Civilization

The other night, Marc, Tune, Nat and I went out on one of our Adventure Eating excursions.  Adventure Eating is a concept and term coined by Marc.  He got us hooked on taking off every so often and finding some restaurant somewhere that all or most of us have never tried, and then ordering a variety of stuff so we can really do some serious exploring of the menu.  The more off-the-beaten-path the better, and chain restaurants and corporate venues need not apply.  We're all about AUTHENTIC, people!

Anyways, this time it was Civilization in Gainesville.  It's one of those painfully self-aware places that are all the rage now, where nearly every menu item has a provenance worth mentioning, not to mention the building itself, and even the resident pet cat. (More on that cat, later.)  The exterior of the place was pretty unexceptional; not a ton of visibility and a bit unkempt. (Something about grass growing through cracks all over the parking lot is, well...)  Once you got a bit closer, the cool factor started to spike, though.  I loooove random furniture strewn all over the porch, and that's just what this place had.  Benches, little bistro tables, one-off patio chairs, and mix-and-match outdoor dining sets, not to mention checkerboards and bowls full of checker and chess pieces, all gave the place a great, chill vibe.  We ate outside so I only really got a glimpse of the interior, but I almost got the impression the inside had a more hip, urban feel to it.  (Which is fine, give me hippie over hipster every time.)

Drinks were way cool; artisanal sodas (killer root beer!) and citrus mint tea - unique and refreshing.  We started out with these zucchini and mozzarella fritters with a marinara-type sauce.  It was funny, what I meant to order were the pakora, which were chickpea fritters with cilantro chutney, but I chickened out on pronouncing pakora, and requested "those fritters" instead, while pointing vaguely at the menu.  Waitress misunderstood and brought the other (obviously more frequently ordered) fritters.  That'll teach me to wimp out!  (Somehow we managed to annihilate the zucchini fritters anyway without too much difficulty...)

For dinner, Nat got the Roasted Vegetables with Fried Polenta (the closest thing to a kids meal...hmmmm.)  Tunie got the Indian Thali plate, which consisted of two different curries, along with appropriate accompaniments, and I got the Chicken Piri-Piri, marinated and broiled to delightful tenderness and served with rice and collards in peanut sauce.  It was good.  Don't get me wrong.  But if I were to go again, I would order the Thali plate; way more interesting, to my way of thinking.  Tunie, on the other hand, liked Nat's food better than her own.  Go figure!  Tragedy struck Marc, though.  He was having a hard time deciding between the Fettuccine alle Vongole (clams in white wine sauce) or a New Orleans gumbo. (Is it just me, or is anyone else getting the impression that this menu does its fair share of globe-trotting?)  Care opened her big mouth and assured him that the gumbo was an excellent choice, and she was quite sure he wouldn't regret it.  Lo and behold, gumbo was placed before him, he takes his first bite with great anticipation, and very nearly needs to run for the fire extinguisher.  Fiery Nawlins gumbo was not designed for the delicate Midwestern palate.  Marc resigned himself to nibbling from his dining companions' plates, and Care hid her face in shame.  Moral of that story?  Do not give advice.  Ever.

On the bright side, Nat spotted the afore-mentioned cat, a quite pretty black kitty with the highly appropriate name of Mittens (for obvious reasons).  She was informed by her mother that she was not to pet the kitty until she had finished her dinner.  I have rarely seen a child more anxious for her food to arrive, nor have I seen a dinner dispatched so quickly by this particular young lady.  But in due time, she finished her dinner and retired to the parking lot to bond with Mittens, who being a typical member of her species, tolerated Nat's caresses for awhile and then vamoosed rather unceremoniously.  Poor Nat.  She needs a hamster!

All in all, we had a quite enjoyable dinner, complete with an epic game of checkers (we left right before Marc beat me).  We topped off the evening with housemade ice cream at Sweet Dreams - the perfect ending for a great outing.

POTTERY 101

CLASS 1 of 6

Miss Care has had a bee in her bonnet for some time concerning the desire to throw pottery.  She has brought it up at various times over the course of a year, and I have always just kind of snickered.  I just never gave it much consideration.  Then one day I was hard at work doing my office work I was sort of daydreaming at my desk, when the thought, "why not?".  So I turned to faithful Google, and found a place an hour (depending on who is driving) from home where we could learn (we hope anyway!) to throw pottery.  Care also had the brilliant idea to ask two more friends (one is my daughter-in-law :), and her sister) to join us.

