Westin’s Wild Women…

Every year for the past fifteen years

‘We, the girlfriends’

take a shopping trip to San Francisco the first week in December. We have had some pretty mind blowing, money spending, alcohol drinking, late night partying times. It really sort of kicks off the holiday season for us……

This year we stayed at the St. Francis Westin, the highlight of which was not the musty old room (no complaints, as it looked directly on Union Square), but rather the new Michael Mina restaurant. It is an experience…. Here is a quote from some cuisine magazine

Seasonal selections highlight a fresh primary ingredient paired with a trio of accompaniments; each of the three presentations offers a distinct taste sensation. The essence of a dish is found in the interplay of comparing and contrasting ingredients and techniques. Michael Mina personally designed stunning Royal Doulton china for the restaurant - an integral dimension to showcase his original food concepts.


Let me just say… If you were expecting to have the famous high tea in ‘The Compass Rose tea room’, it… ain’t….there….. no…. mo’…..

This year none of us made it into Macy's... Sort of a disappointment, because our favorite thing to do is ring up each other on our cell's and yell "I'm in Macy's... and I can't find the way out....." Those of you who have tried to find an exit at Macy's know from which I speak. Even when you manage to find an exit, once out, it requires five minutes of total concentration and a magellan GPS to figure out which street you are on and which way to Gump's or Nordstrom's.... Speaking of Nordstrom's..... Oh my, the SF Shopping Centre is going to have to drop some BIG BUCKs to catch up with the new Westfield's.... It is all.... very amazing. So much for the bad economy....

The daughter-in-laws are now joining us on this auspicious trip, and it was

they
Which came home laughing and giggling at 3:00a.m….. not us. They just don't know the fun, in the years ahead, those wild women.

Winter Squash

See ya after Thanksgiving...

ACORN SQUASH VELOUTE WITH GINGER AND MUSTARD SEEDS

Cayenne and cumin also add flavor to this rich-tasting soup.

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
8 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 3 1/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
4 1/2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato purée
Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until light golden, about 8 minutes. Add squash and ginger; sauté 5 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups broth. Simmer until squash is very tender, about 35 minutes.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return to same pot. Add tomato purée and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors; add more broth if soup is too thick. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm soup over medium heat before serving.)

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with seed mixture and serve.

Serves 6.

Its flavor is so intense, however, that I recommend small servings.

Widgets...

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.

I got some html instruction last week and it obviously didn't sink into the old head bone..... 'cause, in case you haven't noticed this 'blog' keeps changing (subtlely changing)....

I had to make.... one.... two... three! emergency calls to my 'mentor' (ahem)....

because First...I lost the heading, then I somehow re-formated so that I had one mile long column, then the heading got all scrunched up and weird looking.

On the last call for help.... I was told to (quote).... "JUST STAY THE F*#K AWAY FROM THE TEMPLATE" (unquote)....all loud and yelly like that.

geesh

Whereupon

she exclaimed: Who has been boiling my gap chinos? and I'm not talking about my 'size little'.....
I'm talking about my size..'not so little'.


The trouble began six weeks ago.

I was entertaining a new minimalist stage of my cluttered life. I suggested we move the treadmill out of the downstairs office. I also suggested we move it into the garage.... to a spot currently occupied by one 1957 Chevy Nomad station wagon.
This would mean, of course, taking this vintage 'treasure' off-site so I could create a nice little exercise area for myself....

Can you believe that this was not met with enthusiasm?...... First came the 'blank' look, as in no comprehension, then the sort of furrowed brow, as in 'did she really just suggest that'?, then the sideways tilt of the head, as in 'Oh no! you didn't really just suggest that'! the tight jaws are always the best. It is a look that has many meanings...this look was "THE GARAGE IS MINE....YOU CAN'T HAVE IT". Culminating in a look of disgust. With a little puff of air escaping from his tight jawed lips, he turned and left the room. Never uttering a word.

I haven't been on the treadmill since.

I'll show him...boy




btw: My niece is starting a detox diet... she is much braver and much younger than I....

World Wide Wonder Waffles...................................not

I didn't really mean to stay home from work today.... But the husband wanted Waffles.

Waffles.

Not the working woman's breakfast fare. So, I waved him off with the flick of my wrist, never taking my eyes from the newspaper. "Can't.... we don't have eggs"

He was gone before I could even look up.... headed to the store .... for eggs.

I called work and left a message on the secretary's voice mail that I wouldn't be in.

I hauled out the villaware waffle maker.... The 'Hummer' of all waffle makers, and tried not to think about the only other time I've used the thing since Santa left it under the tree. We could have built a summer home with those waffles. Dense, overcooked, lego-looking, brick-like waffles......

I bought a pricey pancake mix at Sur La Table this summer (Carmel, CA). I would use the new mix and the age old 'fold in beaten egg whites' trick. Wow, that batter looked great. Wow, big ole villaware took almost all my batter. Wow, oozing, monster waffle .... Wow, steam wafting up as it split apart upon lifting the big bertha lid.

Back to the bisquick, 2 cups of it... add 1 egg, 1 1/3 cup milk 1TBL oil.... Pour into one hummer waffler maker.... and viola.... one batch of average Ho Hummer waffles.....and a nice breakfast with my husband.

