Blah

It is an official dreary day here in Ohio.  Sloppy actually. We need the rain but enough already. I do, however, like to cook on days like this so my mind is churning about the main dish that can be eaten by several people at their convenience.  I am sure Mike and Beth will head for Madeleine and Mckenna's house late this afternoon so I like sending a dish to relieve the new mother of cooking for a day or two. Maybe a baked pasta dish would do the trick....ahhh, trick or treat ugh.  I forgot this is the night. Well, I am not going for sure now that I realized what night it will be.

I just did a AAA survey about our two-week trip. Well, they asked for it.  We three made the trip great and special no thanks to the AAA planning agent in Gainsville, Florida.  I hate it when people bring their personal problems into the work place to burden the customer with their problems; and, his went on for a year.  We had to pry plans out of him. He did get a great Business class plane ride for me going and coming and the wheelchairs were there at the gates right on time, but getting the arrangements out of him was painful and there were other missteps that we three had to rearrange along the way.  For what we paid we should have had much better service from him during the planning stages.  So watch out.

I must make the best of this sloppy day as the dogs traipse in from fun in the mud. So baked pasta it is. That makes me happy.

Thanksgiving in New Orleans

Whenever I think about Thanksgiving away from home I picture Ann's kitchen and the wonderful food coming forth from there.  One dish I never make but always look forward to is onion pie.  Those Battencourt women know how to cook, that's for sure.  The second thing I look forward to is breakfast at the Broken Egg.  Shrimp and grits for breakfast with an over the top Bloody Mary fits my needs very well.  YUM and glug. There are usually thirteen or fourteen for breakfast and the poor waitresses blanch when I say the number.  It is a crowded place and I guess everyone is after the shrimp and grits or the breakfast lobster dish.  Our stay in New Orleans varies and this time it is four days. We arrive on Thanksgiving day which is the best day to travel because most people are already in place.  We leave then on Monday when hopefully everyone is back to work and the skies will be ours for the trip home.  This will conclude my travel for the year and it is a good way to end 2019.

We are completely covered in leaves, as is everyone I should guess.  Now we just give up until all the leaves have fallen and deal with it then, no matter the weather.  I want to get the windows washed inside and out before winter sets in, so that is on the schedule.

I have my winter reading list in hand and have started with The Queen's Gambit.  It is a Tudor trilogy.  Good TV will be starting this month at long last.  Why can't they try out new shows in summer?  Why are we troubled with the same old tripe?  And, why is the Bill Cosby show STILL on? He is in prison and still earning money with reruns. At present, our teeth are rotting just looking at the Food Network--nothing but sweets and tons of chocolate. Then they compound the new shows with those of the past and we are awash in sugar.

I'll hop off my soapbox and sit down to read. Andy has just arrived with my Tim Horton's iced cappuccino.  The 'blue' chair has magically appeared in the kitchen, so I know summer is truly over. I have to get over it.

balsamic vinegar

I have fallen in love with Italian balsamic vinegar.  I bought three small bottles at the vineyard where this brand is made and customs took one of the three.  Why I got away with two as well as all of the hotel toiletries in the same bag is beyond me.  They must have seen exhaustion, hysteria, and urgency in my eyes.

So, when I got home I made and ate a huge salad and put nothing but olive oil, balsamic vinegar salt, and pepper; yes, I ate the whole thing by myself. The balsamic vinegar is a lazy liquid, one must almost shake the open bottle to get the dark shiny droplets to fall from the lip. As I ate the salad I became afraid that I could not get this again if and when I ran out. (At the rate it was going, it would be soon.)  So I got on Amazon and there it was and in the larger bottle as shown in the picture. Why do we carry stuff home from foreign countries when we can get nearly everything right here at home...usually on Amazon.  So easy, free delivery, and quick efficient service.  Love Amazon.

Giuseyne Giusti Modena IGP...This is what I am using.  It is the same thing as I brought home for less money.  Go figure.

It is still warm and sunny here in this part of Ohio.  I can hardly imagine winter in this beautiful long fall season which I can still enjoy even though half of it was spent in Italy.

I correct myself.  I cannot find these bags of miniature pasta on Amazon.  I wish I had bought more of these in Italy.

