Confessions of a One-Track Mind

If you ate school lunches as a kid, what menu item did you most dread seeing on the week's menu list? Or, if you more often brought a lunch from home, what did you hope wasn't inside your lunchbox or bag when you opened it up? What made this item so revolting for you?

Mostly, I brown-bagged it. Sometimes I'd have school lunch (You could sign up ahead of time, and I'd nag my mom if there was something "good" on the calendar). I avoided the Salisbury stead, but I adored fish sticks. And it seems to me that the chicken was pretty good. Alas, somewhere around seventh grade, they stopped cooking in the cafeteria and brought in pre-made meals ala TV dinners.

Unfortunately, my mom wasn't terribly inventive when it came to lunch. Peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter! (and jelly). Not every day, but an awful lot. It was years before I could eat peanut butter after grade school! Or, worse, a slice of American cheese between two slices of white bread. Ugh! Nasty yellow wax! Sometimes there'd be leftovers, like a roast beef sandwich, or meatloaf. Those were the good days!

I liked tuna, but she was always worried that it would spoil if the weather was warm. This was long before the days of insulated coller bags and those plastic freezer cubes. I did have a wide-mouth thermos, but it tended to leak, so that didn't get used much.

And now I'm craving fish sticks, which I don't have on hand....

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Mb agrees with me that the haircut is BAD. I was at her place last night---A/C, fabu! and we took advantage of her local pizzaria's two-fer Tuesday deal. (I've been craving pizza for weeks; I earned it.) It was a good night for to stay in and schmooze---it started raining fish just after we got in with the 'za.

I commandeered the remote for "Secrets of the Museum", which I really like. Asked Mb if it was geeking her out too much, she said no, it was kind of interesting to listen to while she was gaming on her computer. I told her watching this kind of thing is why I have such an array of trivia accumulated in my brain.

Had a dream, something about my dad being a junkman and bringing in a bunch of stuff. I was trying to find a big metal frame that I'd seen, to turn it into a room divider. Couldn't find it. There were several very old wheelchairs, and then I saw a really cool ironing board. I'm not sure how the mechanism worked, but when it was set up, it had a vertical pole beside it with horizontal bars so you could put hangers with freshly ironed garments on them. It was chrome-plated and really shiny and I'm lusting after it even now. I should invent it, if it hasn't been already.

*yawn*

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You're having guests for the weekend -- what one local restaurant is at the top of the list for your visitors, and what dishes will you be recommending? (Links to the restaurant's website always welcome, in case readers are ever in your area!)

I had to stop and think about this one for a little while. Because the honest truth is, I tend to go to chain places, and while there are a few non-franchise restaurants in my repertoire, I'm not sure I'd claim any of them as exceptional dining experiences. Furthermore, I tend to stay within my comfort zone---driving 20 minutes or more for food doesn't entice me, either.

Since the demise of Fat Boy's BBQ---and I really miss them, they were GOOD---there's Kay's Place, which is okay, but not spectacular. My fav is the Monday lunch special of beef-tips and gravy over noodles. That's sentimental, I confess; I used to meet Kat there for lunch on my days off and have the beef-tips. Other BBW joints are Woody's and Sonny's---I prefer Sonny's for brisket, cornbread and OMG-corn-fritters!!!---which I was chagrinned to find are both franchises.

That doesn't leave a lot. There's a Chinese buffet called New Century on Merritt Island (no website, sorry) that's not bad for economical face-stuffing. I'm partial to their peanut chicken or the duck, when they have it. They do a bacon-wrapped chicken that I'm always up for. And, when the machine is working, there's soft-serve ice cream for dessert!

I can think of a few Mexican places: Chaparral, La Bamba and El Charro. El Charro has been around the longest---at least 20 years in the same location, and they're pretty good. (They're also the priciest.) La Bamba's been around for a few years; I've been there a couple times and always left happy. Chaparral is fairly new, about a year, and I'm not overwhelmed. I'd recommend La Bamba as tasty, clean and affordable.

