Years ago, when my boys were in Cub Scouts, the Pack's big fundraiser was selling Entertainment and Gold C coupon books. I started out buying the Gold C book, which had more fast-food and family-friendly offers, then switched over to the Entertainment book a few years later. Cub Scouts is now a distant memory, but I still buy the book every year. Although the book's coupon savings are nice, we also use it to find restaurants that we're not familiar with. Today I explored a new way to find unique restaurants when I bought certificates from Restaurant.com.
Restaurant.com is a Website that offers discounted certificates to restaurants. A $25 gift certificate normally costs $10. However, I got an e-mail from a reward program I belong to that they were having a sale on the certificates; they would cost even less than the normal discount price. That was enough to incent me to buy.
The site was very easy to navigate. I entered my zip code, chose to search for restaurants within 15 miles of my house, and seconds later I found out there were 47 restaurants that participated in the program. A few clicks revealed basic information about the restaurant, directions, and a menu. I chose certificates for a Bosnian and an Italian restaurant, I completed the purchase process, and printed the certificates.
There are a few conditions for using the certificates. Most of them aren't good on the weekend (when I'm sure the restaurants don't have trouble filling their tables). Each restaurant has a minimum purchase amount listed, which is more than the face value of the certificate. Some restaurants automatically add a tip when a certificate is used. However, the certificates are good for a year, so we'll be able to enjoy some inexpensive mid-week treats.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Lyrical
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light...
Almost everyone knows the words to The Star-Spangled Banner. The national anthem of the United States of America was written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. However, did you know that there is more than one verse to the song? Today I learned the second stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Feel free to sing along. You know the tune.
Almost everyone knows the words to The Star-Spangled Banner. The national anthem of the United States of America was written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. However, did you know that there is more than one verse to the song? Today I learned the second stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Feel free to sing along. You know the tune.
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,And, for your viewing pleasure, here's an oldie but goodie version of the song:
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Straight From The Farm
At the beginning of the month I visited a new farmer's market. Today I went to yet another market on its initial day of business.
The Ellisville Farmer's Market is somewhere between a 10 to 20 minute drive from my house, depending on the time of day. It's tucked in the corner of a Straub's grocery store parking lot at the intersection of Clarkson and Clayton, and is open on Thursdays from 4:00-7:00. I arrived a little after 4:00, cloth bag in hand.
The market isn't large, but it looked like everything was represented: produce, meats, eggs, cheese, and plants. All of the vendors came from Missouri or Illinois, and most of the fruits and vegetables were advertised as organic. I saw some sellers that I've seen at other markets, but also some that I wasn't familiar with. There were a couple of booths sampling locally-produced salsa and olive oil, and one artist.
Although I was tempted by a lot of different things, I only ended up with one item in my bag--a head of heirloom lettuce called Grandpa Admire's. It looked like a huge butterhead with red-tipped leaf edges. I've heard about heirloom tomatoes, but never stopped to think that there may be other vintage types of vegetables. (The lettuce ended up being part of tonight's dinner, and it was wonderful; even the ribs were tender and edible.)
A local radio station was broadcasting there today. According to the market Website, they plan on having special events, but none has been posted yet. The also had an interesting looking children's section, which was practically empty when I was there. However, since some of the schools are still in session they probably anticipated that. I'm sure the area will grow in popularity as the summer wears on.
I know there's a lot of farmer's markets around the area now. I wonder how long it would take to visit them all..
The Ellisville Farmer's Market is somewhere between a 10 to 20 minute drive from my house, depending on the time of day. It's tucked in the corner of a Straub's grocery store parking lot at the intersection of Clarkson and Clayton, and is open on Thursdays from 4:00-7:00. I arrived a little after 4:00, cloth bag in hand.
