food – Site Title

The Three!

I woke up to Chachi, the cat, having dry heaves! It doesn’t happen often but it did seem that way this morning because Shiro, the Persian cat, had a problem yesterday. She threw up and had a slight case of the runs. Galli, the British long-haired cat, was alright and keeping a watchful eye on everything.

I spent most of yesterday doing the wash, cleaning up behind them, and taking care of Shiro who seemed to be out of sorts and spent the day sleeping and looking poorly. Stressful? Absolutely.

This morning, Chachi decided to get in the act and had me up at 5 a.m. and after cleaning up, I noticed that he had been eating too much of the dry food so I removed it and decided that I must be doing something wrong as far as these three are concerned. Just as I suspected, the other two were waiting outside the door looking at me like I was manna from heaven or rather, it is where their manna comes from!

ME: “Cool it guys! I have some cleaning to do before I can get to you two.”

SHIRO: “How come Chachi gets to stay with you all night and we have to be outside. It is totally unfair!”

GALLI: “I’m not saying anything but she has a point there.”

I wasn’t in the mood for small talk! I ignored them and got what I needed to clean the mess up. Then I removed the dry food and gave him just wet food until his stomach settles down. Not too happy with the situation, I took a deep breath, piled my hair on my head, and decided to go get my cup of coffee. Just then I noticed that the litter boxes needed to be cleaned up! The day was taking off and leaving me behind. Okay, it was something that needed to be done so I did it. I disinfected it and added some deo to it. As I was heading downstairs, I noticed that Shiro had jumped into the litter box and was lying in it! The girl has a problem. She looked up at me with googly eyes like she was thoroughly enjoying it.

ME: “What’s the matter with you?”

SHIRO: “It smells so good here! I can sleep in it.”

GALLI: “She never used to do that when we were with daddy.”

SHIRO: “That’s because daddy never kept it this clean!”

CHACHI: “Mom, what are they up to?”

SHIRO: “Would it help if we called you mom?”

ME: “Nope!”

GALLI: “I know what your problem is. You need to let your hair down. Piling it on your head like you do is not a good look for you. If you want the guys to come calling, wear it down.”

CHACHI: “Thank you Galli. I keep telling her the same thing but she never listens. We should talk about the creeps who come calling! I can go on and on.”

ME: “Enough! Don’t worry about me. Stop throwing up, having the runs, and expecting to be fed all the time. You’ve had breakfast and now you’ll have to wait for several hours before you get more food. Is that understood?”

GALLI: “Bummer! I was enjoying the all you can eat buffet! Anyway, that attitude doesn’t suit you as well. Try being nicer, things might just change for the better.”

Ignoring the three, I headed for the kitchen. I NEEDED my coffee real bad. Shiro and Galli followed.

SHIRO: “We need to talk.”

Galli looking wise with his orange eyes took a seat on the stairs.

ME: “Guys, we are not talking. It is way too early and I don’t want to hear it!”

Them in unison.

“We want to go back to daddy! This is no fun and that little guy up there hasn’t been brought up too well. He growls and hisses all the time and you never say anything. Instead, you kiss him all the time and keep mommy’s boy protected from us. This is a no go!”

“Okay, we will have a pow wow later and I promise we will come to a solution. I need my coffee now.”

SHIRO: “What about Easter?”

ME: “What about it?!!”

GALLI: “Give us some special food and if you do, I will grant you a wish. One that brings the right guy into your life. You will be very happy, I promise.”

ME: “What are you?!! A fairy or rather a genie in disguise?”

GALLI: “I am more than meets the eye.”

ME: “Oh Lord, have mercy. Chachi thinks he knows everything and now, I have a budding lord only knows what on my hands!”

Coffee made, I headed back upstairs. Walking into the bedroom Chachi pipes up.

What was that about?

ME: “Don’t worry about it. Come give mommy a kiss.”

THEM: “We rest our case!”

Have an amazing day.