If you want something with a little atmosphere, you might enjoy Ashley's, which has been a restaurant for as long as I can remember. The building is formerly a train depot---and downstairs tends to be crowded. Sit upstairs, though, and enjoy its funky charm. They have a bare-bones website: http://www.ashleysofrockledge.com/ They're a little on the pricey side, but the appetizers will make a meal if you're on a budget. I'm fond of the Irish nachos (made with thin-sliced potatoes instead of tortillas), the southwestern eggrolls, the teriyaki wings or if I'm feeling particularly affluent, the smothered steak.

What can I say? I don't get out much, and when I do, I tend to stick to known qualities so I feel sure I'll get my money's worth. It doesn't help that a number of places that were good have closed due to the economy. Theoretically, the ones that are left ought to be the best, but they tend to price accordingly.

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I just got in from running around. I went out this morning, and by 9 AM, had my battery charged and was at the library with my woefully* overdue books shortly thereafter. Snagged Elmore Leonard's Raylan, which should be fun.

After the library, I went by Publix and did some knee-jerk shopping, the kind where we've been running out of things and craving other things and making the occasional impulse buy.

I'm going to do laundry later, honestly I am. Meanwhile, I still feel a certain sense of accomplishment for today.

The toe hasn't grumbled at all, despite shoes and no bandage.

And tomorrow, Jason the Lawn Guy is coming out to mow.

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* "Woefully", in this case, being $8.40. I got a discount for my tale of toe, er, woe, and because they know me there.

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What food traditionally considered to be a delicacy are you quite sure you can live without ever trying? Similarly, what food or drink have you always wanted to try but haven't had the chance to yet?

Spare me anything on the half-shell, and you can throw in escargot for good measure. Also, I'm underwhelmed by the idea of eating anything's liver. Yuck.

I'd like to try more kinds of fish. I've heard of tilapia, orange roughy and mahi-mahi, but I couldn't pick them out of a lineup. The only fish I'm really familiar with are tuna (canned), salmon, and cod ala fish sticks. Nothing exotic, like swordfish (although I hear mercury can be a problem with that one, so moderate moderation) or shark. Heck, I've barely even tried common catfish!

I'm self-taught when it comes to the consumption of mushrooms. Growing up, my mother was highly suspicious of any such fungi, and they did not appear on our table in any form, not even white buttons. Finally, during my twenties, I realized that I'd never heard of anyone croaking from eating cultivated 'shrooms, and I got tired of picking them off my pizza. I even progressed to the point of liking grilled 'shrooms with a burger, or stuffed at a buffet and occasionally sampling a grilled portobello. There are others out there, I know, what I'd love to try some day: shitakes and criminis and chanterelles. (Now I'm thinking about that organic mushroom risotto again....)

I'd also like to sample interesting veggies prepared by someone who knows what they're doing. Things like jicama, which is fun to say---is it as much fun to eat? Or fennel, which I hear has a mildly licorice flavor, which predisposes me to like it anyway. I've never had eggplant, but with a layer of parmesan, sure, bring it on. I wouldn't mind investigating various kinds of squash, or root vegetables. Maybe I'd even like sweet potatoes if they were prepared and presented in an appetizing way.

That's kind of the point: I'm clueless when it comes to cooking fresh veg, and I watch all these cooking shows wistfully thinking that they make it look so easy. They make all these "Mmm nommy!" noises as they taste their creations, and I feel like I'm missing out. My attempts are clumsy and disappointing; in the immortal words of George Carlin, "Is there a picture of it in the cookbook? I bet it doesn't look like that!"

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The more I see this commercial,



the more I want to try his gauchpazo and that organic mushroom risotto. He's a badass AND he cooks? Be still, my heart!

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Restaurants have a way of removing your favorite items from their menu just after you've discovered how much you love them (such as seasonal or 'limited time only' items). What beloved dish, drink, or dessert do you wish was available all the time? If you could get it anytime, how often would you do so?

A few years ago, Cracker Barrel briefly had the most divine spinach salad. While as previously mentioned, I'm not a fan of lettuce, I love spinach. And I especially like it when it's married with a warm, tart dressing and features chunks of bacon and hard-boiled eggs. Scrummyumptious!

Last year, IHOP had a gingerbread-hot chocolate that was really good. Although considering how rarely I get to IHOP, it probably doesn't matter much if it's a seasonal item...on the other hand, if Olive Garden had their never-ending pasta bowl as a regular item, like soup, salad and breadsticks is, I'd be in there all the time.

