WW - If I could have any T-shirt it would be this

You can find this here

Love,
M

RTT - Odds and Ends but Nothing Really Important

Random Tuesday Thoughts
Keely
Click purplish button
Check out others
After you the the random post below.
Thank you
Over and out

Hey Dad?
You know what?
Cat poo
Tastes like chicken.

All the real estate people will tell you
Location, Location, Location
This Subway may have wanted to keep that in mind.
On either side, across the street, and diagonally,
It was sandwiched between strip clubs on a street in Baltimore.
I'm just sayin'

Library of Congress.
Coolest building around.
Built around the turn of the 20th century.
Each of those little nakid marble babies represents a form of learning or current events
From the far left;
Chinese baby hugging the world.
next baby reading a scroll
next baby's got a mortar and pestle
next baby's got a telephone to it's ear
next baby's an architect.

Take a look at that ceiling.
There is all kinds of symbols painted up there.
None of these pictures show it but several portions of the ceiling are mosaic tile.

Well, that does it for me. At the end of the week I'm going to have another installment of "Conversations with my Mother".

Now, leave a comment then head to Keely's.

Love,
M

Portabella Mushroom Rockefeller - Meatless Monday

Our dinner on Sunday night.
12 o'clock - Portabella Mushroom Rockefeller
6 o'clock - Israeli Couscous with Saffron, Olives and Vegetables

I saw a recipe in my new Vegetarian Times magazine titled Oyster Mushrooms Rockefeller. I thought wow that sounds good. Let's see what's in it. What I was looking for was whether I had the items on hand.

I know I've said it before but I don't make special trips for ingredients. EVER! If I don't have the stuff on hand I don't make the recipe or I substitute. My theory on this is that if you are making several trips to the store for special ingredients that you don't keep on hand then you are just wasting money. Sure, if you are planning to make something that has ingredients that you don't normally keep on hand and add them to your weekly grocery list that's okay but if you've done your shopping for the week and that item is not on the list then it will have to wait until next week.

So with that on my mind I went through the list of ingredients in the magazine recipe.

1. Oyster mushrooms - I don't really keep these on hand. They are expensive and my local grocery store doesn't carry them. I'd have to go into the big city. I hate driving to the Central Market. Houston drivers are crazy.
   
2. Fennel - not on my list. I'm not really big on fennel. It tastes like licorice to me. I don't like licorice. Make that I hate licorice. This is the same reason that I don't use or grow tarragon. JR loves licorice but I have convinced him that it isn't good for him. Don't tell on me.
   
3. Shallots - these are just expensive and mild onions. I never buy them. They are really small which makes them hard to chop. But, the real reason is that with my exceptional knife skillz I am bound to take a finger off trying to chop these things.
   

Could I still make this recipe? Sure I could. With a few substitutions.
Okay, with a lot of substitutions.
Okay, with most everything substituted.
At this point the recipe was nothing like the one in the magazine with the exception of the process. I'll give you my recipe. Check out the April issue for the original.



Portabella Mushroom Rockefeller

1 large Portabella mushroom, gills removed and large chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 - 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dried
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped sweet or green onion (I used green)
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon black truffle oil
4 small slices or 1 tablespoon per ramekin mozzarella cheese (any mild white melting cheese will do)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 4 ramekins with olive oil. Equally divide and spread mushrooms in each ramekin.
  
• Thaw spinach, place in a clean dish towel or paper towels. Squeeze as much of the water out as you can. Split up between the ramekins. Covering the mushrooms.
• Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, onions, garlic and truffle oil. If you don't have truffle oil substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil and a teaspoon of sage or tarragon. Divide and spread over spinach until well covered. Top with cheese.
• Bake 15 minutes. Change the oven to the broiler. Broil until brown and bubbly.
  

Makes 4 servings. About 250 calorie per serving and lots of fiber.

JR loved this so much that he had two servings. I have one left over for my lunch. Which is in two more hours. I'm not sure I can wait.

BTW, that couscous? Awesome! Also, from VT but I didn't have the ingredients so once again I improvised. The leftovers will be part of dinner tonight. I love a two-fer.

