Wine, best glass while traveling and where: Beringer White Zinfandel, 1997, ms Veendam, somewhere in the St. Lawrence River
I've mentioned it before, but I'm not a big drinker. I'm far more likely to cook with alcohol than to drink it. Even so, I did take a couple of wine tasting tours in the Barossa Valley, as well as a couple of wine tours in Québec. I knew before the tours that I prefer sweet wines to dry ones, and I prefer sweet whites at that. I really do not like very many red wines, I think it may be the tannins, but I honestly do not know enough to say even that much for sure.
In the Barossa, I surprised myself by really, really like Bethany Vineyards Cabernet Franc Rose, which is not only a red wine (okay, blush), but also much drier than anything I would have thought I would enjoy. Also during the tastings, I discovered I really, really like select late harvest wines, which are, according to the people in the tasting rooms, wines made from grapes left on the vine until they are practically raisins. They intense, sweet wines, very much like the ice wine I loved in Québec.
But all of those were tasting wines, none were really full glasses. If we are talking full glasses of wine, that would have to go to either a glass of Beringer White Zinfandel, 1997 from the bottle that was a gift from my travel agent on my very first cruise. Apparently 1997 was a particularly good year for the White Zinfandel, and I think I drank eight or nine bottles of that particular vintage before I could no longer find it, which is a lot for a non-drinker like me.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
For Your Pleasure Viewing
Visas: multiple, but only to two countries
Honestly I misread this as "Vistas," so my initial answer was very different, and I think I'd rather go with that, especially considering I have only ever travelled to two places that require visas, and only one of those was a paper-issue visa instead of an electronic visa waiver.
So, Vistas: view from Monplaisir, Peterhof
I love the view from the open decks on the cruise ship, I love it most when we are entering or leaving a port, but there are some beautiful sunsets on sea days as well. And the view from the deck when the ship is docked in Saguenay, Québec looking out over the Saguenay Fjord is spectacular, quiet and serene. It is one of my favorite spots on one of my favorite cruises. Sunrise through Habitat '67 in Montréal, Québec is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, as the sky peeking through the boxes changes from the deep inky blue of pre-dawn to purple to pink and then back to the cool clear blue of a new day. The view from Agamont Park looking out over the Porcupine Islands, and whatever cruise ships may be anchored that day is one of the best I have seem from public parks, and certainly one of the most easily identifiable in my (not-all-that-many) vacation photos.
But one of the most special, yet ordinary vistas, has to be the view out over the Gulf of Finland from Monplaisir, Peterhof has to be one of the best. Truth be told, it's not anything special, but the journey there was the trip of a lifetime, and to be standing where Tsar Nicholas II would have stood, looking out over much the same view, was a dream come true. Definitely one of the best vistas I have ever experienced.
Honestly I misread this as "Vistas," so my initial answer was very different, and I think I'd rather go with that, especially considering I have only ever travelled to two places that require visas, and only one of those was a paper-issue visa instead of an electronic visa waiver.
So, Vistas: view from Monplaisir, Peterhof
I love the view from the open decks on the cruise ship, I love it most when we are entering or leaving a port, but there are some beautiful sunsets on sea days as well. And the view from the deck when the ship is docked in Saguenay, Québec looking out over the Saguenay Fjord is spectacular, quiet and serene. It is one of my favorite spots on one of my favorite cruises. Sunrise through Habitat '67 in Montréal, Québec is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, as the sky peeking through the boxes changes from the deep inky blue of pre-dawn to purple to pink and then back to the cool clear blue of a new day. The view from Agamont Park looking out over the Porcupine Islands, and whatever cruise ships may be anchored that day is one of the best I have seem from public parks, and certainly one of the most easily identifiable in my (not-all-that-many) vacation photos.