The market isn't large, but it looked like everything was represented: produce, meats, eggs, cheese, and plants. All of the vendors came from Missouri or Illinois, and most of the fruits and vegetables were advertised as organic. I saw some sellers that I've seen at other markets, but also some that I wasn't familiar with. There were a couple of booths sampling locally-produced salsa and olive oil, and one artist.
Although I was tempted by a lot of different things, I only ended up with one item in my bag--a head of heirloom lettuce called Grandpa Admire's. It looked like a huge butterhead with red-tipped leaf edges. I've heard about heirloom tomatoes, but never stopped to think that there may be other vintage types of vegetables. (The lettuce ended up being part of tonight's dinner, and it was wonderful; even the ribs were tender and edible.)
A local radio station was broadcasting there today. According to the market Website, they plan on having special events, but none has been posted yet. The also had an interesting looking children's section, which was practically empty when I was there. However, since some of the schools are still in session they probably anticipated that. I'm sure the area will grow in popularity as the summer wears on.
I know there's a lot of farmer's markets around the area now. I wonder how long it would take to visit them all..
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Relief...
Last week I did some work in the yard, cleaning up a perennial bed outside the garage. When I was finished I had two tubs full of weeds, bloomed-out iris fans, and grass that was growing where it wasn't supposed to.The net day two bumps appeared on my left arm. It looked like poison ivy, but I KNOW there was none in the bed I worked in. Two days after that a cluster of bumps appeared on my right leg by my knee. Each day since that time I've found a bump or two somewhere on my body, even in places that were covered up during the original gardening.
Is it poison ivy or something else? In the end, it doesn't really matter what's causing my rash. The areas on my arm and leg itch horribly, and this week's sticky, humid weather makes it worse. It's even been waking me up in the middle of the night. Turning to my friend Google to research remedies for poison ivy rashes, I found the very informative Website for the Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Information Center. One of the site's pages was about home remedies. About halfway down the list was the suggestion to use white vinegar. Since I have a gallon jug of the stuff in the pantry, I thought that I'd give it a try; today I got relief from a rash by applying white vinegar.
I soaked a sponge in the vinegar and applied it to the spots on my arm. It stung a little bit, but the itch definitely stopped. I moved the sponge to the spots on my leg. It stung A LOT, but also stopped the itching. I let it set on the area for about five minutes, then applied some calamine lotion. I was itch-free for several hours, which is the longest period in the past week. After a walk the itch reappeared, but I repeated the procedure again.
I may end up smelling like a vinaigrette, but I don't care!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Director Discourse
Over the weekend we rented the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was marvelous; I can see why it won so many Oscars (including the one for Best Picture). I wanted to see it again before it got returned to the video store, but to put a different spin on my watching this time I turned on one of the special features and watched the director's commentary to a movie.
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the slums of Mumbai, who competes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. When he gets one question away from winning it all, he is accused of cheating. The movie is about how Jamal's life experiences cause him to know the correct answers to the questions he was asked.
Each of the three main characters in the movie (Jamal, his brother Samil, and a girl, Latika) are portrayed by three different actors-a young child, a young teenager, and an older teenager. It was fascinating to see how they were able to cast sets of actors that "aged" so realistically. The movie was completely shot in India; the settings were dazzling, especially since we were able to get a Blu-Ray copy of the movie.
The commentary (by Director Danny Boyle and actor Dev Patel) gave me a lot of additional information and anecdotes about the making of the movie. They talk over the film, so I couldn't hear most of the dialogue, but since I already knew the plot I could still follow what was going on. It was interesting to watch the special feature and compare what I thought about the movie with what the director had to say.
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the slums of Mumbai, who competes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. When he gets one question away from winning it all, he is accused of cheating. The movie is about how Jamal's life experiences cause him to know the correct answers to the questions he was asked.
Each of the three main characters in the movie (Jamal, his brother Samil, and a girl, Latika) are portrayed by three different actors-a young child, a young teenager, and an older teenager. It was fascinating to see how they were able to cast sets of actors that "aged" so realistically. The movie was completely shot in India; the settings were dazzling, especially since we were able to get a Blu-Ray copy of the movie.
