Did you know that Grandpa Pres is not the first to carry such a great name? That's right, he was named after his father and according to Junior, he went by Sonny as a kid. I wonder if Senior had as many great nicknames and Grandpa has had over the years?
Last week at dinner Johnnie told us about her and Ted's trip to Arlington National Cemetery where they discovered this fact.
While Ted was being a bit weird-ed out at seeing his father's (really his grandfather's) name on a tombstone, Johnnie was rereading the lettering - his name is spelled wrong! The second 'r' in the last name is missing.
I just searched for great-grandpa in the Nationwide Gravesite Locator and his name is spelled correctly in the registry. Sounds to me like the engraver was hungover. I have to give him a little slack, though, since we do carry a unique last name.
Great grandpa was born in 1899. That would make him 113 years old in April. Thinking about his life vs. mine is pretty incredible. Forget facebook and smart phones, he was gone before the invention of hula hoops and Barbie Dolls. My how toys have changed.
It's hard to picture Grandpa as Sonny, but I guess you can't start out in this world being called Famous.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
OMeGa-3 Night
Last night was an OMG dinner for me. And apparently it's one of Grandpa's most requested meals, so I'm glad to know he's consistently suggesting this one.
For starters we had an array of smoked delights: scallops, salmon, halibut and salmon collars with crusty bread and a soft, pungent cheese. Ted made me one of my favorite cocktails, a fresh-squeezed greyhound (that's grapefruit and vodka), but I had to remind myself to drink it. Once I sat down by the apps (yes, I sat down specifically by the apps), the blinders went on and I honed in on all the tasty bites of OMeGa-3 bliss.
As I took liberally to the hors d'oeuvres, the smell of garlic filled the kitchen. My motto is that you can never have too much garlic (thanks dad) and when it comes to PAN-FRIED OYSTERS (!!!!!!!!!!!), that sentiment holds true. Two cast-iron skillets simmered away as the butter, grape seed oil, garlic and oysters bubbled to perfection.
Seriously, guys. FAVORITE MEAL of all time. I could do this one every day and die a happy, happy lady.
Anyways, back to it. As the oysters finished up, we migrated to the table and laissez les bon temps roulez. With all the Mardi Gras chatter on Facebook on Tuesday, I was having a serious po-boy craving and last night's dinner was about as close as I could get without hunting down the Where Ya At Matt New Orleans food truck.
Crusty bread + pan-fried oyster + hot sauce = Family dinner po-boy
Accoutrements included a big green salad, brown rice and a couple bottles of white wine. We had a small group this week with Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Jessie, Eddie, Matt and I so the conversation was lively and the full group was chatting over the candlelight.
Hot topics included, but were not limited to Oregon hot springs, gossip for 10-year-olds, proper work attire, how not to cry at a staff meeting, Charlie dog's ability to sniff out the park while in the car and a few blocks away and the virtues of being lucky vs being good, particularly in relation to gambling.
Jess had a busy week so our self-proclaimed Dessertie was in charge of picking out a sweet treat. Lucky for us Grandpa went to Larsen's Bakery and got two Kringles - Apricot and Raspberry. If you are like me and didn't know what a Kringle was, here you go:
In conclusion, I'm pretty sure I went way over my caloric budget yesterday, but in doing so I got a healthy dose of Omega-3s, zinc, iron, laughter, love and hooch.
For starters we had an array of smoked delights: scallops, salmon, halibut and salmon collars with crusty bread and a soft, pungent cheese. Ted made me one of my favorite cocktails, a fresh-squeezed greyhound (that's grapefruit and vodka), but I had to remind myself to drink it. Once I sat down by the apps (yes, I sat down specifically by the apps), the blinders went on and I honed in on all the tasty bites of OMeGa-3 bliss.
As I took liberally to the hors d'oeuvres, the smell of garlic filled the kitchen. My motto is that you can never have too much garlic (thanks dad) and when it comes to PAN-FRIED OYSTERS (!!!!!!!!!!!), that sentiment holds true. Two cast-iron skillets simmered away as the butter, grape seed oil, garlic and oysters bubbled to perfection.
Seriously, guys. FAVORITE MEAL of all time. I could do this one every day and die a happy, happy lady.
Anyways, back to it. As the oysters finished up, we migrated to the table and laissez les bon temps roulez. With all the Mardi Gras chatter on Facebook on Tuesday, I was having a serious po-boy craving and last night's dinner was about as close as I could get without hunting down the Where Ya At Matt New Orleans food truck.