But one of the most special, yet ordinary vistas, has to be the view out over the Gulf of Finland from Monplaisir, Peterhof has to be one of the best. Truth be told, it's not anything special, but the journey there was the trip of a lifetime, and to be standing where Tsar Nicholas II would have stood, looking out over much the same view, was a dream come true. Definitely one of the best vistas I have ever experienced.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Postcard on the Edge
Unforgettable travel memory: arguing with a shop clerk over a sixth postcard
This is hard to answer. So many things that have happened during my travels have been unforgettable. Sometimes memorable things happen before you even leave the airport! From the hopscotch zone in Stockholm's Arlanda Airport, to the trip tunnel in Detroit's, or the best sign ever in the ladies' room in Adelaide's, there have been many exciting and unusual memories along the journeys.
Actual tourist attractions have brought more unforgettable experiences. From declaring there was no way I was going to come down the tiny, tight, twisty stairs at Blarney Castle (the main reason I never bothered kissing the stone), to flipping to the end of my the real person's story to find out what happened before we even began the tour at the Holocaust Museum, to learning that azaleas are actually rhododendrons at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden in St. John's, it's been a lifetime (or half a lifetime) of great experiences.
Wildlife provided unforgettable moments as well. From a whale breaching tail first on a whale-watching tour in Hawaii, to juvenile kangaroos "attacking" me in a sanctuary on Kangaroo Island while I was feeding them, I seem to attract unusual nature events.
And even with all that, I think the most memorable thing that happened to me on all my travels was an argument buying postcards in the giftshop at The State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. Postcards were five for $1, but I wanted six. I can still hear the clerk clearly saying, "five for one dollar." And I can still hear my insistence that I wanted six. It was a silly discussion, and my traveling companion's suggestion that I pick four more and pay $2 was not the point. In the end, I got the six cards for $1, simply because neither of us knew enough of the other's language to settle it any other way. I still have that contentious sixth postcard. I have always thought it would be a good idea to frame it. Maybe someday I will.
This is hard to answer. So many things that have happened during my travels have been unforgettable. Sometimes memorable things happen before you even leave the airport! From the hopscotch zone in Stockholm's Arlanda Airport, to the trip tunnel in Detroit's, or the best sign ever in the ladies' room in Adelaide's, there have been many exciting and unusual memories along the journeys.
Actual tourist attractions have brought more unforgettable experiences. From declaring there was no way I was going to come down the tiny, tight, twisty stairs at Blarney Castle (the main reason I never bothered kissing the stone), to flipping to the end of my the real person's story to find out what happened before we even began the tour at the Holocaust Museum, to learning that azaleas are actually rhododendrons at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden in St. John's, it's been a lifetime (or half a lifetime) of great experiences.
Wildlife provided unforgettable moments as well. From a whale breaching tail first on a whale-watching tour in Hawaii, to juvenile kangaroos "attacking" me in a sanctuary on Kangaroo Island while I was feeding them, I seem to attract unusual nature events.
And even with all that, I think the most memorable thing that happened to me on all my travels was an argument buying postcards in the giftshop at The State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. Postcards were five for $1, but I wanted six. I can still hear the clerk clearly saying, "five for one dollar." And I can still hear my insistence that I wanted six. It was a silly discussion, and my traveling companion's suggestion that I pick four more and pay $2 was not the point. In the end, I got the six cards for $1, simply because neither of us knew enough of the other's language to settle it any other way. I still have that contentious sixth postcard. I have always thought it would be a good idea to frame it. Maybe someday I will.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Central Centenaries
Today marks 100 years since the first shots of World War I. Think about that the "War to End All Wars" started 100 years ago today. One hundred years later and the world is still paying the price for that war. I mentioned in another post that June 28, 1914 was one of the days that literally changed the world, and it is, because were it not for the events of that day on Sarajevo, we would not have this dubious anniversary to remember.
The saying goes that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And in many ways we failed not only to learn from World War I, but we failed to learn of World War I. Americans tend to think that World War I began in 1917 when the country declared war. Some will argue that the event that led to the US joining the was was the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, but an official declaration of war did not come until nearly two years later. Europe had been torn apart by the fighting for nearly three years by the time the US entered the fray.