I made it

I have neglected this blog for over two weeks and have probably lost all of my readers.  Yet on I go writing about this glorious trip because, at 82 years old next month, it is remarkable to be able to withstand the rigors of a trip to Italy and back traveling alone.  It reminds me of the article about Senator McCain's mother who was a twin.  At 90 some years old they flew to Paris and planned on renting a car.  However, the French informed them they were too old to drive and refused them a car.  So the twins went to a BMW car dealership, bought a red BMW and drove themselves all over Europe and then shipped the car home. Inspired by this story of a woman who just died a few months ago at the age (I believe) of 106, I undertook this adventure.  And, even though there will probably be no one reading this, or finding it interesting if they did, I will print it and store it in my journal of life.

It started on October 3, 2019.  I arrived at JFK without incident and soon boarded an American Airlines plane of luxury never before experienced in all my years of travel to and from Europe. I was ushered to my personal cubical and given a glass of champagne before my butt hit the luxurious seat which easily eased into a bed later on in the flight. I was stunned.  It was business class and there was no first-class section because Business Class was actually first class.  I have my own personal television with a plethora of movie choices. I had my own personal charger for phones and Ipads etc. A fluffy pillow and a quilt for later use.  Leg room galore, everything new and special to anyone's needs on an 8 and 1/2 hour flight that actually got there an hour early.

We arrived in Rome at 7:15  and a wheelchair whisked me through to my bags (I only used the wheelchairs at the airports) and a driver was there to take me to my first tour hotel for two days in Rome. I have to be honest, Rome did not thrill me nor did the food of Rome.  It might be that hotels and tour places feed you whatever they like because they know they will never see you again.  But, I had not come to Rome for the food.  Our tour of Rome and the two days we spent there was fine and soon we were on our way to Venice. Traveling through Tuscany's olive groves and the Apennine Mountains bound for the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice. By then, friendships on the fine bus had been established and my seat mate, Stacy, who looked like my daughter-in-law who was about to have a baby, and did, while I was on the trip turned out to be most pleasant and certainly added to my pleasure on this trip. Venice was fun even though crowded.  I thought there would not be many people in October in Italy but I was wrong.  Tourists were everywhere and I was informed during the season it would be 4 times the number of visitors.

We boarded the bus for Verona home of Shakespeare's ill-fated lovers Romeo and Juliet.  It turns out that this is a farce.  Juliet's balcony never held Juliet and she never lived or stayed where the tour guides led.  It was made up a long time ago by a tour guide who wanted to promote the area and promote happened and people actually pay to go view a balcony and to rub the breast of a statue of 'Juliet' for love luck.  (I found this out when I got home from Rick Steve's TV show. Fortunately, I did not fall for that extra tour expense.) It was on to Pisa and then Florence where the Trafgar tour ended for we three: Johnna, my daughter-in-law, and her sister Angela.  It was the Villa and the wedding the real reasons we had come to Italy in the first place. So we said good-bye to our seven-day tour relationships and headed for Villa La Vedetta. NOW we are talking about luxury, good food, excellent accommodations, and a fairy tale wedding. I have never seen such a large event go on without a hitch.  It was glorious. We then had three more days to explore and enjoy Tuscany.

On October 17th I started home, back in the luxury of cubical flight and it was a perfect trip until JFK.  I won't bore you with the two wind- canceled flights at JFK and a rush to Chicago where my wheelchair driver rushed me to a faraway gate to Columbus and I boarded 10 minutes before they closed the gates. I tipped that young wheelchair driver guy so big he will never get over it and neither will I; I  was just that grateful. I saw Columbus at midnight.  Believe me, I slept for days it seemed. Never mind my three bags took some trips on their own and It was three days bfore they were delivered to my doorstep.  Not the fault of American.  I shall carry on for years to come about that great airline, as far as I am concerned.  They are the best.

List completed

Just at the right time, I completed my six major things that had to happen before my Italy trip.  I'm locked and loaded and ready to fly to some fun far away. I am supposed to have one bag and one carry-on, but when there is a three-day wedding celebration and an extensive tour of Italy a girl needs her stuff.  Since I got my travel documents a day ahead of the trip due to a very poor travel agent, I will have to feign ignorance about the one bag rule.

The dogs are aware something is up.  The minute I get the bags out they follow me every step to make sure I don't go out the door.  Andy will take good care of them.