The commentary (by Director Danny Boyle and actor Dev Patel) gave me a lot of additional information and anecdotes about the making of the movie. They talk over the film, so I couldn't hear most of the dialogue, but since I already knew the plot I could still follow what was going on. It was interesting to watch the special feature and compare what I thought about the movie with what the director had to say.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Jelled
In honor of the unofficial start of the summer season, we cooked a BBQ feast for lunch today. Tony was in charge of the meat and we divided up the side dish preparation. I made a salad with lettuce from the garden and sliced tomatoes and onions for the burgers. For dessert, I made "Jell-O" using fruit juice and gelatin.
My inspiration was an article for homemade gelatin desserts that I cut out of the newspaper a while back. The few gelatin recipes I make start with a box of Jell-O. However, Jell-O has a lot of sugar and artificial flavors; I figured I could make something that would taste better and be healthier.
The basic recipe I used:
The next requirement was some type of juice. I opened the refrigerator to see what we had. There was a bit of orange juice, but not enough for my recipe. However, on the shelf above the juice there was a bowl of cut-up watermelon. Since the fruit is primarily water, I figured I could easily extract liquid from it. I pressed watermelon pieces through a sieve. The vast majority passed right through the holes, leaving just a little pulp. I chopped the pulp finely and threw it in too, for extra substance.
I poured some of the juice into a small bowl, stirred the gelatin in, and set it aside while I heated the rest on the stove. I carefully mixed the two liquids together and stirred for what seemed like a very long time. I decided not to add any extra sugar, so when all the gelatin was dissolved, I poured the mixture into a bowl and placed the bowl in the freezer so it would chill quickly (it was getting close to meal time). When the gelatin was partially set I stirred in a large handful of grapes from the fruit drawer.
I was apprehensive about the gelatin being done on time, but it was ready just as we finished the meal. I brought my masterpiece to the table, along with bowls, spoons, and a can of whipped cream. The gelatin wasn't sparkling clear because of the watermelon pulp it contained, but it tasted very good, and the grapes added an extra pop of sweetness. Tony and I managed to finish off the entire thing.
My inspiration was an article for homemade gelatin desserts that I cut out of the newspaper a while back. The few gelatin recipes I make start with a box of Jell-O. However, Jell-O has a lot of sugar and artificial flavors; I figured I could make something that would taste better and be healthier.
The basic recipe I used:
1 packet gelatinLooking around the kitchen for inspiration, I discovered a box of Knox gelatin in the pantry. I don't know how long it had been there, but I don't think it ever goes bad. The one packet it contained would be just enough for my experiment.
2 cups juice, divided
sugar to taste
chopped fruit, if desired
Add the gelatin to 1/2 cup room temperature juice and soak 1 minute until softened. Heat the remaining juice till boiling, then pour it over the gelatin. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved (about 5 minutes). Add sugar to taste. Add chopped fruit when gelatin is partially set. Chill until jelled.
The next requirement was some type of juice. I opened the refrigerator to see what we had. There was a bit of orange juice, but not enough for my recipe. However, on the shelf above the juice there was a bowl of cut-up watermelon. Since the fruit is primarily water, I figured I could easily extract liquid from it. I pressed watermelon pieces through a sieve. The vast majority passed right through the holes, leaving just a little pulp. I chopped the pulp finely and threw it in too, for extra substance.
I poured some of the juice into a small bowl, stirred the gelatin in, and set it aside while I heated the rest on the stove. I carefully mixed the two liquids together and stirred for what seemed like a very long time. I decided not to add any extra sugar, so when all the gelatin was dissolved, I poured the mixture into a bowl and placed the bowl in the freezer so it would chill quickly (it was getting close to meal time). When the gelatin was partially set I stirred in a large handful of grapes from the fruit drawer.