American history classes, certainly in every school I ever went to, teach history only to the point that it impacts American history. If the even had no American involvement, it's ether glossed over or skipped entirely. I realize there are hundreds of years of human history to cover, and not everything can be covered in a 1-hour a day, 5-day a week, 36-weeks a year class. But I think we could do a better job with history. We could at least be sure our students learn that the beginning of World War I was not in 1917 when the US entered. It was actually in 1914.
It could be argued, somewhat successfully that 1914 was also the beginning of World War II, because it was the fallout from World War I that led, in great part, to World War II. We could also do a better job teaching students that World War II began in Europe at least two years before the US declaration of war. These are important things to remember on a global scale.
And we live in an interconnected global society. The days when we can ignore the world beyond our borders are long past. We are doing our students a serious disservice by continuing to teach history in an American-centric way. We are doing them a serious disservice by not showing the inter-connectivity of world events. I was an adult before I realized that the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 were happening at the same time! It was only very recently that I put together the Regency Period with those same Wars. And it's not that those events were not discussed in my history classes, just that they were taught as isolated events. Even knowing the dates of the events did not help me connect them the way history is taught.
We can change that this year. We can teach our children, this year, that World War I started 100 years ago, before the US got involved. We can teach our children that the US is not the only country in the world. We can do a better job educating them, so maybe they develop an interest earlier. We can be sure they have the facts right. We can, at the very least, ensure they know what the poppies mean on November 11.
The saying goes that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And in many ways we failed not only to learn from World War I, but we failed to learn of World War I. Americans tend to think that World War I began in 1917 when the country declared war. Some will argue that the event that led to the US joining the was was the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, but an official declaration of war did not come until nearly two years later. Europe had been torn apart by the fighting for nearly three years by the time the US entered the fray.
American history classes, certainly in every school I ever went to, teach history only to the point that it impacts American history. If the even had no American involvement, it's ether glossed over or skipped entirely. I realize there are hundreds of years of human history to cover, and not everything can be covered in a 1-hour a day, 5-day a week, 36-weeks a year class. But I think we could do a better job with history. We could at least be sure our students learn that the beginning of World War I was not in 1917 when the US entered. It was actually in 1914.
It could be argued, somewhat successfully that 1914 was also the beginning of World War II, because it was the fallout from World War I that led, in great part, to World War II. We could also do a better job teaching students that World War II began in Europe at least two years before the US declaration of war. These are important things to remember on a global scale.
And we live in an interconnected global society. The days when we can ignore the world beyond our borders are long past. We are doing our students a serious disservice by continuing to teach history in an American-centric way. We are doing them a serious disservice by not showing the inter-connectivity of world events. I was an adult before I realized that the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 were happening at the same time! It was only very recently that I put together the Regency Period with those same Wars. And it's not that those events were not discussed in my history classes, just that they were taught as isolated events. Even knowing the dates of the events did not help me connect them the way history is taught.
We can change that this year. We can teach our children, this year, that World War I started 100 years ago, before the US got involved. We can teach our children that the US is not the only country in the world. We can do a better job educating them, so maybe they develop an interest earlier. We can be sure they have the facts right. We can, at the very least, ensure they know what the poppies mean on November 11.
Menu Plan -- July 29-August 4, 2014
Tuesday:
Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Apple Salad
Wednesday:
out to dinner
Thursday:
Rice & Bean Tostados, Vanilla Pudding
Friday:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Almost Potato Chips, Vanilla Pudding
Saturday:
Vegetable Corn Chowder, Dilly Casserole Bread, Vanilla Pudding
Sunday:
Baked Spaghetti, Dilly Casserole Bread, Black Forest Chocolate Pudding Cake
Monday:
do-it-yourself dinner
Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Apple Salad
Wednesday:
out to dinner
Thursday:
Rice & Bean Tostados, Vanilla Pudding
Friday:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Almost Potato Chips, Vanilla Pudding
Saturday:
Vegetable Corn Chowder, Dilly Casserole Bread, Vanilla Pudding
Sunday:
Baked Spaghetti, Dilly Casserole Bread, Black Forest Chocolate Pudding Cake
Monday:
do-it-yourself dinner
Tourists Are Touristy
Touristy thing you’ve done: almost everything on vacation, but most recently, visiting the sea lions in at Pier 39 San Francisco
When I'm in places that are not my hometown, I am a tourist, so I do touristy things. I want to see the attractions, even if they may not be worth it in other's opinions.