So, I leave tomorrow and will send back many pictures of the events of which there are many.  Enjoy the summer extension; can you imagine October 2nd being 92 degrees? Long live summer.

Away a week from Thursday

The travel agent finally got on the ball and now we know pretty much what we will be doing for two weeks in Italy.  I had to order a few more things from Amazon.  Italy has stopped using plastic water bottles and good for them, so she suggested we bring a reusable travel mug which I had not thought of.  I wish we would do away with plastic water bottles too.  She says it rains, so I bought a rain jacket and also bug repellent--so: we will be dehydrated but in the rain, while the mosquitos feast on our poor tired bodies.  Sounds like fun, don't you think? I think it will be pretty there in October with the temperatures hoving in the mid to low 70 degrees but a lot cooler in the evenings. (Better for wedding dancing.)  I think Alyssa and Beth have it all arranged and settled.  All they have to do now is to cough up the money.

I have all kinds of adapters and chargers and plugs, so I hope to shoot you pictures until you are sick of the whole thing. They will be on Facebook.  I don't know about the blog.  I need to figure that out.

I am cooking from the fridge today.  I want to make Andy some things so he does not starve while I am gone.  I have stayed in Paris a month at a time before (many times) and he got along great but that was then and this is now.

I am thinking of a Bob Evans zesty sausage soup today.  I just finished a load of deviled eggs with some egg salad left over to have on toasted sandwiches.  I have to make homemade croutons, he does love those with soup and salads.

We are enjoying this lovely end of summer to no end. I love it so.

Ahhh, fennel

I discovered something today.  I had bought bulbs of fennel and sliced them thinly for salads.  I like the taste of raw fennel but I knew that cooks like Ina Garten liked it roasted.  I had only seen large slices of fennel roasted and when I pulled my tray from the oven and the thin crispy slices greated me, looking like onion strings, I was delighted.  Then, when I tasted them having sprinkled them with salt and pepper and olive oil, I was transported.  They were accidental and delicious. I quickly put four more bulbs of fennel on my grocery list.  Andy does most of the shopping, going nearly every day, so I don't have long to wait to enjoy this again.

The days are glorious, don't you think?  The doors and windows thrown open with the dogs basking in the sunlight either at the door or just outside. Posy and Bella have a favorite tree where they spend hours gazing up at it, I guess it's the squirrels, who knows?

So my to-do list of six is now whittled down to four.  I am nearly packed saving the important clothes for last so they won't wrinkle.  I am sure Beth has not even started packing and she has much more to remember than I.  She isn't leaving until the 9th and I am leaving in two weeks to the day.

I have schooled Andy as to how to feed the dogs and as far as they are concerned, he knows the rest. I am careful about their food and it comes from the vet, so I feel good about that.  I worry that human food as treats did Winston in, but I hope I am wrong and we will never know. I am taking no chances with the two I have left.

I ordered books uploaded to my Kindle for the trip and have, unfortunately, begun reading them.  I can't resist.  You know what a fan I am of Ruth Reichl's writing.  I am reading her latest Save Me the Plums which I wanted to read on the plane.  But, oh well, I still have her Paris one.  She wrote Comfort Me with Apples and many more.  She was responsible for bringing Gourmet magazine back from the brink of failure years ago and Save Me the Plums is about that time period. Her tenure there was probably her favorite time of life and having to leave was the worst.

My chili, like my meatloaf, is never the same twice.  I made an especially good batch this week and am sharing it like I would bricks of gold. Sparingly.  I serve it with Carfagna's thin, thin, slivers of corn chips, so delicate and so right with this chili.



Enjoy some fennel and these glorious warm summer-like days.

Countdown has begun

Well, it is finally close to being here:  Brooks comes home from the hell hole of the world in a few days, hopefully for good, and his sister's wedding happens in a few days.  I have six major things to get done before I leave for Italy on October 3rd and that does not include packing which also has begun.  The first of the six is the dentist this morning and that is not to be fun...none of the six will be all that giddy inducing, but all are necessary.  Beth says there are 70 people coming to the wedding in Italy.  Can you believe that many people are making the effort to go that far to celebrate with us?  Must be good friends and good family. I have a new phone and a back-up portable battery charger, so the pictures will be flying right from the start.  I am traveling alone but when I get to Rome and the baggage pick-up Johnna, my daughter-in-law, and her sister arrive supposedly fifteen minutes later from a different flight and will meet me for the pick -up of the tour guide.  I am certain they will not leave me miserably riding the luggage carousel for hours on end.  It's detailed but workable.

