Category: Random

Random

Flashback Friday – Danke Schoene

by WendiLeave a Comment on Flashback Friday – Danke Schoene

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/8/07 at Exit 51.

Danke Schoene

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. The one day of the year that we stop to consider all we are thankful for. Each of us makes the choice every day to either acknowledge or ignore the world around us. Personally, I’m just as guilty as anyone of not reflecting on a more regular basis. Work, home, bills, school, family, friends, war, sickness…life…we either allow it to consume us or strive to find balance. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Danke Schoene” →

Random

Dear Ed

by Wendi12 Comments on Dear Ed
Dear Ed



Dear Ed(amame Hummus),

I often shy away from dips and spreads because they usually tend to be filled with creamy ingredients that taste good but are not the best food choices.  If it weren’t for my chickpea aversion, hummus would be a good alternative.  So I was intrigued to meet you.  I liked that you could up the vegetable count in my diet while not being quite so ordinary.  Or, I should say I liked the idea of you.  Because the reality of you wasn’t quite what I hoped.

Your texture wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked, despite extensive time going around in the food processor.  And your flavor was rather dull.  Even after you were seasoned up with paprika and cumin, you lacked presence.  So I started looking for ways to cut the night as short as possible. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t think we’re right for one another.  No hard feelings. Really, it’s not you, it’s me.

Random

Flashback Friday – Random Acts

by Wendi1 Comment on Flashback Friday – Random Acts

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/2/07 at Exit 51.

Random Acts

With SFC being away and my network of friends being spread hither and yon across the country, sometimes it’s all too easy to isolate myself and not reach out. And it’s way too easy to lose sight of the fact that even though I may not see some of these folks as often as I would like, they do care. I say this because yesterday I was the recipient of a random act of kindness. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Random Acts” →

Random

The Ungourmet’s Mini Apple Pies

by Wendi2 Comments on The Ungourmet’s Mini Apple Pies

Individual Apple Pie

I was seriously excited to try the Ungourmet’s mini apple pies.  To the extent that I made sure I put dumpling wrappers on my grocery list right away and clipped the recipe up in my kitchen workspace so that it was constantly in my face.  Heck, I wanted to make them so badly that I even decided to throw caution to the wind and serve them, untested, to my father in law.  Continue reading “The Ungourmet’s Mini Apple Pies” →

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Flashback Friday – Thing Globally, Act Locally

by WendiLeave a Comment on Flashback Friday – Thing Globally, Act Locally

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 10/25/07 at Exit 51

Thing Globally, Act Locally

I spent a few hours the other day on the hunt. The hunt for a solution to my lighting troubles. And in the end, I was reminded of the value of acting locally and how customer service really makes a difference. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Thing Globally, Act Locally” →

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Retro Recipes

by Wendi7 Comments on Retro Recipes

Retro Recipe Study 4

As I may have mentioned once or twice, my grandmother embraced convenience foods.  TV dinners, box cake mixes, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese…these were foods I grew up with.  But she had a secret.  She had been sitting on a gold mine of retro recipes from random cookbooks.  One day, long before I developed an interest in cooking, she handed them over to me.  Maybe she knew that eventually I would embark on my own adventures in the kitchen.  Or maybe she thought these might spark an interest in me to stop eating out of boxes.  Whatever the reason may have been, those pages got tucked away in my three ring binder as more of a curiosity than anything.  Many years, and several moves later, I finally took a look at them and realized that I had been given a window into the past. Continue reading “Retro Recipes” →

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The Sound of Music

by Wendi11 Comments on The Sound of Music
image from http://www.istockphoto.com

In preparation for my trip to see the parents, I’m working on a list of recipes to make while I’m there, getting the car checked out, digging out the shorts and flip flops, and figuring how many Diet Cokes it will take me to drive from Maryland to Florida.  I’m also loading up the iPod with new music because every road trip deserves a soundtrack.  So here’s my question, what songs should be on this mix?  Old songs, new songs, whatever.  I’d love to get your recommendations for my Sunshine State Playlist.

Random

Flashback Friday – One, Two, Cha, Cha, Cha

by WendiLeave a Comment on Flashback Friday – One, Two, Cha, Cha, Cha

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 10/18/07 at Exit 51

One, Two, Cha, Cha, Cha

I’m trying to keep a positive spin on the renovation experience. Most days it feels like two steps forward, one step back. I suppose if I were a different person, I could embrace the notion of each day being a surprise when I get home and not be so disappointed by the disruptions in progress. But I’m not. And I don’t.

I’d say the work is about 75 to 80 percent complete. So why is it that this last bit is so difficult to get through? I’ve spent weeks surrounded by destruction, construction, dust and debris. At the height of all the chaos, when the kitchen and bath were merely shells of their former selves, I had far more patience. As work progressed and the pieces started coming together in the form of floors and cabinets and appliances, the idea of being done seemed to become more elusive and out of reach…which of course, makes me want it even more.