I was apprehensive about the gelatin being done on time, but it was ready just as we finished the meal. I brought my masterpiece to the table, along with bowls, spoons, and a can of whipped cream. The gelatin wasn't sparkling clear because of the watermelon pulp it contained, but it tasted very good, and the grapes added an extra pop of sweetness. Tony and I managed to finish off the entire thing.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Toss The Trash
Today was all about celebrations; we had a graduation party and a picnic to attend. However, the forecast of "scattered showers" was unfortunately accurate and forced us to change the evening's plans for an outdoor meal with friends. We were forced to come home, carrying our picnic items with us.
Tony had done a great job of organizing the meal. The cooler contained sodas and water, carrot and celery sticks with ranch dressing, and cherries for dessert. A bag held pretzels, paper plates, napkins, and utensils. After we left the graduation party we stopped at Subway to pick up a sandwich. It fit nicely on top of all the other chilled items.
We were pulling out of the Subway parking lot when it started drizzling. Soon the drizzle turned into a steady rain. We debated what to do, and decided to try driving to the park on the chance it wasn't raining there. However, the rain followed us all the way and when we pulled into the parking lot there were no other cars. We decided eat our dinner at home where it would be dry.
It was a very quick job to put food together. Half of the sandwich went on each paper plate. Tony put a towel down on the coffee table in the family room and laid out the rest of the food. We sat next to the table to enjoy our meal. When we were finished all that was left on our plates was a smear of ranch dressing and a pile of stems and pits from the cherries. I gathered all the cherry waste on one plate to take out to the compost bin, but realized that I could put the plates in too, since they were paper. While I was at it I added the paper napkins to the pile. Today I cleaned up after dinner by throwing it all into the compost pile. I wish I could do that every day.
Tony had done a great job of organizing the meal. The cooler contained sodas and water, carrot and celery sticks with ranch dressing, and cherries for dessert. A bag held pretzels, paper plates, napkins, and utensils. After we left the graduation party we stopped at Subway to pick up a sandwich. It fit nicely on top of all the other chilled items.
We were pulling out of the Subway parking lot when it started drizzling. Soon the drizzle turned into a steady rain. We debated what to do, and decided to try driving to the park on the chance it wasn't raining there. However, the rain followed us all the way and when we pulled into the parking lot there were no other cars. We decided eat our dinner at home where it would be dry.
It was a very quick job to put food together. Half of the sandwich went on each paper plate. Tony put a towel down on the coffee table in the family room and laid out the rest of the food. We sat next to the table to enjoy our meal. When we were finished all that was left on our plates was a smear of ranch dressing and a pile of stems and pits from the cherries. I gathered all the cherry waste on one plate to take out to the compost bin, but realized that I could put the plates in too, since they were paper. While I was at it I added the paper napkins to the pile. Today I cleaned up after dinner by throwing it all into the compost pile. I wish I could do that every day.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Gifts
As part of our adventures today Tony and I went to church across town from the one we usually attend.
We pulled into the parking lot 15 minutes before Mass was supposed to start; since we had been out and about for a couple of hours, we needed to use the restroom. Tony attended this parish on a fairly regular basis when he was a teenager, so he was familiar with the layout. The bathroom facilities are completely separate from the church. You have to exit the building, walk around to the back side, and go down a set of stairs into the parish hall.
After we had taken care of our business, it was time to go into the church. Tony remembered that the same stairwell we took down to go to the hall would allow us to enter the sanctuary if we went up from the main landing. We entered into the front of the church and picked a pew about a third of the way back.
No sooner had we gotten settled than an elderly gentleman approached Tony and whispered something in his ear. Tony turned to me and said we had been asked to take the gifts (bread and wine) up to the altar. I'm not sure why he picked us, because normally this would be done by a parishioner, but today I took up offertory gifts at a different parish.
