Monday, November 30, 2015
The Ghost of Hiccups Past
Over this past holiday weekend we were continually reminded of our dear departed Gypsy--mainly because holidays that revolve around food were her very favorite thing. Then today when yet another comment came in on the post I did about her odd fear of hiccups I was smiling again thinking of her. Is this a sign that I should try to do a blog post every so often? Perhaps...
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Ruby Loves the Hose
So nice to see the bright sun today, despite the temperature. It makes me anxious for the green and heat to return. Ruby definitely prefers warm weather too.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Fish
On Friday I tweeted about fish:
There is nothing like a fish sandwich from Pittsburgh, and my childhood growing up there involved lots and lots of them.
But when I was quite young, I remember Ponderosa had all-you-can eat fish on Friday night during lent. I remember my Dad talking about it for weeks before we actually got to go, because people had told him about it: how there were servers walking around the dining room with huge, overflowing platters of fried fish, dishing it out to everyone as fast as you could eat it. There was a great build-up for the Friday we finally went. Of course the place was packed, and despite their best efforts the staff just couldn't serve the fish quickly enough to make my Dad happy. He left totally disgusted and never set foot in a Ponderosa again. I don't think I ever did either.
An all-you-can-eat experience that he enjoyed was at Ground Round here on the Eastern side of the state. The waitress figured out quickly that it was going to require a lot of fish, and just left the whole platter that she was serving the dining room on our table and my Dad was overjoyed. That experience alone took him back to Ground Round a few times, and those few NON all-you-can-eat trips probably paid for the money they lost on the fish. Probably.
(Fridays during lent are nice because there are so many more food options available when you go out. Why can't more restaurants have that many non-red meat, non-chicken, seafood and vegetarian specials all the time?)
Fish on Fridays reminds me of all-you-can-eat fish places w/my Dad & him always angry because they never served the fish fast enough for himless than a minute ago via HootSuite 
sllark
There is nothing like a fish sandwich from Pittsburgh, and my childhood growing up there involved lots and lots of them.
But when I was quite young, I remember Ponderosa had all-you-can eat fish on Friday night during lent. I remember my Dad talking about it for weeks before we actually got to go, because people had told him about it: how there were servers walking around the dining room with huge, overflowing platters of fried fish, dishing it out to everyone as fast as you could eat it. There was a great build-up for the Friday we finally went. Of course the place was packed, and despite their best efforts the staff just couldn't serve the fish quickly enough to make my Dad happy. He left totally disgusted and never set foot in a Ponderosa again. I don't think I ever did either.
An all-you-can-eat experience that he enjoyed was at Ground Round here on the Eastern side of the state. The waitress figured out quickly that it was going to require a lot of fish, and just left the whole platter that she was serving the dining room on our table and my Dad was overjoyed. That experience alone took him back to Ground Round a few times, and those few NON all-you-can-eat trips probably paid for the money they lost on the fish. Probably.
(Fridays during lent are nice because there are so many more food options available when you go out. Why can't more restaurants have that many non-red meat, non-chicken, seafood and vegetarian specials all the time?)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Totally Addicting Pretzels
This weekend I am using the Superbowl as my reason to whip up a batch of these completely addicting pretzels. The only reason I need an excuse to make them is because I've made them practically every weekend this year. I had them on New Year's Eve and was instantly hooked. They are simple to make and so much better than just plain pretzels.
Start with sourdough pretzels. This time I used the big tub from UTZ.
(We knew someone once who wasn't from this area and he didn't say Utz as a word, he said You-Tee-Zee. So of course now that's what we usually refer to them as also.)
Break the pretzels up into smaller pieces and put them into a big baking dish.
Combine: 1 cup canola oil, 1 package ranch dressing mix, 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, dill weed, and lemon pepper. Mix well and pour over the pretzels. Stir the pretzels to coat them all with the oil and spice mix.
Put them into the oven at 350 and stir them every 5 minutes until the oil is almost all absorbed. I think it usually takes 20-25 minutes for this quantity. They are good warm, but I think they are best the next day. I think other spices might be interesting to try. Maybe a touch of cayenne? Or perhaps the bacon salt that I can't seem to find a good use for beyond home fries.