In Québec, I wanted to see the Château Frontenac, and ride the Funicular. In Newport, I wanted to walk along Cliff Walk. In Blarney, I didn't want to kiss the Blarney Stone, but I did want to see Blarney Castle. In Australia, I wanted to see kangaroos. In Washington, D.C., I wanted to go to the Smithsonian, particularly the American History Museum. These are all touristy things, and that's okay. I am a tourist. It's ridiculous to go to famous places and not see one thing for which the area is famous.
The most recent touristy thing I have ticked off my list, and an experience I would recommend, was seeing the sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco. I didn't really plan to see the sea lions, but I had time and was in the area so I went and hung out with them for about half an hour. It's definitely worth the time and definitely something I can do again. Yes, it's touristy, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. If you find yourself in San Francisco and have the time, go visit the sea lions for a while.
When I'm in places that are not my hometown, I am a tourist, so I do touristy things. I want to see the attractions, even if they may not be worth it in other's opinions.
In Québec, I wanted to see the Château Frontenac, and ride the Funicular. In Newport, I wanted to walk along Cliff Walk. In Blarney, I didn't want to kiss the Blarney Stone, but I did want to see Blarney Castle. In Australia, I wanted to see kangaroos. In Washington, D.C., I wanted to go to the Smithsonian, particularly the American History Museum. These are all touristy things, and that's okay. I am a tourist. It's ridiculous to go to famous places and not see one thing for which the area is famous.
The most recent touristy thing I have ticked off my list, and an experience I would recommend, was seeing the sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco. I didn't really plan to see the sea lions, but I had time and was in the area so I went and hung out with them for about half an hour. It's definitely worth the time and definitely something I can do again. Yes, it's touristy, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. If you find yourself in San Francisco and have the time, go visit the sea lions for a while.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Deliberations on Dumplings
Tonight's dinner was Chicken & Dumplings. Admittedly it was a shortcut version of the dish; I used a pre-cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, a recipe of biscuits, and my crock-pot. The original recipe called for just those ingredients and water. But I prefer my chicken & dumplings to have some vegetables, if for no other reason than I always have a hard time figuring out a vegetable to serve with it. So I added some carrots, celery and onion to the mix. Yes, I ended up making more of a creamy chicken stew with dumplings, but I'm calling it Chicken & Dumplings all the same.
I made this dish because it was what I wanted. I do ask my dearest if he has any special requests for when I am making my weekly menu plan, but sometimes I just plan things I know I want to eat. And it's still cold enough for the heavy, warming, winter-time dish. So I put it on the menu for Sunday.
As I sat down to savor the bowl of creamy, chicken & dumpling-y deliciousness, I began to wonder about the dish itself. I had not seen it on any menus in Australian restaurants, and frankly it's a perfect pub-style meal, definitely for a "meat and potatoes" crowd. That's not really unusual. Most of the meals I make come from my American cookbooks. But I had not really seen it on other menus either. I wasn't sure if the dish was French, Italian, English or something else entirely in origin.
Thinking about it, and knowing that it's at its heart a peasant dish (no wonder it is one of my favorites to make and enjoy), I really began to wonder if it's a French Country dish. But the dumplings kept tripping me up. Dumplings are far too much like biscuits to be French. So, maybe it's Celtic in heritage, as biscuits are very similar to scones. But, no, that can't be right either. I've not seen evidence of the Celts cooking scones by boiling them in a liquid. At the same time, dumplings, particularly noodle-style rolled dumplings are not unlike German Spaetzle, which are small pieces of egg-based dough boiled in broth. It's a culinary mystery to me.