Give the mushrooms a try. If you don't like mushrooms (what is wrong with you) you'll hardly taste them in this recipe or you could substitute sliced zucchini or yellow squash. Eggplant would also be great.

Love,
M

But mom! He's a good boy.

I just stumbled across this humorist so I had to share. For those of us who have gone through the teen years you'll think this is funny. For those of you who are coming up to the teenage years keep this in mind. For those of you who are in the teenage years. God bless you.





Love,
M

National Botanical Gardens

There's something you all don't know about JR. Well, there are lots of things you don't know about him but we won't go there. Not today. Not while he's not here to tease about them. Wait, I forgot where I was going with this (damn menopause), oh right, JR.


I've talked about his love for his nightly Fritos corn chips, cashews and beer before dinner. How he eats these things then has dinner, then desert and never gains a pound. BTW, he just lost 2 more. If I didn't love him so much I'd hate him.


What I don't think I've talked about is how much he enjoys gardening. He loves nothing better than to putter around in the dirt growing veggies and flowers, mowing and weeding (except me and the kids. Or at least he better say that). The only time that I have had to do any real outside work (he would question whether I do any work, inside or outside) is when we had our 1200 square foot vegetable garden, 200 sq. ft. herb garden and the orchard. Gardens that size take several people, a couple of kids and a dozen chickens (chickens are the best organic weed control devices on the face of the earth. The eggs ain't to bad either) to keep them productive.


There has never been a house that we have lived in that he hasn't put a garden of some sort in. This includes the apartment we lived in while I went to grad school. In Seattle he knew when to plant everything, in Bloomington, IN the timing was a little different but not so much as to throw him off. Phoenix was a tough nut to crack. It took a little over a year for him to get the seasons (plural) down. Now, in Houston he is starting it once again with our kiddie pool gardens.

This is not to say that I have nothing whatsoever to do with the gardening around here. I usually am the idea gal.
Kiddie pools? My idea.
Huge ass veggie garden? My idea
Chickens? My idea
Ducks? My idea (okay so I make a mistake once in awhile)
Stand alone herb garden? My idea
Container garden in our apartment? My idea

I plan what to plant, where to plant, and how much to plant. He actually plants, weeds, and harvests. He does clean up. You know, like that batter at the end of the rotation in baseball. That is what that person is called right?


To tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth (ugh I'm a dork) he cleans up after me a lot. Case in point:

• I decide to paint a room. Three fourths of the way through I get tired of painting and he finishes it.

• 90% into a remodel project I bail (I'm sure I have a perfectly good explanation) and he takes over to finish the job.

I don't want to you get the impression that I am ADD or anything. I finish stuff. My kids are grown and out of the house (sort of) aren't they? I never bail on the big things. Just the things that need a long term commitment. I'm very project driven.

It's just that this little idiosyncrasy of ours is just how we roll. Sort of like the fact that he can't find his way out of a brown paper bag and I come in to save him with my unerring sense of direction. It's that give and take in a relationship that comes after a few years. It's a synergy that we have developed over time.

What does any of this have to do with the National Botanical Garden? Not a damn thing. Except that JR really likes flowers and I was in Washington DC for our 27th wedding anniversary. So I went to the gardens to feel closer to him that day.

Love,
M

Little Librarian

If this

produces this?
Why would parents

buy this?

Love,
M

The bun, the sensible shoes, the long skirt, and the glasses it is just plain scary.

RTT - The Different Shades of Washington DC

Keely has been in a bit of a funk lately.
I can't hardly blame her.
It's hard to keep up with house, family, kids and (gasp) your very own life
but it is especially hard when your job is harshing your buzz like Keely's is.
So head over there and give her some comment love.
Cuz, you all know that we need it.

I spent a whole day on Thursday here.
This is the National Archives.
They have some of the cool old stuff in the United States.
They have the Declaration of the United States.
They have lots of documents, reports, and papers from both World Wars,
and various other important events in US history.
They have some really great things.
They think that they have ALL the cool old stuff in the United States
but they are wrong.
Because do you know who has more?

