I did not go with traditional authentic fare. I mean, Spam is very popular in Hawaii but I just couldn't bring myself to go there. Not today, anyway.
 I also did not serve poi, or that traditional purple bread called taro. I decided on  making a roaster with soy sauce, cherries and a clover honey glaze.  I also made a fruit ambrosia with marshmallows as well as some custard rice pudding with nutmeg.

 I served a cold salad.  It was actually a Cobb salad  (nothing Hawaiian about that) but I did not photograph it because it did not fit the theme, it was still yummy, regardless. I served mini corn breads with butter instead of taro and I bought these adorable butterfly cookies dipped in chocolate. I served them with rainbow sherbet for dessert with fresh cut fruits.  It was all so incredibly good. I plan on doing a real full blown luau one of these day but I got my small Hawaii fix out of my system for now. Most importantly, I got to play my new vintage record.

Props for Mr. Rogers

I absolutely love Mr. Rogers. He was wonderful, quirky, nerdy and sincere but really made me learn to appreciate small things in life, when I was a kid.  I sent away for his autograph, as sort of as a joke, when I was a teen, saying, I was a musician and always enjoyed his songs.  I was totally humbled when he sent me back a huge packet about the production about the show and it's great jazz musicians. It really touched my heart. I hope you enjoy this tune as much as I did.

Happy belated Record Store Day!

Howdy!!!  I just thought I would write about something that I am passionate about on several levels. Record Store Day!!!  This is an event that is not only in Boston but is all over the world.  It is a day to give honor to record stores that are slowly disappearing and an opportunity for vinyl collectors to find the albums they have been looking for.

 My husband was a DJ in the eighties and nineties so we have an extensive vinyl collection from the fifties onward. I feel that music on vinyl is recorded clearer, just how the songs were meant to be heard. Even with skips and crackles, you feel like you are there in the same room with the performers.

My hubby and I were both in bands so we appreciate the rawness of real instruments and  the "not so perfect" voices that give great songs character. Our band that had the biggest following was The Jinkies.  We played cool hole in the wall places like T.T. the Bears and the Middle East. The Middle East is still in Cambridge and hosts lot's of "has been" groups so one can actually go without feeling like the old weird guy at the party.

I really love old Vinyl records and their incredible art work. This is a truly dying art.  Many people today don't realize that some people may be looking for a certain vintage album because of the artist who designed the album cover. I love it when pop culture makes crosses over into the real world. You can check out www.popsike.com to see how much people have actually spent on incredible vintage albums by performers like Elvis and Bob Dylan.

I am also a huge fan of vintage kids albums. I am amazed by the integrity of the musicians, or vocal performers not to mention , enamored by the great art or photos on the covers. This is my passion at the moment. I am heading south to the cape today to find some cool flea market finds between stopping for clam platters and salt water taffy. Hopefully, I will find something cool and valuable. Wish me luck!!

Random Wednesday

Look at these big beautiful marshmallows. I never saw any this big before not to mention multicolored! I had to buy them. They have a delicate fruit flavor.  I thought they would be really pretty sliced up on a cake.  Then I started thinking about  (after the cookout)  s'mores with a twist.  These fruity marshmallows would go great with white chocolate on a chocolate flavored graham cracker. Can't wait to try it.

These adorable plant trees are popping up all over the place. What a fun idea. I have a bunch of old flowers pots in my garage.  Most of them are black or green plastic but that can be easily remedied  with some spray paint...and of course glitter. I am going to plant something different. Maybe strawberries, won't look as cute though. I will post pictures if it is worth sharing.  I found this idea on this site. Ihttp://suzyhomefaker.blogspot.com/ She is wonderful!!! Check her out!

Yesterday, a simple play date with the girls and their kids turned out to be a full blown party. We planned to hang out for an hour, long enough for a cup of tea.  We kept talking and the kids kept playing.  Before we knew it, it turned into....."Mommy, we're hungry!" We were all feeling a bit peckish. The cookies weren't cutting it.  We decided to go all out and ordered three Chinese Pu Pu Platters and some yummy side orders. I had to take a picture, it was a wonderful thing to behold. Everyone had fun and went home full.  I still had to make dinner a few hours later. That is the problem with Chinese food, it leaves you wanting more. Great Day!

Tee Shirts and Strawberries

 My niece was wearing this cute, hilarious shirt. I had to share it. How great is that. Such an eighties throwback.  It really made me smile. I guess it doesn't take much.

 My strawberries are popping up all over the place.  I started to think about strawberries.  They are so good and so versatile not to mention healthy.  I couldn't wait to go out and buy some. I was inspired to make some yummy chocolate fondue. It was just the thing on this cool rainy New England afternoon. I cut up some pound cake and bananas as well. I threw some slivered almonds into the fondue itself to give it a little crunch. All that polished off with a tall glass of milk.  The kids loved it.  It was extremely messy. It was finger lickin' fun and by the time they licked the saucepan clean they were bouncin' off the walls. I guess it was worth it.

I did it, reluctantly.....

Yesterday, I ran the 5k road race I was practicing for.  My family kept saying that they hoped, I didn't drop dead of a heart attack. Sigh. This started to worry me a bit. I am only forty three and pretty fit but one never knows.  I put off registering to run until the morning of the race in case it was too hot, or too rainy. I was looking for an excuse not to do it. However, fifteen minutes before the National Anthem, I signed up. A bunch of my friends were there, so there was a misery, loves company situation.

In reality, it wasn't that bad. I enjoyed giving little kids on the sidelines high fives. I enjoyed drinking the cups of water and throwing them on the ground.  I actually, spent a lot more time standing around the water stations than I should have, to catch a breather, but hey, I didn't want to "drop dead of a heart attack".

It cost thirty bucks and they served hockey puck hamburgers, cold hot dogs and lot's of beer. Who drinks beer after running? Apparently, tons of people. The beer line was a quarter mile itself. Beer and water.  No juice or soda for the non drinkers. I have to say it was a huge money making racket. I would assume that a pub that serves food would provide better fare for thirty bucks but no one seemed to care. All in all, it was a good time. However, I still hate running.

June is Picnic Time