The first step was learning to "knead" the clay, although our instructor may have called it something else.  I was a little to focused on getting some good shots!  This step was to knead out air bubbles and to draw the water from the clay.                                                  

                                                                                 


















Our next step was watching our instructor demonstrate the art of creating a mug.  I think perhaps he was a little overwhelmed by all the energy we brought to his class.  Four excited, giddy, talkative ladies can generate a lot of energy.  He spent a bit of time with his demonstration.  Perhaps to long.  He was doing a fair bit of talking himself.  He was very good at the wheel thing.  Made a very impressive mug.  We in turn were very good at oohing and aahing at all the right places.  It looks so easy watching someone........

Then he turned us loose!

 AND                 

Brianna was the first to make a mug vase!! Good Job!!  It was a very fun 2 hours. We have 5 more classes to hopefully be able to walk away with something we really like!  And so, after all that hard work, and feeling a little famished, we naturally sought out somewhere to fuel up.  Indian food was the consensus.  It was VERY GOOD!!!!

POEMS

POEMS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER

POEMS MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD RECITE TO HER CHILDREN

HAVE YOU TAKEN IT TO JESUS?

HAVE YOU TAKEN IT TO JESUS?

HAVE YOU LEFT YOUR BURDEN THERE?

DOES HE TENDERLY SUPPORT YOU?

HAVE YOU ROLLED ON HIM YOUR CARE?

OH, THE SWEET UNFAILING REFUGE,

OF THE EVERLASTING ARMS;

IN THEIR LOVING CLASP ENFOLDED

NOTHING WORRIES OR ALARMS.

HAVE YOU TAKEN IT TO JESUS?

JUST THE THING THAT'S PRESSING NOW?

ARE YOU TRUSTING HIM COMPLETELY

WITH THE WHEN, AND WHERE AND HOW?

OH THE JOY OF FULL SURRENDER

OF OUR LIFE, OUR PLANS, OUR ALL;

PROVING FAR ABOVE OUR ASKING

THAT GOD ANSWERS WHEN WE CALL.

HAVE YOU TAKEN IT TO JESUS?

'TIS THE ONLY PLACE TO GO,

IF YOU WANT THE BURDEN LIFTED

AND A SOLACE FOR YOUR WOE.

OH THE BLESSEDNESS TO NESTLE

LIKE A CHILD UPON HIS BREAST;

FINDING EVER AS HE PROMISED

PERFECT COMFORT, PEACE AND REST.

A SPECIAL DRESS

FOR A SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL

A couple of months before Natalie turned 5, I was thinking I would like her to have a very special dress.  I was thinking of something soft.  Something sparkly.  Something beautiful.  Something she'd want to twirl in.  Something red.  Something that wouldn't break the bank.  I looked a little, then knew what I'd have to do.  To fulfill what I imagined in my head, I would simply have to make it.  I love little girl's dresses that when you slip your hand inside, they feel like silk.  Or melted butter.  No rough seams.  Nothing to poke.  I found a pattern, and purchased the material.  And the lining.  And the tulle.  I bought beads.  My heart was singing.  I love creating new things.  I had to come up with a design, a pattern for the beading.  I spent an evening paging through books in my sewing room, and came up with a little design.  This is the part I love.

I put my design on Sulvy, a water soluble stabilizer. Then I sewed it to the dress piece, and began the beading.  This stage in the dress making took hours.  Or maybe I should say, weeks.  I would sit down for an hour at a time and bead. It was very enjoyable work.

Once all the beads were in place, I soaked the piece in a water bath for about a minute, then laid it flat to dry. When I had finished the front, the two back pieces and the sleeves, I constructed the dress.  The beading was fun.  The skirt was not.  Have you ever had the pleasure of working with yards and yards of tulle?  It is a part of sewing that I could live without experiencing.  But experience it I have! (the tulle is underneath, out of sight-sandwiched between the lining and the fashion fabric).  Ah well, It makes for a very happy girl!

I was very pleased with the finished result.  And I would have to say, so was Natalie!

