My life - Great Idea

Look at this.  I think this is a great idea.  I could use it outside or at a bar mitzvah.....it is from Martha Stewart.  Can easily be done on a smaller scale.

"Bars and buffet tables must be adequately lighted, but they're often located far from electrical outlets. An easy, inexpensive solution is to gather clear apothecary bottles and fill them with lamp oil and wicks. Arrange the bottles under a large hurricane for protection. We set these on a sturdy glass cake stand."

Restaurant review - Buono Beef

Here is my italian beef that I had a Buono Beef.  This is one of the "regular" italian beef places around this area.  It is really good.  Spicy, tender.  I had it "juicy" with mozzarella cheese.  Juicy means that the bread has extra broth, juice on it.  I love that - the bread gets soft, almost dough like.  YUM!!!!

But the french fries were not good...just run on the mill fries.  Nothing too special here.

Our son had a cesar's salad.  It was a great size with meat added.  He loved it!!

Good place, not really worth the drive though.....

My life - How do you have dinner with no time?

Baseball from 4:45-? - Lemmon Hill
Art show 7-9 - High School

So how do you feed your family when you don't know when you are going to be home and who is going to be where and when while at the same time giving each kid the time and attention - and food - they need?

OK.....this is not my usual answer....in fact our daughter (see her hand here with her cell phone on her lap - never far away) said she has not had McD's in 6 months.  But for last night...this worked.  3 happy meals.  Just that simple....last night it just worked.

My life - My right calf (and not a baby cow)

Hi - I haven't written in a long time.  This injury has really thrown me for a loop on a level I never expected.  Hold on and I'll let you into my little world......

As you saw from my previous post, I have a lovely boot.  I tore my right calf muscle doing absolutely nothing. The day after we came back (did you see the pictures from our trip?  Forever memories), I was sitting on our couch when I jumped up to close a gate into the kitchen.  It was then that it felt like a softball had smashed into my right calf.  I took myself to the doctor (my husband was leaving to travel).  My doctor said that I tore my calf and I was lucky it didn't tear any lower, or it would have also taken my achilles with it (ensuring surgery). I tried to go to work a few days later, but after an hour of standing I was in extreme pain.  I had to leave.  I hate nothing more than letting people down and leaving good people hanging - and that is what happened when I had to leave work for an unknown amount of time. I love the people I work with and I love my customers....and I had to leave them. Horrible feeling for me.....both my heart and leg hurt.

Stay off my leg.....yeah right.  HAHA - right - No pun intended!!  Luckily, I do crack myself up.

Anyways....I have a list of things I want to get done with this unexpected time.  This included some gardening.  I know, I know, keep of my leg, but the boot does help with gardening.  When I push on the spade with the boot, it does give me some extra depth in my dig.  Here is some of what I have been doing....

 These are two pots I planted.... oregano, mint, basil, dill and thyme.

Here is a raised vegetable bed I planted.  I always wanted a vegetable garden.  Here are tomatoes, brussel sprouts, peppers, okra and eggplant.

But, I have paid the price and I have trouble admitting it.  My leg has been very sore....I just have trouble staying in one spot and having people do things for me.  You know, I am the one who does for others.  I am SO grateful for my friends and family and doing for and with them is my way of showing my gratitude. And not being able to do.....or having to stop myself from doing has been very hard for me.  It makes me very sad to just sit here and not be at work and not be fully able.  But what I do I have to be sad about.....really.  I mean really! A torn calf with will heal?!?!

So here my friend is the hardest challenge for me. I am SO blessed and this is NOTHING in the big scheme of life, but it is SO difficult for me to keep it all in perspective. I knew that perspective is extremely important.......I must have needed a reminder about that.  Keep things in perspective!  Message heard......loud and clear!!!!!!!

My Life - My Torn Calf

My boot.........I call it "Iron Man"

Dinner - Grilled steak, onions and mushrooms

Made our first home cooked meal since we have been back....grilled marinated skirt steak, grilled sweet onion and grilled portabella mushrooms.  Really simple and really tasty.  I took a throw away cup and put in it olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Then brought out a silicone brush.  I brushed each piece of meat with just the oil (by not stirring up the cup) and then stirred it up and spread it on the shrooms and onions before putting it on the grill.

Looks so good - doesn't it??!!??

My life - Paris

On our trip, we also went to Paris.  We took the Eurostar.  It takes less time to get from London to Paris than it does to get from my house to Madison, WI.  I am SOOO jealous!!  I wish we could travel this easily.

We asked the concierge at the hotel to set us up for dinner.  Since we were travelling on Sunday, it made supper time somewhat tricky because quite a few places are closed on Sundays. He set us up at L'Aidoise (The Blackboard).  It was right behind our hotel.  Great service. Small place. Reservations needed FOR SURE.  We saw quite a few people turned away.  The menu was set....you had 5 choices in each category.....starter, entry, and dessert.  Very reasonable price as well.

 These were shittake and foi gras raviolis.  Such thin raviolis....that the insides were so tasty.

 These were crab bites with spicy avocado.  Not so spicy, but very light crab cakes and I would have never thought to combine them with guacamole.

 I am not sure what this was....inside the flaky roll here was ground lamb meat, but in that was a sausage like thing that bust open when I cut it open.  Not sure what it was....I think there was tripe in there....all I know is that there was A LOT of flavor, just not sure when it was.

 Here was my dish cut open.....the lady (a couple was from Ohio) next to me asked what I was eating.  I told her I wasn't sure.  She said she couldn't eat anything she didn't know what it was.  All  I know is that it was tasty.  Enough for me.....

 This was some kind of caramel and custard dessert.  My husband said it was delicious, but the liquid caramel on the bottom, not so good.

Chocolate mousse....I had to have it in Paris.  So light and tasty.  Not too rich.  Just right.

We got a "package" that included the hotel and Eurostar tickets.  The hotel was the St. James.  It was amazing - right on the Rue de Rivoli, right across from the Louvre, right by the Sienne, Champ de Elysee.  Incredible - and since we were there for such a short time, short travel time was imperative.  These are views from our hotel room.

Looking to the left

Looking to the right

We ate breakfast at the hotel.  It was just ok.....nothing really to show for it.  Oh well.....

But we did have something I must try to recreate.....at a tea place, I had a Mojitea....get it.....green tea, Perrier, mint and limes.  So fresh tasting.  I am going to grow some mint this summer, so I will try to make this cool drink.

As far as other meals, we grabbed things here or there.  Gelato, biscuits (cookies).  One special place we went to was Angelina's.  It had the old world Paris feeling to it.  There was a line to get in, but it went quickly.

 This was my vanilla eclair.  It was very light with a delicious light filling. On top, there was white chocolate with vanilla beans seeds.

I am not sure what this was called, but it was great.  See the shine stuff?  It was a hard, caramel shell in this light pastry, with wonderful whipped cream on top.  Very special.

Here are some more pictures from Paris.

The Louvre

Michaelangelo's Slave.  See the movement, the angles??  Power and beauty.

Caravaggio - Death of the Virgin - 1605.  He is my favorite artist.  Can you see the intense light drawing your eye to the main subject?  This was not done before.  Prior to him, artwork was equally lit - less dramatic lighting.

 Very typical French cafe. When daughter looked at this picture, she thought it was interesting that no one faced each other, they just faced the street.

We stood on the Sienne and watched the sun go down and the Tower light up.  This is my forever memory of Paris.

This trip was better than ever our honeymoon because we have been through so much together and and grown so much alone and as a couple.  Standing on the Sienne crying with his arm around me, watching the sun go down and the Tower light up....memories I will never forget.