Growing Pains

It is going around here and there is no stopping it no matter how hard I try. Some of you may know that I have three cats now. One is my own called Chachi, or rather Little Macho and sometimes Little Einstein. He is one smart cookie but he’s not too happy these days and that is putting it mildly. The other two belong to my son who has moved away to pursue the rigors of having a new job and cats don’t fit into that equation, not at the moment anyway. Hopefully, in six months. Yes, you heard right. I will be playing babysitter for that amount of time or maybe even longer. The two in question are, Shiro, the white Persian who looks sweet, pretty, and spoiled as they come! She is quiet until something rubs her up the wrong way and then her claws come out. Right now, Chachi seems to be bringing out the “not so nice her” for some reason. The other partner in crime is Gallahad, a dark grey British long-hair with orange eyes. He looks menacing at first glance but is a sweetheart at his core.

The two moved in here about three weeks ago and life hasn’t been the same since then. When once I was surrounded by calm, chaos reigns supreme now! Keeping the place clean from the minute I get up, feeding all three, and keeping them happy seems to be my daily routine. It is wearing me out but I love challenges so I am trying my best and sometimes my best is not enough as I am finding out.

This morning I woke up to my little guy running around the bedroom. He decided that I was sleeping too long and it was time for mommy to wake up and get going. He wanted to see what the other two were doing. They are not friends yet, however, the “thaw” is taking place slowly but surely. I wasn’t too pleased with his method of waking me up so I told him to cool it. He did, but decided he’d try a different strategy. He threw up on the floor! I jumped out of bed and wasn’t too pleased. First, I had to clean up the mess. Then, I heard them. The two outside the door striking up their chorus of, “Where are you? We are hungry!” I walked out of the room and asked, “What do you two want?”

The answer, “What do you think?”

Then I noticed that the litter box was full! It couldn’t get any worse? It did. One had missed his or her mark and it was there right on the floor! I cleaned up all the litter boxes, disinfected them all before breakfast and I was not in a good mood. Then it was feeding time. They got their food, ate like they hadn’t been fed for weeks! Little Snort, that’s my guy, was behind the bedroom door demanding that he be let out. Lord, have mercy!

It was time for my cup of coffee and breakfast. I made it and walked back into the bedroom to listen to news and to see what was going on in the world, more specifically what Taco Trump was up to. Nothing new, he’s doing his normal, talking out of both sides of his mouth. They (Iranians) are good and smart people and the next, they are evil and we are going to blow them to kingdom come! Time for him to go? What do you think?

Anyway, by now all three were in symphony demanding to be let out or let in depending on their standpoint. It was time to get the day started. I walked out looking like Aunt Jemima on one of her worst days to tackle the cleaning. First, it was vacuuming from top to bottom, then mopping the floors, taking out the trash, and making sure the “cats” were all clean. What a day and it is just starting.

Chachi wanted to play with his best buddy, Galli. They have a love hate relationship and that means keeping a vigilant eye on them. Shiro, like a good little girl ate her food, and is now sleeping by the window. Guess what? Snow has moved in, it wasn’t in the forecast, and is coming down.

Weekdays and weekends are all rolled into one as far as I am concerned. I HOPE they learn to love each other and my days and nights get better. I can hope but the three marauders are not complying and that right there is the problem.

Have an amazing day.

Christmas Adieu! (Archives)

This post was from last year but I wasn’t alone this year either. My son decided to visit and it was nice. We had an alone mom and son time. Food was great, at least he thought so and he got all his favorites at one go! Well, two of his favorites, just the tuna stuff he loves and lasagne with a salad to tone down the high-carb intake. Anyway, Christmas is over and time to bid it Adieu again!

Photo by Christiyana Krüger on Pexels.com

It has come and gone. The time of year where some wait religiously to put on their best light show and see who can outdo whom! The festival of lights in the Christian sense is now more about presents, presents, and more presents. Add the food fest and raucous family gatherings and you have the Christmas of today.