Tunie, otherwise known as the Grand Poo-bah

This being a momentous day today; that is, the day that we celebrate the birth of Tunie, I thought it might be appropriate to take a moment and share a bit about her for the benefit of those who might not have the privilege of knowing her.

Tunie is full of color.  How else to describe her?  The funny thing is if you don’t know her well, you might be forgiven for seeing her in soft neutrals – gracious and gentle, soft-spoken, kind, content to stay in the background, out of the limelight… and yet… there is this… something… that makes one suspect that there is more to this story.  Sure enough, after many years of admiring her from afar, I was finally given the opportunity to really get to know Tunie, and lo and behold, all of those nice, pretty pinks and blues and beiges (very lovely colors in their own right) burst forth into a glorious, riotous rainbow of vibrant hues.

Tunie is an artist.  She’s one of those annoying people that masters every single mode of creative expression that she puts her hand to.  She sews, she knits and crochets, she beads and embroiders, she makes buttons and paper and lovely scrapbooks, she paints and cooks and gardens, and no doubt, countless other handicrafts that I’ve never even heard of.  (On the bright side, thanks to Tunie’s creativity, I am the proud possessor of the coolest afghan the world has ever known, not to mention several amazing articles of clothing, handcrafted and unique, and truly epic.)  Her home is full of those touches, unable to be purchased in any store, that come when a person creates beautiful things, and in the process, puts a little bit of herself, the love in her heart, into those objects.  I think her back door summarizes it very well.

Tunie is a character.  Don’t let that demure smile fool you for one minute.  This is the lady who rides up on my tail in order to make sure I can hear her cheerful whistle as I struggle in agony up the final hills at the end of one of our 35-mile bike rides. (Yeah, she’s super cool for jaunts like that.)  This is the lady who has been known to hide under the kitchen table, or play all manner of crazy games (in the house) or build tents in the living room for naptime, or rassle her kiddos, no matter that they’re pretty much all bigger than she is now.  Oh, and guess who’s never happier than when she’s up to her elbows in some madcap project?  Yep.  (Work all day, throw together some gourmet hors d’ oeuvres and then whip up a new outfit at 2 AM, all the night before a party, anyone?)

Tunie is a friend.  Really, all other qualities aside, it is that one that I cherish the most.  Yes, Tunie is full of really cool, admirable, fun-to-hang-out-with qualities, but it is her quiet, genuine, honest and heartfelt friendship that I treasure above anything else.  Here is a lady who has opened her heart and her home and her family to me, who has invited me to share in her dreams and adventures and quiet times.  How blessed I am to have the gift of a friend who loves life, loves the Lord, exudes an enthusiasm for living and experiencing new things, who offers a bedrock of love and support, who cheers me on and who fights on my side, no matter what.  Proverbs 31 asks us, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”  Truer words are not spoken; so many of us harbor dreams of finding just one friend, one kindred spirit to call our own. I am blessed beyond description in that I have found that friend, and I thank my heavenly Father for the great gift he sent my way.

Maude's for lunch, and then...cupcakes!

We had the itch to gallivant last week, so we ran down to 

Gainesville and had lunch at Maude's.  The menu was

pretty limited (I think they're more of a coffee

shop than anything else) but it wasn't half-bad!  Tunie and 

I had Da Bomb (bacon, cheese, tomato, onion and mayo) 

and Nataroo had a BLT.  The croissants were buttery 

and crisp and the cheese was gooey and melty; all 

very good things.  The sweet tea was almost as good as

Tunie's - super sweet and made with Earl Grey (this little twist

is HIGHLY recommended if you're a sweet tea maker, by the

way.)

The interior of the place was quirky; the kind of place

you might like to bring a book or a board game and 

hang out.  We sat outside, though, on the patio, no 

mean feat in Florida in June! Not bad, just so long as a

person thought cool thoughts. I just wish smoking would

go out of style.  Cigarettes and warm, buttery, delicious 

croissants do not mix, at least in my opinion.  

(Nor do panhandlers seated mere inches away from one's

plate, but that is another point, I suppose.)