The nice thing about using the tub of pretzels is that you can store them right back in it. I imagine they would keep for longer than 2 days, but I can't actually confirm that....
Start with sourdough pretzels. This time I used the big tub from UTZ.
(We knew someone once who wasn't from this area and he didn't say Utz as a word, he said You-Tee-Zee. So of course now that's what we usually refer to them as also.)
Break the pretzels up into smaller pieces and put them into a big baking dish.
Combine: 1 cup canola oil, 1 package ranch dressing mix, 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, dill weed, and lemon pepper. Mix well and pour over the pretzels. Stir the pretzels to coat them all with the oil and spice mix.
Put them into the oven at 350 and stir them every 5 minutes until the oil is almost all absorbed. I think it usually takes 20-25 minutes for this quantity. They are good warm, but I think they are best the next day. I think other spices might be interesting to try. Maybe a touch of cayenne? Or perhaps the bacon salt that I can't seem to find a good use for beyond home fries.
The nice thing about using the tub of pretzels is that you can store them right back in it. I imagine they would keep for longer than 2 days, but I can't actually confirm that....
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I Have a Blog?
Wow, I had no idea that I hadn't posted here since last August. While I still have a few blogs that I read regularly, these days most of the time when I'm online I am on Twitter, or posting over on Tumblr.
I am finally putting some more time into learning how to take really good pictures, and I hope to have a few things to post here soon that I am proud of. Posting pictures is easy, though, so I need to try to also find some motivation to write too.
The key for me I think is content. I think when I was posting more frequently, when I first started, content came pretty easily. Now when something strikes me as an idea for a post I either just tweet something quick, or throw it up on Tumblr. So I have to figure out what that leaves for this space, which hopefully I will in the near future.
I am finally putting some more time into learning how to take really good pictures, and I hope to have a few things to post here soon that I am proud of. Posting pictures is easy, though, so I need to try to also find some motivation to write too.
The key for me I think is content. I think when I was posting more frequently, when I first started, content came pretty easily. Now when something strikes me as an idea for a post I either just tweet something quick, or throw it up on Tumblr. So I have to figure out what that leaves for this space, which hopefully I will in the near future.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Avett Brothers
I've only got one concert on the schedule this summer, but it's local (Musikfest) and I'm looking forward to it.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Ears
The post every day thing isn't going so well. I've got a few things in draft, and a few ideas, but not much has materialized as far as an actual post goes. I do have a good photo post coming. Here's a preview.
Unlike the other dogs, Ruby doesn't run and hide as soon as I get the camera out. Not like she could hide anywhere with those giant ears.
Unlike the other dogs, Ruby doesn't run and hide as soon as I get the camera out. Not like she could hide anywhere with those giant ears.
Monday, June 7, 2010
My Old Girl
Gypsy turned 14 yesterday.
The tendonitis in her left front shoulder has just never healed, and her limp is permanent. Breathing is a little more labored for her now. Panting is pretty much the norm when she isn't sleeping. She groans a lot. The only thing that isn't a huge effort for her is eating.
She still likes to bark, and does so as often as possible. People walking by the house used to mean running from window to window barking non-stop. Now she still barks, but doesn't get off the couch.
Thunderstorms still terrify her. Hiccups do too. Both mean heavy panting and quivering, and standing on top of someone, no matter how much it hurts her legs.
The vet would like to see her lose some weight, but I don't think that's going to be a big priority for us. She's really motivated by food.
I'm sure the birthday cake she had last night won't really help.
But wow did she enjoy it.
Happy birthday, Melly. Thanks for being such a great dog.
The tendonitis in her left front shoulder has just never healed, and her limp is permanent. Breathing is a little more labored for her now. Panting is pretty much the norm when she isn't sleeping. She groans a lot. The only thing that isn't a huge effort for her is eating.
She still likes to bark, and does so as often as possible. People walking by the house used to mean running from window to window barking non-stop. Now she still barks, but doesn't get off the couch.
Thunderstorms still terrify her. Hiccups do too. Both mean heavy panting and quivering, and standing on top of someone, no matter how much it hurts her legs.
The vet would like to see her lose some weight, but I don't think that's going to be a big priority for us. She's really motivated by food.
I'm sure the birthday cake she had last night won't really help.