Never mind about that. It has come and gone and for some, it was a dreadful time especially if you are faraway from family and loved ones and had to spend it alone. It brings home “loneliness” and being “lonely” to another level. I hope you survived it as I did.

I was going to spend it alone and was prepared to do so with no problems at all. However, a friend was going to be alone as well as he had decided not to spend it with his son and family. Misery loves company as they say. He came over armed with roses and presents and even a present for Chachi, the cat!. How thoughtful but Chachi wasn’t buying any of it! He kept his distance and his mistrust showed in those big eyes and sweet face of his.

“Hey buddy, don’t try anything with my mommy!” was the message he gave and it came across loud and clear.

Dinner was nice. It was a low-key affair although he came dressed to please and I stayed in my sweats! I did deliver a good one. The menu consisted of wild boar in chestnut sauce, red cabbage and dumplings. Dessert was cookies and cake. You guessed it. It was cheesecake! We called it a night at 8 p.m. and Chachi, the cat, became the “main man” again. Exactly how he likes it.

If you’re wondering if he’s the one, it’s a definite no. He’s nice enough but there’s something missing and something else keeps telling me NO! It must be my usual, “No one is good enough,” stance or my intuition is working overtime to guide me in the right direction. Let’s hope it’s the intuition part.

Christmas Day found me in my pjs all day and breathing a sigh of relief that I didn’t have to bother with cooking and putting on a spread. It was leftovers and that was perfectly fine. I watched stand-up comedy which kept me laughing and I had Chachi, the cat, cuddled up next to me. It was a nice Christmas but I’m glad it has come and gone. Next up is New Year’s Eve but I’m opting for the quiet variety as well. A recluse? Seems that way doesn’t it? I’m loving it and that’s all that matters.

Have an amazing day.

My Top 5 Grocery Store Items

I don’t make lists when I go shopping so I often forget things! Recently, I’ve started doing that and I find it is so much easier to get everything without doing several trips!

Fruits are at the top of the list. Right now, I’m into blueberries, raspberries, plums, mangoes, papayas and whatever else is in season. I love fruits so it is a must have on my grocery list.

Vegetables are next. Just about any vegetable is fine with me. Spinach, eggplants, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower and beans often top the list as well. Salads are another item that is a must have.

Fish is something I can’t do without. I’ve found this new seafood place which offers fresh seafood and it is fantastic. I am a regular there because the local supermarket does not offer the freshness that this store does. They have all kinds of fresh seafood and the prices are reasonable as well. I eat fish at least three times a week so it is a must on my grocery list.

Meat is not that important, although, I do have it once or twice a week. If I do get it, I go for the not so fatty cuts of meat and if it’s pork, I go for the Iberico variety. Expensive but it’s a treat. The pigs are fed on acorns which gives the meat a certain flavor and it is delicious.

The essentials are next on the list. Water, grains, bread, and whatever else that is needed to get the household going. I’m learning not to like grocery shopping but I find that it is a necessity. Can we come up with something where you’ll have to press a button, put in the items needed and it gets delivered? I’m not talking about the home delivery service, this one will be simpler. Press a button and the items show up with no hassles whatsoever!

Tech giants? Any ideas?

Daily writing prompt

List your top 5 grocery store items.

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Family Favorites

Back when I was cooking, there were many family favorites. I’ll go with the ones that my son loved and still loves. When he heads back home which is not often, he places the order a week in advance and then when he is home, he asks for the same dishes over and over again!

The first one and at the top of the list is Tuna Melt. This one takes the Blue Ribbon as far as family favorites go. It is a simple dish that doesn’t take much effort but I tend to pep it up so that it comes out finger-licking good.! He’ll ask for seconds and thirds and then asks me to make it again the next day! That is how good it is to him or is it just memories attached to it? I don’t know but it’s his favorite.

Next one on the list is homemade Lasagne with lots of sauce and with three kinds of cheese! This one takes more prep time but it is well worth the effort. It tastes better the next day but whenever is just fine with him. He doesn’t just eat it, he sniffs it in and it is gone in minutes!