Oh, but then! Croissants are one thing, and a good thing indeed, but when one's sweet tooth begins to ache, only Sarkara Sweets will do!  Sarkara, land of cupcake bliss, and home of the design-your-own-cupcake!   Right inside the door is a huge board full of temptations - cake flavors, fillings, frostings, toppings, drizzles, you-name-it.   It's always hugely disappointing 

to find out upon entering that you happened to 

come at an inopportune time and custom 

cupcakes aren't gonna happen, but the 

display case still has some pretty darn

good options.  Nat opted for a mocha creation - 

chocolate cake with coffee-flavored frosting.

I went with a red velvet cupcake with chai

frosting.  That red velvet was no red food

coloring and cake mix creation; a nice hit

of cocoa came shining through.  Tune settled

on a caramel chocolate candy bar cupcake,

and I think we all agreed hers was the best. 

(The cake part, which was maple, was so.

darn. good.)

The verdict?  

I think we have a winner, folks!

SPECIAL DINNERS

Carrie and I to date have cooked around 40 meals together. It has been a very enjoyable journey.  We have learned tons about food, about planning, about recipes, about cooking, and about each other.  I have been wondering today about how all of this began.  I had been cooking for friends long before cooking with Carrie, and she also had been cooking long before cooking with me.  I would imagine it all began after having Natalie.  Entertaining became a little bit harder to pull off with the addition of a baby, and everything else I was juggling at the time.  When Carrie had been working for us for a bit, and we discovered how much we had in common, and that we enjoyed doing things together, it just seems to have taken off quite naturally.  We've had some very fun times in the kitchen!  We've put in some very long hours too.  We have discovered, that after midnight, we are utterly useless.  We've had moments of complete failure, and times of great success.  But I would say the greatest joy, the greatest reward for all the work and time and money, would be the joy we've brought to those we've fed and nourished.  Nothing compares!  It warms our hearts to think back on our times with family and friends.  So this is what we will share with you, our readers.  Not a great deal of note taking and picture taking were happening at the beginning, but as we moved forward, we documented better, and seemingly the dinners became more entertaining (behind the scenes!).  So little by little, we will pull these stories from our notebook pages, and bring them to light!  Enjoy!!

October 2006

DINNER PARTY FOR 10

5 COURSES

1

DELICATE SESAME CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

2

OVEN-ROASTED TOMATO AND AVOCADO SOUP

3 DIFFERENT HOMEMADE CHEESE BALLS AND ASSORTED CRACKERS

3

SALAD OF GRILLED ZUCCHINI AND CORN WITH CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

4

GRILLED AND BRAISED SHORT RIBS OVER POLENTA 

GREEN BEANS WITH BACON

5

RAINBOW ICE CREAM TORTE

LEMON CHEESECAKE

Carrie and I planned, shopped and cooked this meal together.  It was really a lot of fun.  It took us about 16  total hours to cook.  We had prepared most of the meal the day before, on Friday, and finished up on Saturday.  We served the dinner on Saturday evening.  We learned some things as we went along, and if we repeated this menu again, it would go smoother. ( Never have we repeated a menu, sometimes we have repeated a dish.)  Every part of this meal was a huge hit.  One of my sons, Michael, and two of his friends, helped in the kitchen.  They soon petered out on us though, as the dishing began to mount!  *Just for the record-Michael and his friends (later adding girls), became excellent helpers! Couldn't have done these nights without them!

POEMS

FROM MY GRANDMOTHER

My Grandmother would recite poems to her children as she went about her day.

HE GIVETH MORE GRACE

He giveth more grace

When the burdens grow greater

He giveth more strength

When the labors increase.

To added affliction

He addeth His mercy-

To multiplied peace.

His love has no limit

His grace has no measure

His power no boundary

Known unto men;

For out of His infinite

Riches in Jesus,-

He giveth and giveth,

And giveth again.

This is from my Grandmother's cousin Ruth Peters- for my Grandmother on her birthday 1967.

GRILLED PIZZA

Grilled Pizza is a treat around here.  Technically pizza is not difficult.  It just seems to be very time consuming.  Like cleaning out the refrigerator.  Pizza takes a little forethought.  I'm usually not thinking of dinner by 2 in the afternoon...perhaps I should.  (then maybe, I wouldn't be standing in my kitchen at 5:30 racking my brain as to what to make...)