That would be the Library of Congress.
Not only do they have more cool stuff but
they have every book, movie and recording ever published
and anything else that is produced in the United States (it's a rule).
They have millions of their items digitized.
They have employee 4500 people to take care of millions upon millions of items.
They receive 25,000 items everyday and keep 10,000 of them.
EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!
Now, if I wasn't a librarian I could figure out how many items this is in a year but I would have to count on my fingers and toes a whole bunch of times.
Why don't they keep all of them?
Because they already have copies of some of the stuff (yes, stuff is a technical term).
FYI, It pays to know someone who is a librarian there.
The back stage tour rocks.
The stacks and the vaults are awesome.
Us librarians are such rebels. That photo above?
It was taken against the rules. Photos are not supposed to be taken in that room. I feel kind of sneaky.

I walked by this building a couple of times.
I didn't go in.
I had heard that the people in this building were
making some really important decisions about health care reform.
From what I hear they did.
All of it scares me. Why do I get the feeling that we have put the wolves in charge of the hen house?
What they accomplished is so much less than they could have done.
Does that sound cynical?

This must be the largest phallic symbol in the United States if not the world.
Four square shaped balls?
Should the monument see someone for that?
Sculptor or cement worker?


I hung out with my friend Robin.
Yes, we did play dorky tourists.
We were perfect for the part.
Look at that hair. The weather was a tad humid so my hair decided to go its own way.
Right after this Robin spilled pasta sauce all over her scarf. It pays to wear black. Slimming and food droppings proof. The girls may not be large but they catch their share of food.

We had great food in the Little Italy section of Baltimore.
Imagine an Italian restaurant on every corner of a six square block area.
I was in carb heaven.
We ended up at the neighborhood hang out.
The only place to be.
After eating a ridiculous amount of food
Robin and her husband took me to the airport.
Where I had a free glass of wine at the bar.
Looking sad and pathetic reaps rewards.

That is the quick tour of Washington DC and Baltimore. I'll post a bit more tomorrow.

Love,
m

TOFU GUMBO by the… BOY?

I've been out of town for the last several days so The Boy stepped up to the plate for me blog wise. He's been a cooking fool lately and wanted to share this recipe with you. I'll try to add some measurements since he didn't. My edits are in italics and parentheses.

I wonder where he got his "fly by the seat of your pants" cooking method?

Must have been his father.

And what the hell does he mean by his " genetic predisposition for slacking"?

Must have gotten this from his father also.

TOFU GUMBO by the… BOY?

I know what you’re thinking, what is the boy doing making a vegetarian meal? After making a long-winded diatribe in defense of meat a little under a year ago what has happened to this blog’s lone champion of eating animals? Well since my last post I have cured some of my genetic predisposition for slacking by picking up cycling and running with some pretty lofty goals. Nutrition is a key component to training for any kind of activity whether it’s a marathon or a century bike ride. Unfortunately it seems the only way to be healthy in this country is to cook your own food so that’s what I have been doing. This is a tofu gumbo whose recipe I originally I found on the internet but quickly tossed because I hate being told what to do, so I’m just going to tell you what to do instead.

First you have to make a marinade for the tofu to soak in for a few hours:

- ½ an onion, diced

- Some diced garlic (a teaspoonish)

- Some cayenne pepper (a half teaspoonish)

- A Thing of peanut oil (a quarter cupish)

- A Thing of apple cider vinegar (another quarter of a cup)

- Some brown sugar (2 tablespoons or so)

I also made a homemade mustard to throw in there because I forgot to buy Dijon mustard at the store (I always do this). The best part about making your own mustard is that it is easier than you think and you control the level of spiciness.

- Mortar and pestle some yellow mustard seed, turmeric, cayenne pepper, chili powder, brown sugar and salt. (let's go with equal parts except the mustard seed. Double it)

- Go hog wild with any other herbs or spice you can think of (I think a hog wild is a half a teaspoon)

- Once all of it is ground in the mortar gradually add some white wine vinegar (or water or BEER) one tablespoon at a time whilst whisking it in a mixing bowl. (just enough to make a paste. I'd say a quarter cup. If using beer, just drink the rest. You don't want it to go flat. Also white wine would work very well)

Now, prep your tofu into small cubes and press out all the water and chuck it into the marinade for a few hours.