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Have I mentioned that I detest lettuce? And yet, in the last eight days, I've probably consumed more of the stuff than in the last year or so.

What's next, exercise?

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Had a pleasant (albeit WET) weekend. Friday night, LOST with J, first three eps, Okay, I'm hooked. It's well written enough that I'm not sitting there yawning, wondering if it's almost over, it's more like, Huh? Over already?!

It rained fish Saturday noon. Mb and I were a little late getting going because we waiting for it to let up, then had a fine time. She wanted to visit Ruby Tuesday, which I was good with; I like RT. I tried their meatloaf for the first time. Verdict: The BBQ sauce they serve it with is strong and *much* too sweet. Next time, get it on the side. There *will* be a next time---the meatloaf itself was very tasty.

They comped us a piece of the Italian creme cake, which was absolutly divine. OMG, nomnomnom! Refrained from ordering a slice of my own, because I'm trying to rein in my intake, but oh, tempting! So was the waiter....

Made it to TJ Maxx to return things, including the hat...I've got lots of hats, I didn't NEED that one. Did get a pair of pillowcases for $7.99...two of the ones my new pillows were encased in have split. They're old, so I'm not surprised, but the new ones, 400-thread count, should be good for a long time to come.

Mb dropped me off at J's for more LOST. We all shot the breeze for a while, then Mb took off and J's BFF came by with her kid and we watched Puss in Boots, which was cute. I can happily spend two hours listening to Antonio Banderas, cat or no.

We watched some more LOST, then as J was getting ready to run me home, it started pouring again. I ended up staying there til about 12:30, by which time the weather had calmed down somewhat. What the heck, we can use the rain, and I figure the capillary action will set the powdered concrete my mailbox is planted in.

Yesterday's speaker gave a fascinating talk about an archaeological dig she participated in. It was a local excavation---the Windover Archaeological Site---and I'm sorry I wasn't aware of the goings-on at the time.

Next week after service is the annual congregational meeting---electing people to do the heavy lifting---and the speaker's topic is "Fiction-based Reality", which sounds intriguing. (It was supposed to be "Pirates of the Atlantic", but apparently he changed his mind after signing up.)

I must be doing something right---two dresses that I've had for a while are looser. They still fit, they just fit better. One is the paisley that I got after Christmas a year ago. I actually had to pin the wrap neckline, because it was loose enough to droop down and show my bra. It's looser at the waist, too. The other dress is a rosy coral floral print that I got at the Melbourne Goodwill for Easter about five years ago. It was always tight through the bust on the few occasions I wore it, but now it's just right. I plan to wear it as often as appropriate this spring and summer to get some use out of it.

TTFN.

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This evening, Mb served chicken and rice with some turnip greens, all courtesy of the food bank. I've never had turnip greens before in my life, but these were simmered all day with bacon, and as we all know, Bacon makes everything better. I may not have followed through with my "veggies every day" resolution, but I've at least tried a few new ones this year: turnip greens, fried okra and butternut squash, all of which I liked.

We had French onion soup with salads for lunch. Salad had cooked chicken and and ginger dressing, which was nommy. (Did I mention Mb got a 5-lb package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts?) I need to hang with Mb more, her cooking is definitely healthier than what I eat when left to my own devices.

TTFN.

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What is your favorite ice cream flavor

I'm very fond of coconut---Ben and Jerry used to do a fabu coconut-almond-chip---but my all-time favorite is something I used to get when I was growing up on Staten Island. It was sweetcream---nothing so definite as vanilla, just a sweet creamy goodness. It came in little paper cups and it was garnished with shavings of toasted almond. The best!

That said, I love ice cream in general as long as it's GOOD ice cream. I'm not a fan of brown stuff that calls itself chocolate simply because someone once walked past it carrying a Hershey bar. I want my vanilla to have actual vanilla bean in it. IMO, the bestest chocolate is Publix Chocolate Trinity, although Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk will do in a pinch (too pricey!)

I'll go for their Pistachio, Pistachio in a pinch, but my fav nutty cold thing is Steak 'n' Shake Butter Pecan shake. *flail*

I don't have ice cream as often as I like these days, because my teeth are too sensitive, even with Sensodyne toothpaste.