But wow did she enjoy it.
Happy birthday, Melly. Thanks for being such a great dog.
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Pig
Tonight my Mom and I went to a little bar and restaurant that I've always known as the Pig. I think I saw a different name on the menu, but I'm pretty sure everyone calls it the Pig, because of the neon pig shaped sign that hangs out front.
After the pathetic excuse for a fish sandwich that I had last week at Red Robin, I knew when I came home to Pittsburgh for a visit this week I had to try to find time to have a real fish sandwich. "Real" being defined as about 5 times as big as the bun, with nothing more than the fish and some tartar sauce. The Pig didn't disappoint. I was also very happy with one of the daily specials that we tried, some homemade halaski (noodles and cabbage fried in lots of butter) which was delicious. It was also a bargain at a mere $2.45.
I try to include some sort of picture or image in pretty much every post, and for this reason the iPad is not the ideal tool for daily blogging. I did take a picture of the fish before we ate it, so when I get back to a computer I'll update with the addition of the picture.
Update: Here is the photo. I missed posting yesterday, so I only made it 3 consecutive days. I am counting this update as a post for today, because I don't know if I'll get the longer post I'm working on done.
After the pathetic excuse for a fish sandwich that I had last week at Red Robin, I knew when I came home to Pittsburgh for a visit this week I had to try to find time to have a real fish sandwich. "Real" being defined as about 5 times as big as the bun, with nothing more than the fish and some tartar sauce. The Pig didn't disappoint. I was also very happy with one of the daily specials that we tried, some homemade halaski (noodles and cabbage fried in lots of butter) which was delicious. It was also a bargain at a mere $2.45.
I try to include some sort of picture or image in pretty much every post, and for this reason the iPad is not the ideal tool for daily blogging. I did take a picture of the fish before we ate it, so when I get back to a computer I'll update with the addition of the picture.
Update: Here is the photo. I missed posting yesterday, so I only made it 3 consecutive days. I am counting this update as a post for today, because I don't know if I'll get the longer post I'm working on done.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Career Day
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be asked to present for career day at my daughter's elementary school. Giving the same 30 minute presentation 4 straight times to groups of 5th graders was very different from any type of presentation related to my work than I have ever done in the past.
Before the afternoon of presentations all of the presenters had lunch in the school library with the principal. I shared a table with a nutritionist, and even though it obviously wasn't a competition, in my mind I figured my content at least had hers beat. Then we were joined by a comic book artist, who clearly beat both of us. And the pilot in full uniform probably beat all 3 of us. But overall I think the vet who showed up with a parrot, a cat, and some sort of rodent couldn't lose. At least I finished ahead of the woman who administered insurance captives.
My favorite part of the day was during my presentation when I asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up. I fully expected the answer that 75% of the boys gave: professional athlete. I probed a few of them about which sport, and they usually hadn't settled on a specific one yet. I expected at least a few kids to say they wanted to be actresses or singers, but I didn't get a single one. I was also surprised that only 1 child in all 4 classes said that he wanted to be a policeman or a fireman. But the 2 answers that surprised me the most were the boys who said "hedge fund manager" and "sniper". In hindsight, I wish I he'd probed both of those boys a bit about their answers. I did at least clarify with the sniper that he was planning on joining the military.
Before the afternoon of presentations all of the presenters had lunch in the school library with the principal. I shared a table with a nutritionist, and even though it obviously wasn't a competition, in my mind I figured my content at least had hers beat. Then we were joined by a comic book artist, who clearly beat both of us. And the pilot in full uniform probably beat all 3 of us. But overall I think the vet who showed up with a parrot, a cat, and some sort of rodent couldn't lose. At least I finished ahead of the woman who administered insurance captives.
My favorite part of the day was during my presentation when I asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up. I fully expected the answer that 75% of the boys gave: professional athlete. I probed a few of them about which sport, and they usually hadn't settled on a specific one yet. I expected at least a few kids to say they wanted to be actresses or singers, but I didn't get a single one. I was also surprised that only 1 child in all 4 classes said that he wanted to be a policeman or a fireman. But the 2 answers that surprised me the most were the boys who said "hedge fund manager" and "sniper". In hindsight, I wish I he'd probed both of those boys a bit about their answers. I did at least clarify with the sniper that he was planning on joining the military.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Giving it a Shot
I think this has been the longest stretch between posts (over a month) since I started this blog. I've got a few drafts started, but nothing that I put enough energy into to make a full post. So I'm not sure if it's the right time to try it, but I'm going to follow Uncle Crappy's lead and try this Nablopomo thing.