I was a little nervous, because different churches do the ceremony differently, but it turned out it was easy. At this church the gifts had been placed on a small table halfway up the main aisle. When we saw the priest leave his chair and stand in front of the altar ready to receive the gifts, we walked back to the table, picked up the cruet of wine and the container of hosts, and carried them up to the priest. He thanked us, and we went back to our seats.
We pulled into the parking lot 15 minutes before Mass was supposed to start; since we had been out and about for a couple of hours, we needed to use the restroom. Tony attended this parish on a fairly regular basis when he was a teenager, so he was familiar with the layout. The bathroom facilities are completely separate from the church. You have to exit the building, walk around to the back side, and go down a set of stairs into the parish hall.
After we had taken care of our business, it was time to go into the church. Tony remembered that the same stairwell we took down to go to the hall would allow us to enter the sanctuary if we went up from the main landing. We entered into the front of the church and picked a pew about a third of the way back.
No sooner had we gotten settled than an elderly gentleman approached Tony and whispered something in his ear. Tony turned to me and said we had been asked to take the gifts (bread and wine) up to the altar. I'm not sure why he picked us, because normally this would be done by a parishioner, but today I took up offertory gifts at a different parish.
I was a little nervous, because different churches do the ceremony differently, but it turned out it was easy. At this church the gifts had been placed on a small table halfway up the main aisle. When we saw the priest leave his chair and stand in front of the altar ready to receive the gifts, we walked back to the table, picked up the cruet of wine and the container of hosts, and carried them up to the priest. He thanked us, and we went back to our seats.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Captains Courageous
I've been wearing my hair in a bob style for quite a few years. The only thing that changes is the length. Sometimes I let it grow a bit longer, and sometimes it's short. In the hot weather I like to have the hair off my neck, so last Friday I popped into a strip mall no-appointment chain salon for a haircut.
My style isn't particularly complicated. I asked for it to be cut chin length (which was about 2" off the bottom) and for it to be undercut (where the bottom layers are cut incrementally shorter than the top ones; this will let the ends of my hair turn under without a lot of work on my part). When the stylist finished I thought the cut was nicely done, but the next day when I washed it I could tell it wasn't what I asked for. I don't like complaining, so I thought about just living with it till the hair grew out, but today I gathered up my courage, went back to the salon, and complained about a haircut.
The salon has a sign posted that they have a 100% SATISFACTION policy. I had seven days to have the cut fixed, as long as I brought in the receipt. All week I've carried the receipt with me, but always "ran out of time" to make it there. Today my errands brought me back to the same strip mall. I made the salon my first stop so I couldn't chicken out.
The person who cut my hair last week wasn't there, but the stylist at the front desk remembered me from last week. She couldn't have been nicer about the whole thing. After she wet my hair, she lifted up the top layers of my hair and made incremental cuts to the underneath sections. When she was done my hair was turning under obediently like it should. It didn't even need to be blow dried.
I left feeling brave and happy.
My style isn't particularly complicated. I asked for it to be cut chin length (which was about 2" off the bottom) and for it to be undercut (where the bottom layers are cut incrementally shorter than the top ones; this will let the ends of my hair turn under without a lot of work on my part). When the stylist finished I thought the cut was nicely done, but the next day when I washed it I could tell it wasn't what I asked for. I don't like complaining, so I thought about just living with it till the hair grew out, but today I gathered up my courage, went back to the salon, and complained about a haircut.
The salon has a sign posted that they have a 100% SATISFACTION policy. I had seven days to have the cut fixed, as long as I brought in the receipt. All week I've carried the receipt with me, but always "ran out of time" to make it there. Today my errands brought me back to the same strip mall. I made the salon my first stop so I couldn't chicken out.
The person who cut my hair last week wasn't there, but the stylist at the front desk remembered me from last week. She couldn't have been nicer about the whole thing. After she wet my hair, she lifted up the top layers of my hair and made incremental cuts to the underneath sections. When she was done my hair was turning under obediently like it should. It didn't even need to be blow dried.
