100 Foods To Eat Before You Die

There's a cute Facebook quiz making the rounds called 100 Foods To Eat Before You Die. According to the author, most people have tried about 20 of the 100 items.  I find that amazing; I've eaten almost three fourths of them.

I've struck through the ones that I can cross off my culinary bucket list.   How about you?  Where do you stand?

Abalone
Absinthe
Alligator
Baba Ghanoush
Bagel and lox
Baklava
Barbecue ribs
Bellini
Bird’s Nest Soup
Biscuits and gravy
Black Pudding (made from cooked blood)
Black Truffle
Borscht (Ukrainian soup made from beetroot)
Calamari
Carp
Caviar
Cheese fondue
Chicken and waffles
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chile Relleno
Chitterlings/Chitlins
Churros
Clam Chowder
Cognac
Crabcake
Crickets
Currywurst
Dandelion wine
Dulce de leche
Durian (southeast Asian fruit notorious for its ordor)
Eel
Eggs benedict
Fish Tacos
Foie Gras
Fresh Spring Rolls
Fried Catfish
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Plaintain
Frito Pie
Frog’s Legs
Fugu (pufferfish)
Funnel Cake
Gazpacho
Goat
Goat’s milk
Goulash
Gumbo
Haggis
Head Cheese
Heirloom Tomatoes
Honeycomb
Hostess Fruit Pie
Huevos Rancheros
Jerk Chicken
Kangaroo
Key Lime Pie
Kobe Beef
Lassi (Indian yogurt drink)
Lobster
Mimosa
Moon Pie
Morel Mushrooms
Nettle Tea
Octopus
Oxtail Soup
Paella
Paneer (a cheese)
Pastrami on Rye
Pavlova (meringue cake)
Phaal (curry dish)
Philly Cheesesteak
Pho
Pineapple and cottage cheese
Pistachio Ice Cream
Po’ boy
Pocky
Polenta
Prickly Pear
Rabbit Stew
Raw Oysters
Root Beer Float
S’mores
Sauerkraut
Sea Urchin
Shark
Snail
Snake
Soft Shell Crab
Som Tam (spicy salad made from shredded unripened papaya)
Spaetzle (German dumpling or noodle)
Spam
Squirrel
Steak Tartare
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweetbreads
Tom Yum
Umeboshi (pickled ume fruits common in Japan, similar to a plum)
Venison
Wasabi Peas
Zucchini Flowers

Who's The Parent?

I've had a smartphone for more than a year. In that time I've downloaded quite a few apps, but the only one I've paid for is the full version of Words With Friends, because it went on sale and the price was right.

Last week I got a text message telling me I was subscribed to a Fun Facts service for $9.99 a month. That night I called our carrier to find out what was going on. After navigating through the automated phone maze I was connected with a real person, and found out I'd actually been charged!

I tried to find out how someone could do that without my permission.  The representative gave me a sketchy answer, then told me I could put a purchase blocker on my number that would keep it from happening again.  Sounded good to me, but I had to giggle when I realized that I'd signed up for "Parental Controls".

So if I do decide to purchase anything from a third-party site, do I have to ask my own permission?

Thinking Positively

This afternoon I was swapping out the decorations in my bedroom, because I have too much to display at one time.  Some of it is "official" art--things I've bought at home decor stores or art shows. Others are mementos from places we've been, or items the kids made that I've hung on to.

 Today as I was taking a picture off the wall, I stopped and took a good look at a small card, entitled The Optimist Creed, that's been stuck in the bottom of the frame for years. The words of the creed were inspiring:

Promise Yourself-

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. 

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. 

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. 

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. 

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. 

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. 

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. 

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. 

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. 

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

There was no author listed on the card. I like to attribute things correctly, but usually don't have luck finding the information online.  This time, though, I hit the jackpot. A Google search led me to the Website of Optimist International, an international service club organization which is "dedicated to 'Bringing Out the Best in Kids'".  The tenets of their Creed help develop optimism as a way of life.

Cleanin' Out The Closet

When I got to work today I learned that the mall office had decided to clean out a closet close to the Customer Service desk.  Our desk uses part of the closet, but the majority of the stuff in there belongs to other departments. It doesn't look like it's been straightened up for years.

I watched my boss move our things to another area, and then the maintenance department loaded up a flatbed and filled a large tilt truck with things they wanted to keep. When they were done there was still a lot of stuff left.  I asked what was going to happen to it (because I HATE to see things go to the landfill!). Nobody could give me a straight answer.

I knew there was a rack on the wall of the closet that held old Security shirts, and volunteered to take them to a thrift store so they wouldn’t get thrown away.  My boss filled four trash bags with the shirts, along with a couple of windbreakers and some holiday ties. It was time for my break, but I thought I'd take the bags to my car first, making two trips with two bags each trip.

