Yes. This morning I've already blown off steam on Facebook about the trash men coming early when you're not ready and late when you are. I've complained about the fact that charges are placed on your credit card immediately but credits take forever. Now...
Have you ever experienced a night when you just can't go to sleep no matter what? Have you finally resorted to giving up, getting up, and turning on the TV? If you have, then...
You've probably seen those infomercials that offer a second item absolutely free. You just have to pay the shipping! Have you noticed that you can NEVER see the shipping charge on the screen? It's either not there, or it's so small and goes by so quickly you can't possibly read it.
So...you call the 800 number, and the conversation might go something like this:
Me: "Can you tell me what the shipping charge would be on the free second Bedazzled Nose Hair Trimmer?"
Operator: "Why yes. That charge is, let me see, hmm--it's only $39.95!"
Me: "Are you kidding me? $39.95 just for the shipping? I never heard of such a ridiculous thing!"
Operator: "Do you hear how selfish you sound? Here we are giving you a Bedazzled Nose Hair Trimmer absolutely free and you are whining about the shipping charge."
Me: Click.
And now you're fuming so much that you REALLY can't go go sleep!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Brace Yourselves--I've Created a Recipe!
Yes. You are on the right blog. In the way, way distant past, my copying a restaurant's dish would not have been unusual. Now, my turning on the cook top for any reason is unusual.
As I remember it all started with Daniel's nachos. The Daniel's restaurant I remember us going to was on University Drive. I still have the recipe card where I wrote down my "interpretation." It was probably in the '70's or '80's when nachos were first introduced--onto our scene, anyway. I made Wick Fowler chili, cooked fabulous pinto beans, drained them, put all over "Jimenez" chips, and popped into hot oven after smothering with finely grated cheese. We loved them. My sweet Terri made me Daniel's nachos one year for my birthday!
Then there was my homemade Taco Bell. I tried to season my ground beef as well as theirs, cooked and blended pinto beans, and we had all the trimmings for tacos, burritos, and tostados. It was a production and quite fun and delicious! Oh, I would save Taco Bell hot sauce packets to use on my dishes!
I was fixin' reuben sandwiches before they were popular. I got the bread, the pastrami, the sauerkraut, the mustard, and buttered and grilled them in a skillet. My sweet kids would even eat sauerkraut! They ate almost anything--as Susan reminded me recently with this story:
I used to serve canned spinach (ugh), and to make it more palatable (?) I would top it with chopped hard-boiled egg. So help me I think they ate it. I know Jack did. He loved canned spinach. It was his "health food."
But I digress. Today's spectacular achievement is duplicating Reata's chicken tortilla soup. It is my very favorite thing there. I always get the "Saddle Pack" combination with the soup and field greens salad. The soup obviously does not have a lot of ingredients, but it is so delicious. Actually, I'm not quite through perfecting my recipe, but I'm just excited to be close. And don't laugh at how easy it is.
As I remember it all started with Daniel's nachos. The Daniel's restaurant I remember us going to was on University Drive. I still have the recipe card where I wrote down my "interpretation." It was probably in the '70's or '80's when nachos were first introduced--onto our scene, anyway. I made Wick Fowler chili, cooked fabulous pinto beans, drained them, put all over "Jimenez" chips, and popped into hot oven after smothering with finely grated cheese. We loved them. My sweet Terri made me Daniel's nachos one year for my birthday!
Then there was my homemade Taco Bell. I tried to season my ground beef as well as theirs, cooked and blended pinto beans, and we had all the trimmings for tacos, burritos, and tostados. It was a production and quite fun and delicious! Oh, I would save Taco Bell hot sauce packets to use on my dishes!
I was fixin' reuben sandwiches before they were popular. I got the bread, the pastrami, the sauerkraut, the mustard, and buttered and grilled them in a skillet. My sweet kids would even eat sauerkraut! They ate almost anything--as Susan reminded me recently with this story:
I used to serve canned spinach (ugh), and to make it more palatable (?) I would top it with chopped hard-boiled egg. So help me I think they ate it. I know Jack did. He loved canned spinach. It was his "health food."
But I digress. Today's spectacular achievement is duplicating Reata's chicken tortilla soup. It is my very favorite thing there. I always get the "Saddle Pack" combination with the soup and field greens salad. The soup obviously does not have a lot of ingredients, but it is so delicious. Actually, I'm not quite through perfecting my recipe, but I'm just excited to be close. And don't laugh at how easy it is.