Last but not least are pork ribs smothered in a rich dark red sauce that shimmers and dances! Okay, it is called BBQ ribs but done my way. The meat falls off the bone and it is messy to eat but both my ex and my son loved it. It didn’t matter if they had “sauce” running down their arms, it was all about the ribs. I must say, it was delicious.

Those are the three that I can think of and ones that I have on repeat redial when my son comes home. He loves feeling like a little boy again, although he keeps reminding me that he is not 8 anymore! After the meal, he reaches for my hand and lays it on his head like he used to as a little boy and looks up at me with those sweet adoring eyes enough to melt any heart! I guess they never grow up! I’m not complaining!

Daily writing prompt

What are your family’s top 3 favorite meals?

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An Italian Ice Place

I learned about this place from a friend and at first I thought it was an okay place but nothing special. It was run by Italians and most of the staff there are young Italians from Italy. Some don’t speak English, no German whatsoever, and they loved speaking in Italian. The problem? Customers had a tough time placing their orders!

However, the place grew on me. It was nice and cozy, the ambience was comforting and the people friendly. I love the decor and the music playlist had some of my favorite songs on there. It slowly became a favorite place to hang out in whenever I met friends for coffee and sometimes breakfast. If we arrived early, the place was empty and you can hear yourself talk. However, come lunchtime, it gets crowded and very noisy. That’s when it is time to go.

In summer, they serve Italian ice but throughout the year, they have Tiramisu, cakes, cookies, breakfast dishes like Avocado Toast, American style scrambled eggs, toast, and to top it all great coffee.

I am a regular there so they know me well. Just recently, a server from Argentina who speaks English told me that he was leaving to go back home. He is actually an English teacher back home and he was going back for a year to help his family and to teach but he would be back next year. There are others there that I have come to know well.

I have a favorite spot by the window so that I can people watch and sip my coffee in silence when I am there by myself but when I meet a friend, we can talk and laugh like we are the only ones in the place! It’s a nice place and since I don’t like crowded places, it works just fine for those rare moments when I get myself out and about. Oh, the bakery is right across from the Italian place and that is an added bonus. It’s where I get my beloved cheesecake! Not a good thing in one sense but for those days when my willpower isn’t where it should be, I break down and get a slice or two of cheesecake before heading back home. Not a whole cake anymore. We are making progress!

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

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Hainanese Chicken Rice

I came upon this dish when I was in Singapore and a group of friends took me to the hawker center. It was loud, crowded, and chaotic. We headed to this stall run by an old “uncle.” He was a nice man with a toothless grin but I was told that what he served up was heaven itself. I wasn’t too impressed but decided to try it as I had told myself to try everything once, as far as food goes and I was going to do just that.

The dish came and the sliced up chicken looked bland. It looked like plain boiled chicken served up with some boiled rice and several small dishes of sauces and for good measure some cucumber slices were added to make it look healthy. Nothing spectacular but let me tell you, what followed was mouth-wateringly scrumptious and it is one of my favorite recipes of all time! This dish evolved from the Hainan district in southern China and has become one of Singapore’s most beloved dish. I can understand why, one mouthful and you are hooked, line and sinker!

Here’s the recipe, a little time-consuming but worth the effort.

For the Chicken:

1 small chicken

1 tbsp. salt

12-14 cups of water

4-5 slices of ginger

2 whole scallions

Ice

For the Rice:

2 ounces chicken fat (taken from the cavity of the chicken)

1 tsp neutral oil

4 cloves garlic (minced)

3 cups uncooked white rice (washed & drained)

chicken stock (from making the chicken)

2 tsps salt

Ginger-garlic sauce (can be bought ready made)

Sweet Dark Soy Sauce (can be bought ready made as well)

Chilli Sauce (store-bought as well)

Instructions:

Wash chicken. Pat dry and lightly rub with salt and set aside.