I have begun to really enjoy the Pioneer Woman on Food network TV. I'm sure you have all seen her programs.  Her recipes are really doable and she is easy to watch as she prepares her dishes.
  On the other hand, I am waiting with impatience for the fall line up of programs.  Why can't they get good summer shows? With all the talent available, why do we have the trash that is on during the summer?  Beth and I are going to the Downton Abbey movie right away.  We are looking forward to it.

Saturday Joe, Glenda, and Kathy will be here for the game and over night.  I think I am making chili for when they arrive because with the band show before the game and the long game, they will get hungry. Busy time at Many Branches...no time to get old, stay on foot and be active I say. 

Birthday month...and odds and ends month

Andy, Matt, and Nate all have close together birthdays in September. We will take them out to eat at some point. Sunday I think.  I, on the other hand, am counting down the list of what I have left to do before my big trip.  Six things still to go.  I got the luggage squared away thanks to the Russians at Dr. Shoe.  Those guys are not all that loveable, but they know their stuff. One is nicer than the other, but they are so busy there is not time to glad hand.

I made Chuy's (copy cat) marinade for chicken today and have some chicken strips soaking up the luscious concoction. What I am looking forward to is tomorrow night's supper.  
Baked steak, mashed potatoes, and peas.  Old fashioned and delicious. Today I put together a multi-layered tasty salad and sent Andy off to school lunch- satisfied.

Brooks will be home in less than ten days.  I know he will be glad to get out of that hell hole. He and Carly have been planning a spring wedding from afar.

A week from Saturday Joe and Glenda make another appearance along with Kathy.  Kathy, her dad, and Andy will go to the band show, Andy then comes home and Joe and Kathy go off to the game on Andy's season tickets. There will be a steady stream of Cincinnati family coming for the games this fall as they have for several years.

I am in a fall slump which happens nearly every autumn.  I do hate to see the summer fly past me. I'll get over it, but the process is not pretty. 

Week- end fun

Joe and Glenda just pulled out of the driveway for home.  We had such a good weekend visit with them.  Andy and Joe got to try out the new seats for the OSU games and they found them front and center.  Andy has had season tickets for years and years (he's that old). Glenda and I had the whole afternoon to catch up on the news of the family. We ate well... I had prepared a lot of food ahead of time which was too much as usual.  So, no cooking this week.

We are so happy Brooks will be home from Iraq in a few days. So glad that's over.  He has many decisions to make now for his up coming wedding in the spring. We think it will be in Nashville and since we have never been there, we are looking forward to enjoying that adventure.  We do love weddings.  They are so much fun.

Alyssa's wedding, due to good planning, is moving right along.  I am still waiting for my trip (Italy) plans package which is to arrive Federal Express.  I don't think we are getting the service that is necessary from AAA Florida. The agent has personal problems and it has thrown him off course and I don't like it! I am 81 and need to know what is in front of me travel-wise. Plus he has me booked on American airlines and they are in two kinds of trouble at present.  I am sure it will work out eventually, but not quick enough for my liking.

This was a beautiful week-end weather-wise as well as company wise. Fall is beautiful, but summer is way too short.  I miss it already.

I lied about the cooking.
Fried rice with Singapore noodles

Sure way to Andy's heart

Andy loves my homemade granola.  He pines for it when it is gone.  Since I use two big boxes of old fashioned oats, the job to make this item takes a lot of time. It is worth it to see the joy he displays when it is finished and ready to be sampled.

It is Labor Day but it does not seem like it.  I am used to a big crowd of family being here but the day crept up on me and I did not realize it was near until a couple of days ago. Well, another time, but not before these trips.  I got the suitcases out today to give them a going over.  I took five to Mr. Shoe who worked on the zippers and anything else that needed doing.  The trouble is the biggest one that I need has zipper pull issues.  So back over we go to get that fixed. (I am glad I am not planning this wedding.  I worry about zipper pulls and Alyssa worries about the important stuff.)

The finished product:

There will be at least six trays like this when I’m done. I’ve gone crazy. Posy is after the fallen oats.