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Today's been a good day. The weather has been absolutely perfect: Mid-70s with a cool breeze, low humidity and a scattering of puffy clouds. Watched the parade and glanced at the sale ads, not of which I can afford to take advantage of. People are going to be getting edible presents this year, because my only flexable income is food stamps.

After the parade, I turned to the holiday music channel. (Mb has the full digital package, which I've missed.) I've already experienced my annual wish that the Dropkick Murphys would cover "Christmas in Killarney".

Mb cooked a delectable dinner, much less elaborate than last year. It was all good, but the stars of the show, IMO, were the stuffin' muffins (stuffing baked in muffin cups so there's lots of crunchy goodness around a soft center). I had two; they went perfectly with the slippery tartness of jellied cranberry. Yeah, the kind that comes out in a cylinder, imprinted with rings from the can. I *am* a child of white-bread suburbia, after all.

Desssert was pie. Two kinds: pecan and coconut custard. The coconut custard was served warm, and I moaned with bliss. Yum.

Now I'm comfortably drowsy and looking forward to a fresh ep of "Person of Interest" this evening. We're supposed to be getting a cold front moving in, which I look forward to. I have my leopard print tapestry jacket, so I'm not worried about being underdressed.

Tomorrow evening, Mb and I are scheduled to head over to J's to play canasta. So far, it's shaping up to be a good holiday season.

I'm thankful for you guys---you know who you are. You're the ones who keep things lively, who keep my spirits up and occasionally save my life and/or my sanity. You rock!

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Yesterday was a pretty good day. I had a great breakfast, both in terms of quality and quantity. A pastrami and swiss cheese omelet...nom nom nom! (PJ left me his membership card for the local wholesale club, and they take food stamps. Got 2 lbs of pastrami for $6, score!) Ate myself into torpor, but it sure was yummy.

Took care of business, namely, I banked my earnings from the house-sitting gig---PJ is having his bank mail me a check every week, just like a "real" job. It was enough to pay insurance on the car and house, and I've got a whopping $12 left over. Mind you, FPL wants money, but it's not dire yet. (October, on the other hand---!)

Got to J's before 5, which is a bit on the early side...she said she was just about to go shopping (out of TP and cat food, both essentials), and she ended up taking us out for all-you-can-eat pasta at Olive Garden.

Now, IMO Olive Garden is as generic as Italian food gets. My sainted Aunt Mary was Italian and cooks the real thing, but OG delivers a consistant standard of what they do, which is edible if uninspired. That said, their new mushroom-parmesan-with-sun-dried-tomato sauce was orgasmic over penne pasta. It was like a very grown-up mac-and-cheese. The pizziola sauce (which I also had over penne), was also quite tasty. The server was a doll and kept me well caffeinated in addition to bringing me a third helping midway through my second and not giving me a hard time about bringing a box for most of them. (Some places are very snotty about carry-out boxes for AYCE means.)

We did speed shopping and made it back to J's just in time for Kitchen Nightmares. Our feature presentation was a documentary (borrowed from SI's library):Spooked: The Haunting of Waverly Hills Sanotorium. J inflicted An American Haunting onme last weekend, so I thought I'd return the favor.

Had the worst insomnia, 3AM at least...dragged myself out of bed at nine. I am determined NOT to fall back into the rut of sleeping til noon!

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Stayed the night at J's. haven't been to bed yet. Going shortly....

Just got back from Publix, where I took advantage of a bunch of coupons and bogos. Coupons, like so many other Good Things in my life lately, courtesy of Mb.

Got two packages of Morningstar Farms black bean patties for 19 cents, regularly $4.19 per box. (Yes, you read that right.) I had four $1 coupons, two manufacturers and two store competitors, which they match.

Also got two boxes of Raisin Bran (15 oz) for $2.49---they were 50% of Kellogg products 15 oza or larger, an instore special good Saturday and Sunday only, AND I had a $1 off coupon for purchase of two boxes.

Did the math and realized that a quart of store brand chocolate milk was still 10 cents cheaper than Nesquik even with the coupon.

Gotta go, brain is fixing to shut down. But at least I have the makingds of lunch when I wake up. J is off rescuing a dog. Long story. Later--!

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Monday we had cube steaks, Tuesday was tacos, tonight Mb is breaking out the BBQ beef. My inner carnivore thinks she's died and gone to heaven. (We're not going to think too hard about the cholesterol involved.)