Posting daily will be plenty of challenge by itself, but to make it even more interesting I think I'm going to try to do the bulk of these on the iPad. I have not yet mastered typing on it, and fixing typos is painful sometimes. But I am in Pittsburgh for a few days and brought it with me so I'm going to make the best of it. Once I get back home it's too hard to get it away from my daughter so then I'll probably move back to the Mac.
I'm not a huge hockey fan, but Game 3 is currently tied at 3 with about 7 minutes left, so I'm making this 1st post a short one. After all, this thing is partially about quantity and not all quality, right?
Posting daily will be plenty of challenge by itself, but to make it even more interesting I think I'm going to try to do the bulk of these on the iPad. I have not yet mastered typing on it, and fixing typos is painful sometimes. But I am in Pittsburgh for a few days and brought it with me so I'm going to make the best of it. Once I get back home it's too hard to get it away from my daughter so then I'll probably move back to the Mac.
I'm not a huge hockey fan, but Game 3 is currently tied at 3 with about 7 minutes left, so I'm making this 1st post a short one. After all, this thing is partially about quantity and not all quality, right?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Ruby Lee
I thought 529 pictures over 4 days at Disney was a lot. It's a good thing they don't have puppies running around that place or I would have probably taken thousands. Over 2 days spent with my Mom's new puppy I took a quick 220. But let me show you how completely adorable she is and you'll see why.
Ruby is a full-bred German Shepherd, and in these shots she is about 10 weeks old.
See? Have you ever seen a cuter puppy?
One of the other reasons I took a lot of shots was because she is so small now compared to how big she is going to be, and I wanted to document plenty of proof of her current tiny state. Basically anytime she was next to something that she will someday be larger than, I took a picture.
She's growing quickly, so I fully expect her to be about 3 times this size when I next see her in June. But I think it may take a whole year for her to grow into her enormous paws and ears.
Ruby is a full-bred German Shepherd, and in these shots she is about 10 weeks old.
See? Have you ever seen a cuter puppy?
One of the other reasons I took a lot of shots was because she is so small now compared to how big she is going to be, and I wanted to document plenty of proof of her current tiny state. Basically anytime she was next to something that she will someday be larger than, I took a picture.
She's growing quickly, so I fully expect her to be about 3 times this size when I next see her in June. But I think it may take a whole year for her to grow into her enormous paws and ears.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Safari
In the 5 days that I was at Disneyworld a couple of weeks ago I took 529 pictures. It didn't seem like I was constantly taking pictures, although I was conscious of trying to take more than I usually do. I guess I succeeded.
My favorites are from my favorite ride.
The African safari at Animal Kingdom.
(That's a lion napping there behind the grass.)
I was looking through my pictures tonight because a friend asked me to send her this one:
I barely saw any children on leashes all week. And this was certainly the only one that was tied to something.
My favorites are from my favorite ride.
The African safari at Animal Kingdom.
(That's a lion napping there behind the grass.)
I was looking through my pictures tonight because a friend asked me to send her this one:
I barely saw any children on leashes all week. And this was certainly the only one that was tied to something.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Life is Filled with Wonder and Surprise
This was the coffee cup I chose this morning.
Life is filled with wonder and surprise
It's really really old and beat up, and I have no idea where it came from. But I like it.
Life is filled with wonder and surprise
It's really really old and beat up, and I have no idea where it came from. But I like it.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
From Mommy to Mom
The older you get, the less you like birthdays.
Not just your own.
And not just because you aren't allowed to cover yourself in cake.
Because they are reminders of time speeding by you.
Today my only baby is 11. She's growing up.
I've realized something in the last few weeks. Is it possible that I'm in the midst of the subtle transition from being called "Mommy" and nothing else to being called just plain "Mom" ?
Not just in public, this being called Mom nonsense, but at home too? I want to be Mommy just a little while longer.
She's only 11. This has gone WAY too fast, couldn't I rewind a few years?