One problem---the Customer Service desk isn’t close to where I'd parked my car.

The bags weren’t heavy (maybe about 20 pounds each), but by time I walked up a flight of stairs, past a half-dozen stores, down a hall to get to the parking garage, then up another flight-and-a-half to get to the level where my car was I was breathing heavily and my shoulders were on fire.

I was a wide load on the stairs. At one point I had to turn sideways to let a man pass in the other direction. Walking down the mall corridor wasn't a problem, nor was the parking garage steps.  The second trip I knew what I was in for. This time I didn’t have a problem getting upstairs, but got stuck behind some slow-walking women on the way out.  I tried holding the bags in different ways, so both my biceps and triceps got a workout.

After I put the bags in the car I didn't bother locking the doors; if someone needed a large quantity of shirts that badly they were welcome to them. By time I got home and ate dinner it was too late to take the bags to the store tonight, so they'll get to ride back to work with me and I'll drop them off tomorrow on the way home.

Don't Bug Me

This afternoon when I opened the mailbox to retrieve the mail I had an unpleasant surprise.  Ants. Thousands of them. They were on top, under, and in between the things the letter carrier had delivered.

When I grabbed the mail from the box, the ants on top of the stack dashed for cover.  A few started up my arm; I gave an involuntary 'eek' and whacked the stack on the ground to dislodge any ants that might still be on it.  Some ran off and made it to safety.  The rest?  Squashed.

I brought the mail in and checked to make sure it didn't have any ant survivors before I laid the pile on the countertop.  It was dinner time for the cats, but they could wait. I grabbed a rag and a pitcher of water, then went outside to clean the mailbox.  This is what it looked like:

All that black in the corners?  Ants.

Why were they in there?  I don't know.  The last time I retrieved things from the mailbox was Friday.  There were no bugs then, and I'm sure Hubby Tony would have said something if there had been any problems on Saturday.  In the end, it didn't matter why they were there; they could NOT stay!  It felt cruel, but I poured water onto the floor of the mailbox, then used a wet rag to wash the stragglers off the sides and top.

Several hours later I went out to check on the box.  Although there weren't any ants inside, there was a steady ant line up the wooden post from the grass, which disappeared into a crevice halfway up.  I wanted to discourage them from taking up residence in the mailbox again, so I threw some red pepper flakes in the back of the box.

I hope the natural deterrent is enough, but you can bet I'll check before I stick my hand in there the next few days.

God's Paint Brush

This was the view from my deck just after sunrise the other morning (photo taken with low-quality cell phone camera):

It's Got A Good Beat And You Can Dance To It.

The mall I work at pipes in background music for the people who shop there.  Thanks to the set of speakers behind the Customer Service desk, I get to listen, too.  Fortunately, the mall doesn't subscribe to a muzak service, but broadcasts the original tunes--mainly hits from the 70s and 80s (with an occasional smooth jazz tune, Motown hit, or song from the last few years that's so ubiquitous that even people like me know it).  If I'm not busy I pay attention to the songs, and the other day I heard one that really brought back memories.

It was the summer of 1984.  Son Tony was a VERY colicky newborn who didn't nap well. During the day, Hubby Tony was at work and it was up to me to find a way to keep the baby happy.  I quickly figured out that little Tony liked to be held and bounced, preferably while I stood and rocked or walked. Watching TV while I bounced him didn't work, because it was hard to keep up with anything that had a plot. However, TV did offer a solution in MTV, which back then played music videos 24/7.

We spent hours dancing and swaying to the top artists of the day--Madonna, ZZ Top, George Michael, Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper. However, the Stray Cats were one of our favorite bands.  When I heard the Stray Cat Strut over the mall speakers, I almost broke into the little jig I did to the song more than a quarter of a century ago.  Then I remembered where I was, and just sang along to myself.

The Cruise Diaries--Dressing For Dinner

When I'm at home, "dressing" for dinner means checking to make sure my shirt doesn't have any cooking residue on it.  However, the dress code for our cruise had higher standards. If you wanted to eat in the dining room, there was a recommended attire for each of the seven nights. Four of them were casual (sundress or pants for women, sport shirt and slacks for men), one was "smart casual" (dress or pantsuit/jacket and tie), and two were formal (cocktail dress/ suit and tie or tuxedo).

