Foodie Friday: Around the Kitchen

Sweetie Bear posted this image a few days ago, of the bin of kitchen towels, and inspired me to post about a few things from the kitchen. 

When SB moved in, I had a serious paper towel habit (kitchen roll for those on the eastern side of the pond).  I went through 2-3 rolls a week. Somehow, and I think he suggested it, but he is not sure he did, I started using washable kitchen towels. And lots of them. These are "bar mops" simple 16 by 16 terrycloth towels, I buy them by the dozen. When I start cooking I grab two or three of them out of the bin, and use them to wipe down things as I work.  I then toss them in a bin to be washed, dried and reused. We use about 1 roll of paper towel a month these days. These do a better job, and maybe-just-maybe help to save the planet. 

I work clean in the kitchen.  I start by making sure the dishwasher is ready to load when I start.  Cookware and utensils are rinsed and put in the dishwasher as I am done with them.  Work surfaces are wiped down as I go. Items are returned to storage in the refrigerator or pantry as I work.  I have never worked in a professional kitchen, but this is how kitchen staff are trained to work. Work clean. It reduces cross contamination and makes clean-up easier. 

My mother was afraid of knives, and never owned a proper chef's knife until I left one behind in her kitchen one Thanksgiving when she was in her early 80s. I was cooking dinner, and went out and bought a knife to make it easier for me. Like many my mother cooked with paring knives, little short, often dull. She would hold an onion in her hand and cut it up.  As an adult, I read- then later watched videos and learned to use a full size chef's knife. I have four or five of them, and I know how to use them. We try to keep them sharp. A good chef's knife is a universal tool, learning to use one, and being comfortable with it, will transform your cooking in ways that are hard to describe. No one should graduate from high school without demonstrating basic knife skills.   

When we sold the other house, we parted with hundreds of books, maybe thousands of books. We had two homes with books in them, and we were moving it all into the smaller of the two. A lot things had to go. I gave away nearly all of my books, but I kept almost all of my cookbooks. I have over 100 of them.  If I want or need to research something, odds are the reference work is at hand.  Some of them, probably 20% of them, are simply fun reading about food, culture, technique - I enjoy reading them. 

The Thursday Ramble: Thankfulness

 

For my readers in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving. For all of my readers, take a moment today to reflect on all of the things we have to be thankful for. 

We wake up each morning to a fresh day, a new start. 

If you are reading this, you can read, you have internet access, and some kind of an electronic device that science fiction 50 years ago. 

We miss those who are not here with us today, because they were an important part of our lives. Celebrate that they were a part of your life. 

The United States holiday of Thanksgiving has it roots in harvest festivals of the past. Marking the end of the season of hard work, giving thanks for the bounty of the earth, and wishes that the harvest will sustain us until the next season. My ancestors were at the first Thanksgiving festival that English refugees celebrated all those years ago. 

I am thankful for:

Reasonably good health, 

A comfortable home, 

Good food, 

Fresh Water, 

Friends, family, 

For being able to read and learn, 

For an education that changed me as a person, 

For having been able to help others live a better life, 

For my daily walks, 

For all of my blog friends, 

For enough.  I have something Elon Musk has never had, and that is enough. When you find enough, you find inner peace. 

Have a Wonderful and Thankful day! 

My World of Wonders - aka The Wednesday Ws The last one for November in 2025

 

Where have I been this week?  The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. The MGM Casino at National Harbor (before you worry, I lost $2 playing video poker and I had a nice walk inside on a cold blustery day.) King Street.  The treadmill in the gym, the pool, an long drive out to Fairfax Virginia in search of art supply stores. Mt Vernon for a long walk in the cold. Fresh Market and Trader Joe's for a little shopping. 

Who have a talked to this week? My sweet bear. The Arts gang. Paul, Giuseppe, Larry, Ruth. 

Who have a traded messages with this week? Spo, Sassy, my sister. Kell who is planning a long delayed trip to Florence. The Arts gang. 

What have I been up to in the Kitchen?  Chilli, Steaks, roast beef, baked bread to make dressing for Thanksgiving.

What is happening in the photo above? The crew is putting a bow on the green package, lifting it in place with electric chain falls from overhead, in the Atrium at the MGM Grand Hotel at National Harbor. There was a crew of 15 people changing out the Atrium display for the winter holidays when I was there the other day. 

What made me go Huh this week?  While out and about, we decided to have lunch at McDonalds, something we rarely do, and I almost always think this is the last time ever.  We waited 25 minutes for our order to be filled.  Will I ever again? 