I'm going to try not to think about it. Maybe those last few times I just didn't hear her correctly. I hope she knows I'll always be her Mommy, not just her Mom.
But after her unbelievable report card (wherein her teacher calls her an "all around amazing young lady" ) I guess I may need to accept it. She is growing up.
Happy Birthday, Ali. Now knock off this growing like a weed thing. And remember that you will always be my baby.
Not just your own.
And not just because you aren't allowed to cover yourself in cake.
Because they are reminders of time speeding by you.
Today my only baby is 11. She's growing up.
I've realized something in the last few weeks. Is it possible that I'm in the midst of the subtle transition from being called "Mommy" and nothing else to being called just plain "Mom" ?
Not just in public, this being called Mom nonsense, but at home too? I want to be Mommy just a little while longer.
She's only 11. This has gone WAY too fast, couldn't I rewind a few years?
I'm going to try not to think about it. Maybe those last few times I just didn't hear her correctly. I hope she knows I'll always be her Mommy, not just her Mom.
But after her unbelievable report card (wherein her teacher calls her an "all around amazing young lady" ) I guess I may need to accept it. She is growing up.
Happy Birthday, Ali. Now knock off this growing like a weed thing. And remember that you will always be my baby.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Best Twitpic of 2009
I have been trying to find the time to post at least one more time in 2009 (to add to the measly quantity of posts I've had all year), and since I don't have the energy to do a full-length "Best of 2009..." post, I was looking through some pictures from 2009, specifically ones I've shared on Twitter via Twitpic.
I thought I'd used Twitpic more than I did, so this was the best I could come up with. It's from our trip to Martha's Vineyard in July. This place serves the best fried clams. One order is enough to fill you up all day. We did read that it is allegedly one of Bill Clinton's favorite places to eat on the island, so we had to check it out.
I thought I'd used Twitpic more than I did, so this was the best I could come up with. It's from our trip to Martha's Vineyard in July. This place serves the best fried clams. One order is enough to fill you up all day. We did read that it is allegedly one of Bill Clinton's favorite places to eat on the island, so we had to check it out.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Snow = Food
Looking outside, it doesn't seem like yesterday's blizzard delivered quite the amount of snowfall that was originally forecasted for us. It would have only taken a couple of inches for me to happily declare myself snowed in, though.
That makes this a great weekend to follow my first order from the Lehigh Valley Food Coop. This was from my Thursday order, which turned out to be more than I thought.
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, pears...
Spinach, carrots, apple butter...
Yes, that is a carrot next to the apple butter. Short, fat, funky looking carrots. Word is that they are super sweet. I can't wait to try them.
Brown eggs, which Ali can't wait to try simply because she's always wanted to try a brown egg. I hope she's not disappointed when she can't tell the difference.
There's raw cheddar cheese, and really nice looking broccoli.
Pasta sauce from Butter Valley Harvest, made in Bally, PA.
And some Sumatra coffee beans. Locally roasted and very fresh.
(These were delivered to us on December 17th.)
I am currently planning today's menu, which somehow needs to include most of the fresh things from Thursday's order. Maybe some eggs florentine with home fries for breakfast, broccoli cheddar soup for lunch, and sweet potato pancakes with roasted carrots for dinner.
Let it snow.
That makes this a great weekend to follow my first order from the Lehigh Valley Food Coop. This was from my Thursday order, which turned out to be more than I thought.
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, pears...
Spinach, carrots, apple butter...
Yes, that is a carrot next to the apple butter. Short, fat, funky looking carrots. Word is that they are super sweet. I can't wait to try them.
Brown eggs, which Ali can't wait to try simply because she's always wanted to try a brown egg. I hope she's not disappointed when she can't tell the difference.
There's raw cheddar cheese, and really nice looking broccoli.
Pasta sauce from Butter Valley Harvest, made in Bally, PA.
And some Sumatra coffee beans. Locally roasted and very fresh.
(These were delivered to us on December 17th.)
I am currently planning today's menu, which somehow needs to include most of the fresh things from Thursday's order. Maybe some eggs florentine with home fries for breakfast, broccoli cheddar soup for lunch, and sweet potato pancakes with roasted carrots for dinner.
Let it snow.
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