Coming up with two formal outfits turned out to be one of the hardest parts of my packing, because I'm not a very fancy person.  I started out by shopping in my closet.  The "elegant" section contained:

• Three black crepe dresses of various sizes and styles, all knee-length
• One navy crepe dress, also knee-length
• A variety of tops, mainly long-sleeved, heavier material (worn at several years worth of company Christmas parties, when it's cold outside)
• Several pairs of "evening" earrings (rhinestone, crystal, or pearl)
• Several "evening" necklaces

After surveying the slim pickings I realized I had a problem that went beyond clothes; shoes would be the real issue.  I have a problem finding shoes that fit.  My closet contains quite a few pairs of black footwear, but nothing right for a cruise.  The three pairs of dress shoes shoved in the back of the closet were fine for show, but I knew they wouldn't be good for walking, and there's a lot of walking on a very large cruise ship.  My work shoes are black Mary Janes with stretch uppers, polyurethane soles, and Velcro straps. Very comfortable and easy to walk in, but anything but stylish.

I browsed in a couple of shoe stores, but since it was the end of February most didn't have a good selection of spring styles yet, or what they had didn't fit.  In the end I decided that if my feet weren't happy I wouldn't have a good time, and decided to wear my comfortable shoes.  I figured that if I bought a long black skirt I could bring two evening tops, and hopefully no one would notice I was wearing the same bottom twice.

It turned out to be surprisingly easy  to find a long black skirt.  At my first stop I found a nice polyester one with micro-pleats and an elastic waistline, which I suspected might come in handy after a few rich meals.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money for tops I probably wouldn't wear again.  The clearance racks didn't yield anything, so I started looking at used clothes stores. I struck out at two Goodwills, but I did find a small satin evening purse (big enough to hold my camera, lip gloss, and room key card) at the second so it wasn't a complete loss.  At an upscale resale shop close to work at I found the first top--a jewel-toned paisley model with 3/4 sleeves and mock-wrap styling. (You can see a picture of it here.)  Not particularly fancy, but with the right jewelry it would work.

One top down, one to go.

After several more days of shopping, I realized that not too long ago I'd had a perfect top hanging in my closet. It was hot pink satin, with cap sleeves, and a low "U" cut neckline. I wore it to Hubby Tony's company Christmas party several years ago. It looked good on me, but since I don't go to a lot of events that call for evening tops I never used it again. At the beginning of the year I did some closet cleaning and decided the shirt had to go. I'd added it to the donation box, and dropped it at  our local St. Vincent de Paul store a week before. What were the chances that the top would still be in the store?

"Vinnie's" was on my way home. The parking lot is usually packed, but I was able to find a spot right next to the door.  The women's department is on the left, and the shirt racks are close to the back.  The store divides their clothes by size.  I knew what I was looking for, so I scanned through the Medium area for the bright and shiny garment I was looking for.

IT WAS THERE!

Thank You, Kind Sir

I love it when people do the right thing!

The other day, two 20-something men walked up to the mall Customer Service desk and told me they'd witnessed a hit-and-run accident in the parking garage. A vehicle backed into another vehicle that was parked behind it. The driver got out, looked at the damage, then got back in and drove off.

One of the men had a pad of paper, and took down both license numbers, along with as much detail as they could get.  They knew the offending vehicle was a red SUV, the other a silver sedan (but they couldn't agree about what brand either vehicle was).   The men's goal was to make sure the information got to the right place, but they didn't have time to stay around and talk to an officer. I wrote everything down, and watched them walk away as I called the Security office.

When I asked them why they'd gone to all the trouble. they said if the shoe had been on the other foot, they hoped someone would do the same for them.

The Lamb And The Ham

We had a quiet, but nice Easter. Son Donald came over, as he does most Sundays, and helped prepare dinner.

Instead of serving a traditional ham, Donald suggested barbecuing.  (Hubby Tony's always up for cooking outside, so it didn't take much to convince him.) Yesterday Tony and I went to the store to buy meat.  Our plan was to serve hamburgers and lamb skewers, but when the first store we stopped at didn't have any boneless lamb we went to the Whole Foods across the street.

Our dinner plans changed when we discovered Whole Foods had ground lamb on sale; our main dish turned into lamb burgers and hamburgers.  The butcher weighed out and wrapped a pound of the lamb, and we selected a family-sized package of ground beef from the cooler. We also got whole wheat hamburger buns and good Swiss cheese to add to the burgers.

 I volunteered to make the lamb burgers, and the men put together the beef patties. Everything came out great!  I don't often cook with lamb, but the simple recipe I used was quite tasty.  We accompanied the burgers with grilled onions, peppers, and pineapple, green salad, and potato salad. Tony made all three pounds of hamburger into patties and cooked them.  We'll have leftovers for dinner tomorrow.  I'll freeze the rest of them, and have several quick meals waiting ready to go.

Lamb Burgers (yield 4 burgers) 

1 pound ground lamb
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of parsley, chopped
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

Gently mix together all ingredients.  Divide meat into four portions, and form each portion into a patty about 1/2 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. 

Cook on the grill over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 160° (10-16 minutes).