The dough is very straightforward.  Mix it in the food processor, 4-5 minutes of kneading, and set it aside

to do its thing.  For this pizza I decided to forego the normal tomato sauce and try something new (being I had a bag of cilantro and 2 pkgs. of basil hanging out in my frig.). So before returning to the office, I made this incredible pesto.

Cilantro Salsa with Basil and Mint

1 clove garlic

1/2 lg. jalapeno chile, seeds removed  (I used the whole thing)

Sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bunch cilantro, lower stems removed

5 basil leaves (I used more.          Remember the 2 pkgs in my frig)

A sprig of mint

Put garlic, chile, 1/4 salt, and the olive oil in a mini processor and pulse to break the garlic and chile.  Add cilantro and continue to pulse, adding more olive oil if needed (I thought the 1/4 cup a little to much).  Add the basil and mint and pulse once more.  Add salt if needed.  This recipe comes from a new book that I love-Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison. 

Ok-so my dough is rising, my sauce (pesto) made, and I head to the office to play catch up.  As I sit down at my desk, I think, "oh yah, the onions..."  Back to the kitchen.  I used 2 vidalia onions. I sliced these and put them in a pan with olive oil, s&p and cooked on low for maybe an hour.

Later on, when in the kitchen once more, I rolled out my dough.  I think I was a little zealous here.  Ha ha.  It has quite the shape.  I brushed olive oil and s&p on the side that would lay on the grill. I grilled this for 4 minutes.  Then I spread on the pesto, onions, sauteed red pepper, sliced tomatoes (from my garden! cool!), and parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Returned this to the grill and grilled for about 5 minutes.  This crust was thin, so it really didn't need much time.  Lastly, I garnished with more sliced basil.  This pizza was GOOD!

I know, the shape....But the taste!  Because I had salted the first side that I grilled, it came through almost as its own taste.  It was pretty neat.  This was definitely worth the time invested.  See?

The second pizza was a kid pizza. :)

SUMMERTIME COOLER

For our last family lunch, I made this refreshing drink.  It was such a delight to drink, such a burst of flavors, that I am thinking of when I can serve it again!  

I found the recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Stop and Smell the Rosemary by the Junior League of Houston, Inc.  I  took the liberty to change the recipe a little, to fit the need. The absolute coolest part of this drink, was when the liquid was done, you could chew the juice ice cubes and eat the fruit!

1 bottle (64 oz.) raspberry-cranberry drink, chilled

2 cups water

2 large lemons

2 large limes

1 medium nectarine

1/2 lb seedless green grapes

1/2 cup raspberries

lemon leaves

5 tea bags

2 to 4 tablespoons sugar

1 bottle (34 oz) lemon-lime soft drink, chilled

1 can (6 oz--I used it all) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Mix 3 cups raspberry-cranberry drink and 2 cups water.  Pour 3 1/2 cups of this mixture into a 6-cup ring mold and freeze.  (I made ice cubes instead. I wasn't aiming for a punch bowl presentation.  I also used more juice and water. 3 cubes per glass seemed just right) Refrigerate remaining 1 1/2 cups.  Cut a continuous 1-inch wide strip of peel from each lemon and each lime. (This is assuming you are creating an ice float for a punch bowl) Set aside. Squeeze juice from lemons and  limes to equal 1/4 cup each. (Do people really measure these things? I used all the juice, regardless.  Again, this drink was a fantastic!) The recipe continues to have you roll the peels to make flowers and to use the fruit to freeze in the ring of ice. I will continue as I did it. In a 4-cup glass cup, pour boiling water

over tea bags (I used Earl-Grey), and steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags.  Cover and refrigerate tea until ready to complete punch.

If you are serving this in glasses, as I did, put your sliced fruit in each glass.  I used orange slices, halved grapes and nectarine slices. (I didn't buy raspberries.  I considered using blackberries from my yard, and then in the push of getting lunch on the table, forgot. Also, the lemon leaves did not make it into this drink) Drop into each glass the fruit ice cubes.

Just before serving, mix 2 tablespoons sugar, soft drink, undiluted lemonade, tea, remaining cranberry drink (I used the rest of the bottle), lemon and lime juices and 1 1/2 cups cold water. I served 12 glasses.  This recipe made about 16 glasses.  If you want to offer seconds, you should adjust accordingly.