Gramma, can I sleep with you?

When Elaina asked that question, I had all kinds of thoughts; how sweet, oh no, my snoring will wake her up, will she ever go to sleep, wonder if she'll turn "wheelies" in bed all night, will I get some sleep? I said, "sure, if it's okay with your mom". Hell yes... is what I suspected her answer would be. Turns out, Elaina is quite the snuggler. She snuggled me clean off the bed. She also talks in her sleep. It was cute. The second night was better...and the third was the best one of all. She actually slept all night long in her own bed last night...first time ever. Elaina also loves to say that word...actually. Ethan is a daddy's boy..and mamma's boy...but at least he doesn't scream anymore when I go near him. He is so cute it is unreal...actually.

Jenn and Mike had friends who have a beach house in Oceanpark, WA. Mike agreed to do a family photo session in trade for a few days at their house. Nice. It beat the alternative..which was a broken-down cottage that smelled of mold and very, very old people. I think Slingblade's parent's lived there.

Anyway...this other beach house was beautiful..new, with all wood floors, granite counters, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The ocean was about two blocks away. I've never seen such a desolate beach in my life...and it was ALL ocean. No cliffs, no rocks...just beach and ocean. We drove down the beach!

Here is my question? How old do kids have to be before they can entertain themselves for awhile? It seems like my mom threw us outdoors at dawn and let us in for lunch and dinner..and then for bed. I don't recall having to entertain my kids from morning till night...but then, I wasn't that great of a parent either. It seems like the adults could play cards or watch some tv and the kids were off playing by themselves. We'd throw em some snacks from time to time...ya know, to keep em alive and such. [I feel sooooo old].

It's naptime.

Back in Portland

We are back. Can only speak in short sentences. Nice time. Cold water. Nice clams.

later......

Off to Long Beach...Washington

We are driving to the coast and then northward. The kids arranged for a little seaside vacation till Wednesday. Everyone is packing up; Mike is marinating the ribs and steaks for the cooler, Jenn is packing the kids' stuff, I just finished dancing with the kids and am packing up some fruit and other travel treats.

Elaina, Ethan, and I have watched two short princess movies since I arrived. It was funny...the one princess was a geologist and the other one chose not to marry the prince..she wanted to travel and be free. It'll be interesting when two princesses ditch the men and marry each other!

Well, I hear trouble upstairs. Ethan just dropped mommy's camera in the toilet.

See ya when I get back!

[keep hitting the vote for me sign please...it's for a good cause]

"Eva Gardner"

Eva came by today to help me with my tomato garden..over at the in-laws place. She is a "gardner-extraordinaire"..a prodigy if you will. First, she tasted the soil for the proper ph balance. I watched in awe.....it was zen-like. I sat quietly, waiting for the thumbs up.

She then showed me how deeply to plant the tomatoes.

After a workout in the garden, it was lunch time. My MIL offered up some white bread. You can see how Miss Eva reacted! She rolled the white bread into little balls and fed them to Simon. What really amazed me was that she put the napkin I gave her ON HER LAP. Mini-Miss Manners!

Concerned about my 'noodle to broth ratio", Eva was kind enough to instruct me on the proper procedure for that perfect bowl of noodle/spinach soup. We ate as we worked...it only seemed appropriate.

We walked over to the park...but there were some really big and wild kids over there...so we came home and worked on the sprinkler flow and irrigation.

Thanks Eva! Come back soon.

Potato Lips

I was skinnin' potatoes and there was a deep, yukky gash in one so I cut that piece off. I looked at it and saw Angelina "Idaho" Jolie lips. I was trying to make them more "lip-like" and, well......you be the judge.

I Want My Baby Back

Dave bbq'd the most delicious baby back ribs on Saturday. 6 hours..low and slow, as usual.

I made a super duper smoked chicken salad..with grapes, sun-dried tomatoes and cranberries, some green onions, boiled eggs, grilled shitake mushrooms and celery.

We love grilled spring onions and asparagus. Perfect with the tri-tip he bbq'd Sunday.

BBQ'd to perfection DH! We really need to start a weekend BBQ take out business.

So it Begins

We bought these from http://www.frameitall.com/ They make it look easy. They forget to tell you that one must screw all of the hinges on first. Dave was out there for several hours today..but it was worth it! This is how he tells me he loves me...and I love it, and him.

Now we must move the top soil from the front..to these beds. That's all. Anyone have an extra wheelbarrow and some muscle..nothing to do in the morning? We'll give you fresh veggies! If anyone needs a burial plot in the future, we could probably arrange that too. :)

The very best dirt money can buy! A "super blend" from Hasties in Sacramento. Nice people to deal with..and humorous (hummus too). This is six cubic yards.

I bought some "already started veggies" like tomatoes, fennel, herbs, and celery.

I spent too much on seeds..and did buy two packets of flowers. It'll pay off though! I am so excited about having a garden once again.