Mb is visiting her MIL to do laundry; meanwhile, I'm going to be at my place so I can check my snail mail and clear the science projects out of my fridge, that kind of thing.

I'm also looking forward to soaking in my own shower; mine's tiled and has traction underfoot. Plus, fluffy towels, no pun intended.

Don't get me wrong; I love Mb and company, her neighborhood is ever so much quieter than mine, but home is home!

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J called me this afternoon and came by and took me to lunch. We sat around and talked for a couple hours after we'd finished eating. Dogs, mostly. She might have one lined up for us, and there are a couple doggy events coming up over the next few months.

I had a "French dip" sandwich, which is one of the things they make that I really like. J opted for pulled pork, took one bite and sent it back as "too spicy". The server gave me a box for it, so I've got it for dinner later. Having had a rather late breakfast, I wasn't starving, not that I am anyway, and I kept my sides so I've got them to go with the pork. Nomnomnom!

Got home afterward and found two 'zines awaiting me in my mailbox. MyCokeRewards is the bomb for "free" subscriptions. I've got "Country Living" and "Better Homes and Gardens", which help me feel less deprived. As long as I have "fresh" reading material in the loo, I'm happy. Well, that and paper on the roll!

Came home and checked my email and found out that my peeps love me and are concerned and willing to extend a helping hand. Thank you, my dears!

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Still no word about the job, but in headline news, I got my food stamp card, hooray, hooray! So when it stops raining, I shall pop up the road and get something that isn't frozen burritos or ramen. (Which is absurd, considering all the canned goods I've got, but argh, my enthusiasm for canned beans, tomatoes and rice is nil.)

Yes, it's raining! Our drought index has been abyssmal---usually we start getting afternoon showers by the end of May, and this is the first sprinkle we've had all month. We're at the point where we need seven inches of rain just to get nullify the fire danger. Here's hoping that kicks in soon!

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This morning, I accompanied Mb to a doctor's appointment. According to her, he yells less when she has someone in the room with her. He didn't yell at all, he seemed very calm and on top of things. FWIW, I liked him; he reminded me of Cesar Millan.

Afterward, when we got out of there, it was about 10:30. Cracker Barrel was on the way home, so we dropped in for brunch.

Usually, I adore Cracker Barrel. Today, however, they were not up to par. It was close enough to 11 that we could've ordered lunch, but I was in the mood for eggs I didn't have to cook. To begin with, it took so long for our order to get there, I started to wonder if the hens weren't laying well. The toast that came with it, when it did arrive, was charred on one side. I asked for fresh toast, not burned, and some jelly, preferably blackberry.

Oh, and my bacon? Was jerky. I have nothing against crispy bacon, but I draw the line at dessicated. We got two containers of jelly, one each: Grape and strawberry. Um, wrong berry.

Waited. Waited some more. In the interim, I got two beverage refills from another server who passed by and noticed I was out. By the time the second round of "toast" appeared, my eggs were rubber. (Quotes because it was barely-warm bread that didn't even have a tan.)

I wasn't happy, and Mb was, if anything, even more pissed on my behalf. (That's how you know you've got a true friend!) The only reason I left any sort of tip was because she *did* bring some lemons wedges for my drink, which was the first thing I asked for---that was done promptly. So she got a flat 10%. Usually, I'm a 20% tipper, if only to disprove the study that said "middle-aged" women are the worst tippers. Her loss.

We sought out a manager before approaching the cashier, and he gave good grovel. Said that our server was usually very good, and he didn't know why she wasn't on her A-game, but he'd talk to her. AND he comped our meals, which I was hoping for, because I could've stayed home and cooked better than that!

The gift shop beckoned; we wandered around for a little while, since we were unexpectedly a bit wealthier than we'd thought we'd be. I found a reusable tote bag for J---her birthday is next week---it has a picture of a dachshund on it, and says: "You had me at 'Woof!". Everytime the subject of dachshunds come up, she says how stubborn they are. *grin*

If I weren't so short on sleep, I'd make some clever quip about a dog's breakfast, but not today....

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Car du jour: Saw a very nice yellow Year One GTO on the way down to the doctor's, and on the way back, a Vecchio-era Buick Riviera, champagne beige.
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