It’s time to make the gumbo:

First sauté:

- ½ an onion, diced

- ½ a green bell pepper, diced

- ½ a red bell pepper, diced

- Some garlic, diced

- 2 ribs of celery, diced

What a good boy he is....eating his veggies. I couldn't be more proud *wipes a tear*.

Until the vegetables are soft and the onions are transparent. Then add

- A cup or so of canned diced tomatoes, drained (14.5 ounce can)

- Some thyme (a teaspoon or so)

- Some basil (another teaspoon)

- Some oregano (a half teaspoon)

- Two bay leaves

- Two cups or so of vegetable broth

- Some salt and pepper

- A jalapeño pepper, diced (throw in the seeds for some extra spice)

Heat on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes, you can make a roux to thicken it up but it doesn’t need it.

Now drain the tofu and collect what doesn’t drain and heat it in a skillet till the tofu is warm and brown.

Then serve over a bed of rice.

He drinks his milk. *sniff*

Me again: He said this was great. I believe him. Not because I'm his mother but because that Boy likes his food.When you work out as much as he does you tend to have a powerful hunger. Please pity me my food bill when he graduates this spring and moves home.

This can't be terribly difficult since it was made by a college student with limited kitchen utensils. Look at those pans? Scary.

And would it hurt to take a rag and some cleaner to that stovetop?

And take out the trash, clean your room, and pick up your dirty clothes.

Ahhh.....sorry. Went into mom mode and it kind of got away from me.

Let's give a shout out for The Boy and his cooking skills. I'm taking all the credit.

Love,

M

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Don't forget to wear your green.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Love,
M

RTT - where I bitch about the government then end it on a happy note. Sort of like the evening news.

Write some random thoughts. Bits and bobs that don't make a complete post then put them all together then link up at Keely's place. While you're there visit some of the other random writers.

JR stumbled across this so I just had to share.

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

I don't tend to make this blog into a forum for my own politics because I really believe that we all have differing opinions and no one's is bad. Some days I can't really help myself. So here is a quick one that I promise I'll try not to repeat. I can't guarantee because damn I don't make the rules. I just follow them and exclaim how incredibly stupid they are.

No matter what you think about the Huffington Post you can't possibly dismiss the fact that the Texas Board of Education has gone too far. Don't want to read the Huffington Post? Try any of the other legitimate news sources. Google Texas Board of Education and textbooks. They've voted against adding Hispanics to the history of Texas. They call into question the separation of church and state and erasing Thomas Jefferson from American history books as the most important figure in the enlightenment and replacing him with the 17th century English Theologian John Calvin is a travesty. My friend Matt-Man over at Bagwine posted an awesome response to these actions. Jeff Schneider wrote an open letter to the Board that says exactly what I would like to say.

Don't think this effects you? Think again. Texas is the largest buyer of textbooks. Publishers are going to want to make the Board happy. That means you textbooks are going to reflect Texas Republican dogma. Yipee!


End of rant. Sorry, we'll move right along.

How JR and I spent our weekend.




Like this



With this

No hating now. It's just not very attractive.

JR and I have started watching a show called Top Gear on BBC America. These guys are hilarious. We laugh until we cry. Plays hell on the mascara, JR's not mine. It's waterproof. (he's going to kill me for that one) If you haven't seen them go watch the linked one.

Love,
M

Grilled Vegetables; A sure sign of spring

Poached egg over Grilled Vegetables topped with Dijon aioli

The weather in Houston has finally changed from huddle in bed cold to grill on the patio warm.

So, out we went. Sunday morning while talking on Skype with my friend Terry I grill up some veggies for the week.

A little grilled veggie haiku

Yummo! Grilled veggies.
Yum! Grilled veggie sandwiches.
I eat them all up.

You are going to want to prep all your veggies.

This includes washing, chopping, draining your eggplant, etc. As you can see I have said eggplant, asparagus, green onions, and zucchini. I also did potatoes. Here's how it goes. Start with the veggie that will take the longest to cook. That would be the potatoes.

Grilled potatoes


Heat BBQ or stove top grill to medium high heat. The thermometer on my outdoor grill said 425.