What is happening? Our old friend Kent is going to be in town for the holiday, and we are meeting for lunch on Saturday. Next Monday is a big arts party, then on Friday we are installing an art show. The party and the show opening being on the same week is driving me nuts. 

 

Travel Tuesday: Into the City

One morning recently I was in a mood for a train ride. I left early, taking the condo shuttle bus to the subway station. 

Two stops on the subway, I got off at King Street Station and walked across to the Alexandria Railway Station.  I bought a ticket on the Virginia Railway Express train into Union Station in Washington DC. This is a commuter train, running on the mainline tracks. A full fare one way ticket was $5. It is only about a ten mile ride. 

I found a seat on the upper level facing the direction of travel. Great views. 

The exit out the front of Union Station, across to the Capitol Building. 

The Folger Shakespeare Library, is behind the main building of the library of congress, I was an hour too early to see the inside (I will go back.) 

A nice new passenger waiting area at Union Station in DC. 

One of my favorite views, crossing the River on Long Bridge from Virginia into DC. The alignment of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument was accidental. 

Monday Mood: Get Away From It All

The quote below was the subject line of a marketing email from the cruise line for next springs grand adventure: 

"Save on Wi-Fi so fast, you’ll forget you’re at sea"

Oh hell NO. The photo above is what you want to be mesmerized by on a cruise. If you are going to spend your days staring at a screen, on your phone, on a tablet, or on a laptop, stay home.  On our Atlantic crossing last April, we did have Wi-Fi, it was included as part of a discount package, and honestly it was terrible.  It was spotty, working one minute and not the next, it was SLOW, and it had built in preferences, Facebook always loaded, blogger often took five minutes to load. I won't do that again.  There will be about ten days next spring when I won't be able to reply to comments. A digital detox - many of us need to do that from time to time (fret not, I will schedule posts so you have something to read each day.) I will get away, by getting away and not dragging my wonderful electronic world along with me every minute. 

Last Thursday evening we attended a National Symphony Orchestra performance.  There was a couple, about ten rows back from the stage, who spent most of the evening staring at their phones. I guess the Orchestra was just background music for whatever was engaging their minds.  Sad really that they found it impossible to escape into the glorious noise for two hours. 

I often miss calls to my smartphone. I leave it on the desk or the bedside table when I am in the other room, or I have the ringer turned off. If it is important, leave a message, and I will call you back. Even better send me an email, I will read and respond when I can. 

My mood this Monday. Ready for a digital detox.  

The Sunday Five: Thankfulness

Thursday of this week is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. A pause, after the harvest season, to give thanks. 

1: Who are you thankful for having in your life this year? 

2: Who have you met this year, that you are thankful for? 

3: What have you left behind this year that makes your life better?

4: What have you learned this year, that makes your life better? 

5: What adventure from this year, will be thankful memories for years to come? 

My Answers: 

1: Who are you thankful for having in your life this year?  My Sweet Bear, my blog friends and readers, the water aerobics gang, the arts committee, and my sister. 

2: Who have you met this year, that you are thankful for? Amy and Linda of the arts committee, they are dears and so helpful. 

3: What have you left behind this year that makes your life better? I drastically cut back on Facebook and reading the news, my life is better for this. 

4: What have you learned this year, that makes your life better? That most artists worry that their work is not good enough, create anyway. We are our harshest critics. 

5: What adventure from this year, will be thankful memories for years to come? Visiting St Andrews in Scotland. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post - 50 States in 52 Weeks - Washington

I have been to Seattle several times for meetings or conferences, the cruise we did to Alaska back in 2008 was from Seattle.  Washington State is the farthest northwest state in the continental United States. 

Back in the summer of 2019 I had a board meeting in Seattle, and then rented a car for a week to drive around the the State of Washington.  We went north from Seattle, and toured the Boeing Factory, the last 747 freighters were working their way down the line.  We went north from there, with a couple of ferry crossings to the waterway that separates the United States from Canada. We took a whale watching boat tour and had incredible pie on a native American reservation. Over a couple of days we worked out way west to the farthest northwest point in the continental United States. Then turned south along the Pacific Coast.  Shortly after crossing into Oregon, we turned Northeast, and visited Mt St. Helens. Drove west from there deeper into the mountains and then back to Seattle to return the rental car, spend a night in a Hilton across the street from the airport and fly home. 

It was an amazing trip. I would do it again anytime.  

Western Washington is rocky, forested, wet and beautiful.  The mountains are amazing, and the plains east of there are fertile. Seattle is home to tech giants, and Boeing. 

When you have a chance, go and explore this beautiful corner of the country.