Bring water along with ginger and scallions to a boil. Add chicken, breast side up. Adjust water so that the chicken breast is just slightly above water.

Once water starts to boil, lift chicken out and drain water from cavity. Lower chicken back into pot, bring the water to a a boil again. When it is JUST starting to boil, turn the heat down. Cover the pot and let simmer. Turn heat to the lowest setting.

Cook for 30-35 minutes. Now prepare the ice bath. Stick a toothpick in chicken to see if it is done. If juices run clear, it is cooked. Lift chicken out, drain water again and lower into the ice bath. After 15 minutes, the chicken should be cooled. Completely drain, cover until ready to serve.

To Make the Rice:

Heat a wok, add chicken fat with 1/2 tsp oil. Stir-fry and then add the garlic, then add the uncooked rice. Stir for about 2 minutes, turn off heat. Transfer rice to rice cooker. Add the poaching liquid from chicken until it reaches the ‘4’ line (3 US cups = 4 rice cooker cups). Stir in salt, close lid & press START.

ASSEMBLE:

Add chopped up chicken to plate. Add a scoop of rice with a side of cucumbers. I usually add diced pineapple as well. Serve the sauces in small sauce bowls for dipping.

It is finger-licking good!

Daily writing prompt

What’s your favorite recipe?

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Most Money Ever Spent on a Meal

Here’s another question and nothing comes to mind! I don’t think I’ve ever spent a lot on a meal when I had to pay for it on my own. Mostly, it has been just simple meals and nothing much to speak of.

However, there was one time when I was invited out for dinner and the cost blew my mind. He was a Qantas Airways pilot, who lived in Australia but was used to flying in and out of Asia and he invited me out to dinner. I was thinking it would be a simple restaurant so nothing spectacular. I was wrong.

The restaurant was high up somewhere in the clouds, on the 70th floor, and a revolving one at that. We were met at the entrance by a Russian soldier dressed in medieval gear. He looked menacing. We had to wait at the bar to be seated. When we finally got our table, it had a beautiful view of the city and it was lit up like a Christmas tree. The scenery kept changing and that was more than interesting. First course, was a big plate of oysters on ice with black caviar and sliced boiled eggs. I had never had oysters or caviar before. The oysters looked unappetizing but he insisted I try one. I did and it was not to my liking.

They made a big display of opening the wine bottle and since I don’t drink, it was nothing for me either. Then the main course came. It was steak in a sumptuous sauce. I don’t recall what else came with it because the steak was melt in your mouth and blew everything else away. What came next? Dessert I think. but I’m not sure. Everything was perfect but nothing was lined with gold or anything like that to warrant what came next.

The bill was a whopping $350 dollars!

I think that was the most expensive meal I had ever been invited to and the fact that he thought I was worth it was mind-blowing as well.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?

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A Bounty of Abundance

Photo by Elizabeth Tr. Armstrong on Pexels.com

It’s Saturday and I’ve decided to keep moving taking my cue from the proverb, “an idle mind is the devil’s playground.” I told myself to keep moving and not to let overthinking have its way. All good right? Let’s see how far I make it before my old friend, my mind, takes over and smashes it to pieces!

Morning started early. I got up at 7 a.m. and all was well. Chachi, the cat, was purring softly next to me and the world was just waking up. The birds were chirping and the pigeons were cooing for all they are worth! A little irritating but still a pleasant enough sound. The sun seemed to be peeking out after days of absence and I wondered if a walk in nature might be a good idea but nixed it because I don’t like walking on Saturdays. Too many people out and the constant exchange of pleasantries tend to be draining.

My idea for today is to clean house from top to bottom. It should keep me occupied for most of the day since I haven’t done thorough cleaning in quite a while. The dust bunnies are laughing their heads off but not for long! I’m getting the Dyson vac out and it should do a great job of getting everything nice and clean. Chachi, the cat, sans apron and Swiffer in hand, is more than ready to pitch in and give me some help. However, he thinks it is playtime more than anything else. First thing, strip the bed. Then the pillowcases and Chachi’s blankets. The little helper was more than happy. He ran across the bed as if it was some kind of a raucous game. It took about 20 minutes simply because the little rascal was getting in the way and enjoying himself in the process. I got the wash going and decided to head out to the garden to see what’s happening there. It has been days since I’ve been in the garden and I didn’t expect much except an onslaught of weeds!