REATA'S TORTILLA SOUP
Chicken Broth (details below)
Better than Boullion to taste
Chopped white rotisserie chicken (I love Sam's)
Lots of freshly squeezed lime juice
Chopped avocado
Grated mozzarella cheese
Crispy strips for topping
*They include chopped jalapenos, but I have them left off
Make your broth*, add chicken and lime juice. Let flavors cook together a bit.
Add chopped avocado just long enough to warm.
Spoon into a bowl, then add cheese and top with strips.**
*The part I haven't perfected yet is the broth. Today I used something fancy that I just stumbled across at Kroger. It is Imagine organic free range chicken broth! "Imagine" that!!! It was a bit strong for me. Next time I may just use water and the Better than Boullion, which is in a jar in the soup section at the grocery, I think. Or I may just use ordinary chicken broth with added BTB. I was introduced to this product by one of the chefs at Silverado, and I think it is amazing!!! Both the chicken flavor and the beef flavor will do wonderful things for your corresponding dishes. In this case, however, I don't think the broth makes so much difference. The secret is in...drum roll...the lime juice.
**The tortilla strips I bought at the grocery store are not nearly as good as Reata's. I even warmed them--but they are too short and fall down into the soup and get soggy. I may check with Reata about buying some there.
I know I've jumped the gun here, but you can't imagine how accomplished I feel today. It really tasted pretty much like theirs! I'm thinking of changing my name to Paula, or Giada, or Shay!
Oh, by the way. You might want to either eat this in private or make sure everyone with you is eating it. The mozzarella is incredibly stringy and requires some unsightly negotiation.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Don't Go It Alone, Girls
My friend Becky calls me, "Spunky." I take pride in being independent. I thought the days of women being treated differently in business were over. I guess they are not.
Not to be overbearing, but I can't stop thinking about my experience at the Toyota dealership. The salesman actually looked embarrassed, as well he should have, when I reacted with amazement to what I was hearing. The price he finally gave me after two hours was $8000 over the sticker price when you factor in the meager $7000 he was giving me for my car. (Grubbs Infiniti gave me $11,000 for my Prius.)
Now I don't think there's any possible way I would have gone for that ridiculous deal. But...I credit the information I had from Ken Mitchell as letting me know just how bad it was. And my son Jay was with me when I bought the car. Man--man!
Neither was I completely alone at the Infiniti dealership. My son-in-love Rob had heard a deal on the radio for a special lease at Grubbs. If I had not known to ask for that deal, I might not have come out as well. However, I believe Grubbs is a Christian-owned dealership. How do I know? I have leased a car there before, and they play Christian music on their intercom (like Hemisphere's and Hobby Lobby.) Their first offer to me gave me less for my car. I called Rob, and he stayed on the phone with me quite a while looking up values for my car. I actually accepted a deal for less than he thought I should, but I did get more than their original offer. And the lease I got is amazing--thanks to a man, again.
This has really messed up my thinking. Every subjective price I get from now on is going to cause me to be suspicious. I was telling someone in choir about my experience, and she said that I needed to advise fellow single women. So here it is. Girls, you best not go it alone unless you're a tougher negotiator and much better informed than I am.
Not to be overbearing, but I can't stop thinking about my experience at the Toyota dealership. The salesman actually looked embarrassed, as well he should have, when I reacted with amazement to what I was hearing. The price he finally gave me after two hours was $8000 over the sticker price when you factor in the meager $7000 he was giving me for my car. (Grubbs Infiniti gave me $11,000 for my Prius.)
Now I don't think there's any possible way I would have gone for that ridiculous deal. But...I credit the information I had from Ken Mitchell as letting me know just how bad it was. And my son Jay was with me when I bought the car. Man--man!
Neither was I completely alone at the Infiniti dealership. My son-in-love Rob had heard a deal on the radio for a special lease at Grubbs. If I had not known to ask for that deal, I might not have come out as well. However, I believe Grubbs is a Christian-owned dealership. How do I know? I have leased a car there before, and they play Christian music on their intercom (like Hemisphere's and Hobby Lobby.) Their first offer to me gave me less for my car. I called Rob, and he stayed on the phone with me quite a while looking up values for my car. I actually accepted a deal for less than he thought I should, but I did get more than their original offer. And the lease I got is amazing--thanks to a man, again.
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