I left feeling brave and happy.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Implements Optional
People have been eating with their fingers long before they started using cutlery. Many things are acceptable to eat without a utensil: sandwiches, ribs, pizza, fried chicken, chips, asparagus, artichokes, cookies, ice cream cones, and breads. However, good manners dictate that most other foods require some type of tableware. I'm sure I shocked the etiquette police today when I ate all my food with my fingers.
For breakfast, I defrosted some chocolate-strawberry muffins and peeled a banana. Nothing wrong with eating either of these without silverware. While I ate, I read the cartoons and advice columns in the POST-DISPATCH. It was an advantage to have one hand free to hold the paper.
When I was running errands mid-morning, an Almond Joy bar just happened to jump out of the rack and onto the counter with my other purchases. (Don't you just hate it when that happens?) I paid for it and made it to the car before I opening the wrapper. Although the warm weather made the chocolate a bit messy, I managed to eat it without getting too much on my fingers.
At lunchtime I wanted to read the rest of the newspaper. I heated up some leftover Ravioli Casserole--cheese ravioli baked with broccoli, tomato sauce, and canned tomatoes. The mixture was a bit dry; yesterday's plentiful liquid had been absorbed into the pasta. As I was carrying the bowl to the table I absentmindedly stuck one of the ravioli into my mouth. It tasted great and wasn't sloppy. I decided I could concentrate on my reading better if I left the fork laying on the table, so one at a time I transferred the ravioli from the bowl to my mouth with my fingers. When the pasta was all gone, there were a couple of spoonfuls of broccoli and tomato chunks that I scooped up and ate with my digits. I completed the meal with some dried apricots, which are a perfect finger food.
In the middle of the afternoon I had some frozen watermelon chunks, which were so hard they couldn't have been speared with a fork even if I wanted to!
Dinner was pizza, the ultimate finger food. I cut some carrot and celery sticks for a bit more color on the plate, and happily picked everything up and transferred it directly to my mouth without the benefit of any silverware.
There you go. A whole day's worth of food with no silverware needed. However, I did use a napkin. I'm not a complete slob!
For breakfast, I defrosted some chocolate-strawberry muffins and peeled a banana. Nothing wrong with eating either of these without silverware. While I ate, I read the cartoons and advice columns in the POST-DISPATCH. It was an advantage to have one hand free to hold the paper.
When I was running errands mid-morning, an Almond Joy bar just happened to jump out of the rack and onto the counter with my other purchases. (Don't you just hate it when that happens?) I paid for it and made it to the car before I opening the wrapper. Although the warm weather made the chocolate a bit messy, I managed to eat it without getting too much on my fingers.
At lunchtime I wanted to read the rest of the newspaper. I heated up some leftover Ravioli Casserole--cheese ravioli baked with broccoli, tomato sauce, and canned tomatoes. The mixture was a bit dry; yesterday's plentiful liquid had been absorbed into the pasta. As I was carrying the bowl to the table I absentmindedly stuck one of the ravioli into my mouth. It tasted great and wasn't sloppy. I decided I could concentrate on my reading better if I left the fork laying on the table, so one at a time I transferred the ravioli from the bowl to my mouth with my fingers. When the pasta was all gone, there were a couple of spoonfuls of broccoli and tomato chunks that I scooped up and ate with my digits. I completed the meal with some dried apricots, which are a perfect finger food.
In the middle of the afternoon I had some frozen watermelon chunks, which were so hard they couldn't have been speared with a fork even if I wanted to!
Dinner was pizza, the ultimate finger food. I cut some carrot and celery sticks for a bit more color on the plate, and happily picked everything up and transferred it directly to my mouth without the benefit of any silverware.
There you go. A whole day's worth of food with no silverware needed. However, I did use a napkin. I'm not a complete slob!
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