The surprise was on me. The apple tree was bogged down with plenty of apples! This one lone apple tree in the garden has a mind of its own. Last year, there were no apples to speak off. This year, it is overflowing and the apples though small are crisp and sweet. They are just turning slightly red so probably a week or so and they should be ready to come off the tree and to be given away to the neighbors. I can’t eat them all. The lone cherry tomato plant has some ripe tomatoes on it. Last year, I planted one tomato plant and got a monster harvest so I went with one cherry tomato plant this year hoping that it will be just enough for salads and stir-fries. Looks like it is working. Next to it, the chili plant is doing well. It has four green chilies and the card on it reads, “Hot Chilies.” Keeping fingers crossed that they are. Rounding the corner, I see that the cherry tree is done for this year. I got three cherries although it had an abundance of flowers this year. Where did the cherries go? Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps, next year. The fig tree standing next to it is trying to overdo everything else in the garden. It is lusciously green and full of figs! Last year, the figs took a long time getting ripe and I had to discard most of them because the weather had turned and they couldn’t finish their ripening process. This year, it looks like they are going to make it in time and in a week or two, I should have plenty of ripe figs to give away and to enjoy.

It looks like a bounty of abundance and I am grateful. The sky above is beautifully clear heralding a gorgeous day, not too hot and just right. The birds are picking up their singing drowning out the pigeons and the air, well, it is fresh washed clean by the rain and ready to meet another day. Inside, I hear the beeping of the washing machine telling me to put the load in the dryer. It’s going to be a beautiful day and I’m going to try and make it a great one.

Have an amazing day.

My Repertoire of Foods

I’ve picked up a lot of recipes from my travels around the world. The travels weren’t just about getting to know another culture but it was also about the variety of food that was offered. I was pretty adventurous as far as food was concerned so I always made it a point to try everything once although there were times when I had to say an absolute NO!

Anyway, I’ve perfected this German recipe and I’ve made it several times for my son, ex, and just recently for a friend. It is pretty simple but delicious. A casserole with a bed of spinach, frozen or fresh, it doesn’t matter, I prefer fresh. Then you add salmon fillets and the best part is this creamy sauce that goes over the whole thing. It is smooth, scrumptious and melt in your mouth good. Bake it in an oven till the top is slightly browned and serve it with just about anything. I served it with Mexican rice last week and it went over well. The message I got said, “Food was delicious!” It is delicious and doesn’t take much effort at all but you come off looking like a winner. This is one dish that I would like to keep making and each time I tweak it to make it better. This last time I added some chili, not too much, and it turned out perfect.

The other thing I wanted to try was this thing called Tuna Melt. I picked this recipe up in Tennessee and loved it but my son went crazy over it and it is one of his favorite foods. I must say, Tennesseans know their food well. It is not always healthy but some of their stuff is finger-licking good! The tuna mixture is creamy and topped on a wholewheat bread roll and baked in the oven till the grated cheese melts and it is ready to go. Not much effort here either but it is delicious and when my son comes home once in a while, it’s the thing he asks for. He places the order a week in advance!

I have a big repertoire of foods I have picked up from around the world but the two I mentioned stand out for their easy-peasy way of putting a great dish on the table in record time. I don’t cook much these days. Chachi, the cat, gets canned food and as for myself, I’m into healthy foods and most days, no creams, no sauces, lots of veggies and something that I can whip up in a flash without going to too much trouble.

What foods would I like to make? Nothing much really. I’ve cooked just about anything and now it is time for rest and relaxation! Oh well, the single life does have its perks I suppose.

Daily writing prompt

What foods would you like to make?

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