Crusty bread + pan-fried oyster + hot sauce = Family dinner po-boy
Accoutrements included a big green salad, brown rice and a couple bottles of white wine. We had a small group this week with Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Jessie, Eddie, Matt and I so the conversation was lively and the full group was chatting over the candlelight.
Hot topics included, but were not limited to Oregon hot springs, gossip for 10-year-olds, proper work attire, how not to cry at a staff meeting, Charlie dog's ability to sniff out the park while in the car and a few blocks away and the virtues of being lucky vs being good, particularly in relation to gambling.
Jess had a busy week so our self-proclaimed Dessertie was in charge of picking out a sweet treat. Lucky for us Grandpa went to Larsen's Bakery and got two Kringles - Apricot and Raspberry. If you are like me and didn't know what a Kringle was, here you go:
The Kringle Story
The Larsen’s Kringle is made in the original Danish way, where the pastry is made out of layers of flaky, buttery crust, enclosing a filling of almond paste and raisins, then topped with sugar and sliced almonds and finally twisted into the traditional pretzel shape.
The Kringle was brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers who were hired to replace Danish Bakers during a strike. Danish bakers were on strike as they wished to be paid in money rather then bed and board. When the Austrians left, they also left behind, the methods of rolling butter between the layers of dough, then letting it rest before shaping and baking.
Danish bakers who immigrated to America brought the Kringle with them, where it has become a favorite pastry. Larsen's Bakery has become renowned for their version of this culinary treat.
In conclusion, I'm pretty sure I went way over my caloric budget yesterday, but in doing so I got a healthy dose of Omega-3s, zinc, iron, laughter, love and hooch.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
No family dinner prompts trip down south
We didn't have family dinner this week, so instead Matt and I went to a new Mexican restaurant in Georgetown called Fonda La Catrina. It was great. There's a good-sized bar with fresh-squeezed juice and an open kitchen that fills the industrial space with the aromas of somewhere much warmer than here. The menu is small and printed daily. I had Pollo Enchilado - a braised chicken thigh in a red chili sauce. Matt had the veggie entree of potatoes, onions and peppers in a cream sauce and it was delicious. The fresh corn tortillas were perfect.
If you are looking for a new spot to try, I'd recommend heading to 5905 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98108.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Dessert girl here. We missed Brandi this week but still had a good showing for steak and bean buritto night. Since the writer of the family was absent I will attempt to step in. But for everyone's sake I will keep it short and sweet. Suprise guest of the week was neighbor Scott, who just returned from climing Mt. Kilomanjaro, which apparently "isn't very challenging." Somehow I doubt it...
Once again, to make sure Grandpa keeps letting me come every week, I made the dessert. Since there is no family dinner next week, I decided we would honor valentine's day a little early!
Jimmy's pink cookies from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life
Ingredients for the cookies:
3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until the flour is just absorbed. Add the vanilla and beat well to incorporate. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll out the dough to 3/8 inch thick and cut into hearts. Bake for 16 minutes (if your hearts are large like mine were). Cool on the pan.
Ingredients for the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cap full of cherry extract
Red food coloring
Beat all ingredients together. Add just enough red food coloring to make a pale pink. spread generously onto completely cooled cookies.
Once again, to make sure Grandpa keeps letting me come every week, I made the dessert. Since there is no family dinner next week, I decided we would honor valentine's day a little early!
Jimmy's pink cookies from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life
3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until the flour is just absorbed. Add the vanilla and beat well to incorporate. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll out the dough to 3/8 inch thick and cut into hearts. Bake for 16 minutes (if your hearts are large like mine were). Cool on the pan.
Ingredients for the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cap full of cherry extract
Red food coloring
Beat all ingredients together. Add just enough red food coloring to make a pale pink. spread generously onto completely cooled cookies.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Ok people, it's up to you
I can't make dinner this week due to writing group, so it's up to someone who can go to document! You can do it! If you don't have permissions to do a post, let me know and I can give them to you.
Looking forward to hearing another voice!
Looking forward to hearing another voice!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Pork, Be Inspired
Thirteen pounds of brined and smoked pork is definitely something to be inspired by. Turns out the new tagline for the delicious protein holds true. But before we could discover the wonders of the formerly known other white meat, we started with cocktails and goat cheese/garlic/roasted red pepper bruschetta.