Check back in to see if we get the veggies planted tomorrow....or if we end up in the beds.

Oh, grow up!

AnnBob Pie

My friend Ann at http://www.sacatomato.com/ brougt us some pie. She brought Eva with her. It was one fantastic morning! Eva is one smart little girl...and so very cute.

She brought this pie in a lovely pie plate..but I took it out and put it in this grey pie plate. We have been going back n forth with pots, etc. so I transferred the wonderful pie to our pie plate...so we wouldn't have to keep returning pots/plates.

This Apple Cardamom pie was to die for! Ann made the filling and Bob made the crust. It was perfect. My in laws and us ate it up within one night.

Here is the funny thing. I ordered fabulous organic dirt from "Hasties"...per Ann's rec. They called today and my husband heard me saying, "how fantastic...can you deliver tomorrow?" He says to me, "are you talking to Ann? Are we getting more pie tomorrow?" I say, "no dweepwad, we are getting organic soil!" He is still happy..as he loves that I am planting veggies.

Thank You.. for Letting.. Me Be Myself

It's been ages since I've actually written a post. I got stuck and couldn't get myself out. I'm still stuck. I do cook everyday...and I love it, so am sharing those pics until I can dislodge myself from this non-writing rut I am in.

I want to take this opportunity to thank those who support my blog..either by making comments or by just stopping by to browse. It's nice when people comment. When they don't, it's kinda like someone walking thru your house without bothering to say hi. Then again, I totally get that sometimes saying, "that looks good" over and over feels stupid [or, that looks like crap]. My blog hasn't exactly inspired deep thoughts for quite some time.

So, I'll see what I can do about that in the future. Not that it has to inspire deep thoughts...it can just tickle a little, or a lot.

Thank you, on Reader Appreciation Day, for dropping by to see what's up. I know I appreciate the blogs I support...always good to drop in and say "hi, happy you're still around."

Easter Chicks

Brines for 24 hours...then low and slow baby!

Moist, succulent, delicious

GrillDave taking those chicks off the spit pole thingee

I'm a 1/2 egg short of a dozen plus 3...but you already knew that.

A nice pasta salad using "Sun-dried tomato dressing" from Granite Bay Farms!

[Since you are here, will you go up and hit the top 25 and the thumbs up for me?]

Don't Judge A Book by it's Cover!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il5TBgD9kHI&NR=1

Frickin' Fantastic!!

I Need to Pho...in a hurry!

Ingredients..including some bonito flakes

The bestest chili paste ever!

Ahhhh..the perfect comfort food.

I didn't have basil leaves, cilantro, or limes...so had to improvise. Spinach was delish.

Stella....Lion Queen

Before..my matted cat. Her back end looked like a baboon.

The groomer arrives.

Laura was great..and Stella seemed to like it.

Simon and Stanley just stared at first.

Don't hate me because I am beautiful.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/86037/the_lion_queen/

I Was Ravenous!

I am still thinking about the most perfect soup I've ever had. It was their special soup of the day which consisted of cannellini beans, ahi tuna, salmon, muscles, pancetta, and saffron. I was afraid the muscles might be rubbery..and maybe the tuna and salmon. I was dead wrong. When I was finished, I wanted to lick the bowl but my tongue wasn't long enough. Where the hell is Gene Simmons when ya need him?

I had the small plate of grilled haloumi cheese on a baguette with arugala, fresh diced tomatoes, luscious olive oil and high viscosity balsamic vinegar. So very delicious, perfect, melt in my mouth, want some more good!

The server was attentive and kind, even though she was busting her butt at lunch time today. It was packed. Yes, it is small, but people were waiting for a table. This place is Biba good.

I tucked my head into the kitchen and told the chef he deserves 5 stars! He seemed appreciative.

On a side note, a lady came in while I was there wanting a table for two. Nothing open. She said they'd had reservations but were late. I am thinking...hey, you want these people to hold a table when there are others waiting? The server suggested she wait just one moment..she was sure something would open up. Something did, about 5 minutes later. Another thing...people please wise up. You are at a very busy, small bistro. You are finished with your meal but you sit there and talk for another 20 minutes. The server comes by, asks if you need anything else..clears the plates and you still sit there. Geez. People like that have never owned a restaurant or worked in one....maybe never worked at all. Go talk outside already.

I give Ravenous Cafe two thumbs and 10 toes up! Go..eat..be happy. You deserve it and they do too! http://www.ravenouscafe.com/ If you make reservations, show up a bit early.

Raised Bed Gardening

My bounty from last season...some of it anyway.

An Old Chinese Proverb:

If you wish to be happy for a few hours, drink wine until your head spins pleasantly;

If you wish to be happy for a few days, get married and hide away;

If you wish to be happy for a week, roast a pig and have a feast;

If you wish to be happy all your life, become a gardener.