Prick 2 large gold or red potatoes or 2 medium russet potatoes with a fork. I used gold because the skins are soft and the flesh is firm. Oh, and I'm lazy. I hate to peel potatoes. Nuke in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Take out of microwave and let sit on the counter or in the refrigerator until you can handle them with your bare hands.


Slice off the round ends. You want to give yourself a flat surface. Slice the rest of the potato into large equal slices, about 1 inch thick.


Mix together olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I used Herbs du Provence because I like it a lot. Brush on one side of the potato slice. Place on grill olive oil side down. Brush exposed side with olive oil mixture.


Grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until you get those lovely grill marks. Flip them over to grill the other side. Move to a cooler place on the grill to finish cooking them.

Add the rest of your veggies to the grill by cooking time needed. Eggplant and zucchini went on first, then the onions and the asparagus. You'll want to brush each side of the veggies with the oil mixture before you put it on the grill.

Anyone notice that I only really used one side of the grill? Why? Because the right side is JR's meat side of the grill. I never use it for veggies and neither does he, on pain of death. I did need the real estate so I commandeered my cast iron grill.


Breakfast was the first iteration. Later today I will be using the veggies on grilled pizza. If there are any veggies leftover I'll use them tomorrow in pasta.


These make a wonderful versatile dish for meatless Monday.

Love,
M

Rosemary, Lavender and Thyme

I love herbs.
I love to grow herbs.
I love the smell of herbs.
I love the look of herbs.
I love to cook with herbs.



I grow several different herbs in my kiddie pool gardens. Right now I have cilantro, flat leaf parsley, marjoram, sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and lavender.




I grow and use a lot of basil but the cold weather killed it off.
I've been very sad.
Basil is like crack for me.
Sort of like catnip is for JR's cat.
Basil makes me roll around on the floor and drool.
Okay, not really but it's basil power over me is pretty complete.
I need to plant some basil this weekend. I have the seeds I'm just not sure whether I have the patience to wait for it to grow. I know myself too well. I just know that I'll break down and buy a basil plant at Lowes or Home Depot. I'm weak. Weak when it comes to basil.



A couple of weeks ago I cut 4 sprigs of rosemary off my plant. I stripped off the lower leaves to use on bread or potatoes. I can't remember which. The springs that were left I put in water. All four have now rooted. They are sitting in clear glass bud vases on my kitchen window. They have lovely spidery roots. They make me happy.

I plan to plant them in pots placed near my front and back doors. The smell that wafts up as I brush by is so pleasant. I'm a big believer in planting good smelling plants by the doors of your house. I don't know what it is but there is just something welcoming about it.

At the last house that JR and I owned we lined both sides of the walk from the street to the house with rosemary and lavender plants. They created a lovely fragrant hedge.

Do you plant nice smelling plants next to your doors or am I the only weirdo?

Love,
M

Walla Walla, Washington - It's not just a funny name

JR and I owned a 5th wheel travel trailer several years back and would go RVing.
We didn't like to call it camping because, really, we had a full sized fridge, a 3 piece bathroom, a tv and a recliner.
That ain't campin' folks.
That's taking your home with you.
We loved it.
We would take that thing out every other weekend to somewhere in the states of Washington, Oregon or Idaho.
We also went up to Canada. Not often but a couple of times.
Mostly, we went places that we could get to within 4 hours. We had such a great system down that we could get home from work, hitch up, and get somewhere by 8pm. If it was dark we would leave the set up for the morning. Ah, the joys of a travel trailer.

That leads right into this postcard from the 1910s.
One of our favorite places was the Yakima Valley, Columbia River Valley, and Eastern Washington.

Why?
I like to tell people that it was because our oldest was attending college at Central Washington University and we just needed to visit. I missed him. He needed his mommy.
What?
Why, Yes, I am that big of a liar.

See those gardens?
That's the real reason.
That volcanic soil grows some of the best wine grapes outside of France.
In fact, according to all those vintners, the Columbia River Valley is on about the same latitude as France. Which, once again from the vintner's mouths to your ears (or eyes as the case may be), is ideal for wine grapes. Being able to control the water that the vines get is essential also.
How do I know these lovely wine facts?
The oldest boy took a class at university all about the geography of wine.
What kind of a mother would I be if I DIDN'T go on the field trips?

Love,
M