We had some new blood in attendance; Nate the neighbor and John & Mary, longtime friends of the family. It's always exciting to see how the conversation goes with newbies in the mix. We heard about things ranging from 48 hours of no sleep classifying you as clinically insane, a recommendation to go see Young Adult, coincidentally starring a character who makes his own brand of firewater, and how a same-sex couple finds a proper specimen for making a baby (and can now marry in WA if they so choose!!!!!!!!!).
As dishes filled the dining table, so did the hungry bellies. Jess, John, Mary, Nate, Grandpa Pres, Ted, Eddie, Matt and I (Johnnie came in late after a training at work) found our seats and began dishing out the goods. Sauteed bok choy, brown rice, a mixed greens salad and fresh bread stood as filler for the aromatic and soon to be mouth-watering smoked pork chops that took center stage on my plate and I'm sure most others.
The conversation rolled along as the food disappeared bite by bite. Somehow we got on the topic of airline travel and John told a funny story about witnessing a couple debating over whether to give up their seats and get free tickets. He saw it as a simple decision to give up the seats/catch another flight making their arrival time change by an hour/get vouchers to anywhere. She disagreed, stating that she'd already called her mom to pick them up and didn't want the hassle. What would you do?
We wrapped up the meal with a slice of cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream for Jessie's kitchen. But it wasn't just any cake and ice cream on our plates. It was Grandma Corrine's Applesauce Cake from the Blue Binder! Ted said he didn't remember the cake by name, but after taking a bite he was back in mom's kitchen as the flavors sparked the memory of her baking. Grandpa joked that he should remember, but he didn't. When it comes to dessert, he's happy however it gets placed in front of him. Yum.
Morgan unexpectedly stopped in and after a nibble of pork and some catching-up, took off with a couple pounds of pork and a bunch of it's-almost-your-birthday cake. Happy Birthday Morgan!
After an 11-hour day, Johnnie joined in the mix. Before she sat down to a plate, she gave me a box of basement goodies for Brad & Vanessa. This sparked a conversation about our love of The Brick. It was actually the second mention of the oldest bar in the state that night, insert story about Ted, Eddie and Mildew's younger days of campin' and drinkin' here...Anyway, Johnnie had the brilliant idea of planning a Roslyn adventure to camp at Salmon la Sac and go drinking at The Brick. It is now here on record. It will happen!
We had some new blood in attendance; Nate the neighbor and John & Mary, longtime friends of the family. It's always exciting to see how the conversation goes with newbies in the mix. We heard about things ranging from 48 hours of no sleep classifying you as clinically insane, a recommendation to go see Young Adult, coincidentally starring a character who makes his own brand of firewater, and how a same-sex couple finds a proper specimen for making a baby (and can now marry in WA if they so choose!!!!!!!!!).
As dishes filled the dining table, so did the hungry bellies. Jess, John, Mary, Nate, Grandpa Pres, Ted, Eddie, Matt and I (Johnnie came in late after a training at work) found our seats and began dishing out the goods. Sauteed bok choy, brown rice, a mixed greens salad and fresh bread stood as filler for the aromatic and soon to be mouth-watering smoked pork chops that took center stage on my plate and I'm sure most others.
The conversation rolled along as the food disappeared bite by bite. Somehow we got on the topic of airline travel and John told a funny story about witnessing a couple debating over whether to give up their seats and get free tickets. He saw it as a simple decision to give up the seats/catch another flight making their arrival time change by an hour/get vouchers to anywhere. She disagreed, stating that she'd already called her mom to pick them up and didn't want the hassle. What would you do?
We wrapped up the meal with a slice of cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream for Jessie's kitchen. But it wasn't just any cake and ice cream on our plates. It was Grandma Corrine's Applesauce Cake from the Blue Binder! Ted said he didn't remember the cake by name, but after taking a bite he was back in mom's kitchen as the flavors sparked the memory of her baking. Grandpa joked that he should remember, but he didn't. When it comes to dessert, he's happy however it gets placed in front of him. Yum.
Morgan unexpectedly stopped in and after a nibble of pork and some catching-up, took off with a couple pounds of pork and a bunch of it's-almost-your-birthday cake. Happy Birthday Morgan!
After an 11-hour day, Johnnie joined in the mix. Before she sat down to a plate, she gave me a box of basement goodies for Brad & Vanessa. This sparked a conversation about our love of The Brick. It was actually the second mention of the oldest bar in the state that night, insert story about Ted, Eddie and Mildew's younger days of campin' and drinkin' here...Anyway, Johnnie had the brilliant idea of planning a Roslyn adventure to camp at Salmon la Sac and go drinking at The Brick. It is now here on record. It will happen!
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