Well, I don't know why you'd have to get married and hide away...but then, I am not Chinese. I am doing two raised bed gardens in my back yard. Here in California, I can grow veggies all year. I am so excited. I ordered the materials for the raised beds...as Dave and I both agreed that we'd never build them. We just have to snap the sides together and put the soil in. I figure we'll need two cubic yards...that's a lot of soil.

I have also purchased a rotating compost bin that I can put on the patio. I didn't want pests

roaming around!

http://growingideas.johnnyseeds.com/ and also growing potatoes in old tires!


Re: Question about growing potatoes

Quote
ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS.I CALL MINE RADIAL POTATOES AND I GOT THE IDEA FROM A NORTH CAROLINA COUNTRY BOY THAT HAD THE BEST GARDEN SETUP I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A HALF AN ACRE.I PLANT THEM IN ABOUT 4" OF SOIL IN THE CENTER OF AN OLD TIRE. AS THEY SPROUT OUT OF THE TOP I ADD ANOTHER OLD TIRE AND COVER IT WITH A MIX OF SHREDDED LEAVES/COMPOST. BY THE END OF A GOOD SEASON IN MY ZONE (8) I CAN HAVE AS MANY AS EIGHT TO TEN STACKED TIRES. WHEN THE LEAVES DIE BACK, YOU JUST PUSH THE STACK OVER AND HARVEST. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TRIPLE MY YIELD AND DO IT IN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE SPACE. THE GROWTH RATE IS UNREAL BECAUSE THE TIRES ABSORB THE HEAT FROM THE SUN. THEY GET ABOUT A GALLON OF WATER A DAY POURED IN AT THE TOP, SO YOU REALLY CONSERVE WATER TOO.IF YOU SPACE YOUR STACKS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR FEET APART AS YOU ADD EACH NEW TIRE PLACE GARDEN STAKES HORIZONTALLY ON THE OLD TIRE AND HOLD THEM IN PLACE WITH THE NEW ONE AND PLANT YOUR RUNNER BEANS, CUKE VINES OR PEA CROP BETWEEN THE TIRES. THEY HELP CONSERVE YOUR WATER BY ADDING EXTRA SHADE AND SAVE SPACE AS WELL.BTW JUST GROWING A GOOD CROP IS IMPORTANT, BUT KNOWING HOW TO STORE THEM SO THEY DON'T ROT OR GREEN OUT ON YOU IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.HERE'S SOME GOOD INFORMATION ON THAT ASPECT. [great idea for small space and lots o potatoes..and we are in zone 9b]

Someone I know is thinking about it http://trixisagooddog.blogspot.com/2009/04/trixie-contemplates-planting-potatoes.html?showComment=1239729300000#c6041172429416279680 and this is for Peg http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2008/01/growing-potatoes-in-tires.html

I will post as I go along. I am looking forward to this project.


A HUGE THANKS to Lori Hahn http://www.hahnathome.com for dressing up my blog. It looks fabulous.

Beef....it's what's for dinner.

New Raichlin rib rack..crispy ribs on the outside, moist inside.

Dave cooked em for 4.5 hours on the weber..at 225.

Best bourbon barrel wood chunks ever. Thanks J and P!

I just liked this azalea.

Beef...it's what's for dinner....and some ranch-style beans...and a beet salad.

Biba Licious

Last Saturday evening we had a fabulous meal at Biba right here in Sacramento. Everyone knows it is one of the best restaurants in town...I am quite sure it stands equal to any Italian eatery in San Francisco. Biba has written several cookbooks and has had a cooking show on tv..and was on Martha Stewart. She survived cancer and looks better than ever!

Check out the website.http://www.biba-restaurant.com/ She is offering a prix fixe menu Monday - Thursday evenings for only $28.00 bucks a person. We are going next Thursday night for the braised lamb shanks.

So, we got there a bit early so sat at the bar. The bartender is also a certified sommelier..and really fun. We were shown to our table in the main dining room, which is so lovely. Our waiter has been there for many years..and is Italian. The service and the food were sublime.

Dave ordered the mixed green salad and I ordered the mixed beet salad. We also ordered a 1/2 order of the house made mushroom ravioli, which was so thin and perfectly made I almost fell off my very comfortable chair. The salads were dressed perfectly..and that is not often the case in most restaurants.

For the main course:

Dave ordered the grilled rosemary lamb chops with roasted red peppers.
I ordered the grilled halibut with asparagus.
MIL ordered the rib-eye medium rare..with asparagus.
FIL ordered the veal saltimbocca with asparagus.

HOLY COW! The lamb was rare and tender as a baby's butt. MIL's steak was also rare and the meat actually melted in my mouth (although when she stabbed my hand with her fork..it hurt).
The veal with the prosciutto on top was tender...almost had an ethereal quality. I was floating.
The halibut was grilled perfectly.. very moist, succulent...I was nearly drooling.

We give Biba's 4 big thumbs up. We were too full for dessert..maybe next time.

Biba cooking with mushrooms = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGt1PcJVIWU