Walt

We are home… We are missing the kids already

So we've decided we need a big ole vacation together... and what's bigger than Disneyworld/Epcot/MGM/...Orlando!

For Sept 2007….. the reservations are made

a four year old .....a six year old......

and four adults living vicariously

Let the Disneymania BEGIN….

Waving

goodbye for awhile.... leaving for Atlanta (ya'll) to see the grands for two weeks.. But first must get a manicure and a pedicure. I'm branching out this time, changing from my usual french on the fingers and french on the toes. All because of this post Resisting the "French Manicure" Pedicure you may have to scroll down to see it... So I stopped by to make the appointment and pick a new color.

Okay, the colors are nice and everything....but how do you get that job making up the names, because I want it. Have you seen these names? Is it only O.P.I.?

The color I've selected for tomorrow is 'Have a Tempura Tan-Trum'.... The shop keeper told me O.P.I.'s most popular color was "I'm not a waitress". So of course, it is discontinued.

If I had that job, I would name my first color "cotton candy, with a bitter finish" in honor of the former 'Ms Loves Hello Kitty'. Then my next color would be "Settle Down" probably because I'm going to visit two little livewire grandsons and, they

just. never. stop.

a job naming polish colors..... and watching the boys

They wouldn't even have to pay me

Wig Out!

I have an account at a very friendly little local bank. It's a first name basis..... how's your mom........ 'sure let me get that for you'...kind of bank.

One of the tellers keeps a glass bowl which holds an orange betta fish (beta?). There is also some type of aquatic plant with orange glass rocks courtesy of Michael's, scattered at the bottom...

That orange betta fish, is one psychotic dude. lurking in the root structure of the plant, darting in and out if he thinks you are getting "in his space". I try not to make 'eye contact' with the little goofball.

UNTIL TODAY....

In preparation for a trip to see the kids and grandkids, I got out the 'Nemo' key ring I received as a gift from grandson last Christmas. I clipped Nemo onto my keys and set out to take care of errands. Those of you who are familiar with Betas, know where this is going, I had no clue. My first stop was the bank, stepping up to the teller with the fish bowl and set my key chain on the counter next to the fish. Happy, friendly nemo landing face forward to the fish bowl.
I don't think I have the words to do justice to the ensuing drama. This fish began furiously slamming against the bowl, aiming for Nemo! Knocking over his plant, creating a small tidal wave and propelled! his little body right out of the bowl. "Lester!" exclaimed the teller (he had a name? who knew)...."Don't you know these fish are territorial! Please remove your keys.." complete with a surly look, directed at me.... as she scoops him up and puts him back in the bowl.
Okay, well he was floating a little suspiciously when I left (like lifeless).. I walked over to Pet Central and discovered 'orange' betas are $3.95 each.... blue are only 'a buck'.... I wonder if a timid blue beta would have been so freaked about an orange Nemo. Clearly, Lester was an Alpha Beta.....

you just can't make this stuff up....

What?

I had a huge collection of Madame Alexander dolls as a child. On many occasions I was given a doll for my cabinet by different family members my favorite being the Bride doll, but Pocahontas was the one I played with the most. Usually they were 'country of origin' themes. Or 'story book' themes (red-ridinghood, bo-peep....yada).......It would have been awesome to get this

beauty-------------------------------

...totally weird and awesome...

click here if you want one

I wonder what happened to all those dolls of mine?

Woeful

Be-Bop Kitty

A sad day… Tomorrow we take BubbaKitty for a euthanasia consult and a last good-bye. He is so very sick and we just can’t see him suffer any longer. So we wait for the end, just so sad for our old cat with the kitten face.

He still purrs loudly when we sit with him, he loves us and we love him.

Good-bye to our Bo-Bo, the kitten with a thousand names

Wookies

Found this today while looking up info on Route 66


Kickin' Wookies

don't think Chewbaca would get it, I know, I don't

Warning!

Had some kind of weird nuclear test on my thyroid yesterday. They gave me a pill to swallow at 8:00am then I was told to return at 2:00pm for a scan. BUT... I couldn't be around pregnant women or small children for 24 hours because I would be



That's just swell.... I'm back to normal today

Way

too cool.....that is Tia Lyndie in the lens (6mos pregnant)

Wedgie

2yr old grandson.....he can sleep anywhere, under any conditions

Whip

Up a delicious batch of these:

Sweet and Spicy

Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 1 cup

Pumpkin seeds must be completely dried out in the oven before combining
with spices. Whether for cooking or carving, choose an unblemished pumpkin
that feels heavy for its size; it will store well, uncarved, at room temperature,
for up to a month.

1 medium pumpkin
5 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil
Pinch cayenne pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment
paper. Cut pumpkin open from the bottom, removing seeds
with a long-handled spoon. Separate flesh from seeds, and
reserve the flesh for another use (see Pumpkin Pie). Pumpkin
should yield 1 cup seeds. Spread seeds on parchment in an
even layer.Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
Let cool. In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt,
cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large
nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and
remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and
pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds.
Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool.
These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week

courtesy of Martha Stewart

Wacky

Someone wants to change the pronunciation of

the letter 'W'....

read all about it here

be sure and follow the link to the petition
thirty eight signatures....with some entertaining comments

Rut Roh!

good luck with that

Word.....

not every day is exciting......

Why

.......does this make me laugh

Wish

I had one of these