So, okay. I've discounted several possible origins, and my feeling that Chicken & Dumplings is an American invention is more and more likely. The "melting pot" of American history makes this all the more believable, as well as the tradition of American ingenuity, as evidenced culinarily in an ability to adapt available products to create the traditional dishes immigrants brought with them. But I still have no actual proof the dish is an American invention.
Off to Wikipedia I went, and according to the sources there, Chicken & Dumplings is either American or French Canadian in origin. Yes, that sounds right. I can see it as a French Canadian dish, or even a Pennsylvania Dutch (German) dish. I can also see industrious cooks in the American South looking at the ingredients for the dumplings and discovering they were remarkably similar to biscuits, so similar in fact, that the same dough could be used. That may also explain the disparity and disagreements in the style of dumplings used in North & South variations of the dish. Flat, noodle-style dumplings tend to be the Southern preference while Northern variants tend to have fluffy, dropped balls of dough as the dumplings.
My dumplings were made with a batch of biscuit dough, rolled and cut, but no so thin as to be Southern-style rolled dumplings, but not so fluffy as to be Northern-style dropped dumplings. I grew up in New Orleans, which while geographically in the Southern part of the US, is not Southern in either its history or attitude. New Orleans has always been individual, and its always been a true melting pot. How else do you explain the local melding of disparate cuisines, long before the term "fusion cuisine" was invented or became a hipster badge?
Anyway, my bowl of chicken & dumplings led to an internal monologue on culinary history. Meals are often like that with me. Somewhere along the way, I'll wonder about dish -- its origins, history, or how I can create a variation at home.
Tonight's dinner was Chicken & Dumplings. But more than that, tonight's dinner was a bowl of history.
I made this dish because it was what I wanted. I do ask my dearest if he has any special requests for when I am making my weekly menu plan, but sometimes I just plan things I know I want to eat. And it's still cold enough for the heavy, warming, winter-time dish. So I put it on the menu for Sunday.
As I sat down to savor the bowl of creamy, chicken & dumpling-y deliciousness, I began to wonder about the dish itself. I had not seen it on any menus in Australian restaurants, and frankly it's a perfect pub-style meal, definitely for a "meat and potatoes" crowd. That's not really unusual. Most of the meals I make come from my American cookbooks. But I had not really seen it on other menus either. I wasn't sure if the dish was French, Italian, English or something else entirely in origin.
Thinking about it, and knowing that it's at its heart a peasant dish (no wonder it is one of my favorites to make and enjoy), I really began to wonder if it's a French Country dish. But the dumplings kept tripping me up. Dumplings are far too much like biscuits to be French. So, maybe it's Celtic in heritage, as biscuits are very similar to scones. But, no, that can't be right either. I've not seen evidence of the Celts cooking scones by boiling them in a liquid. At the same time, dumplings, particularly noodle-style rolled dumplings are not unlike German Spaetzle, which are small pieces of egg-based dough boiled in broth. It's a culinary mystery to me.
So, okay. I've discounted several possible origins, and my feeling that Chicken & Dumplings is an American invention is more and more likely. The "melting pot" of American history makes this all the more believable, as well as the tradition of American ingenuity, as evidenced culinarily in an ability to adapt available products to create the traditional dishes immigrants brought with them. But I still have no actual proof the dish is an American invention.
Off to Wikipedia I went, and according to the sources there, Chicken & Dumplings is either American or French Canadian in origin. Yes, that sounds right. I can see it as a French Canadian dish, or even a Pennsylvania Dutch (German) dish. I can also see industrious cooks in the American South looking at the ingredients for the dumplings and discovering they were remarkably similar to biscuits, so similar in fact, that the same dough could be used. That may also explain the disparity and disagreements in the style of dumplings used in North & South variations of the dish. Flat, noodle-style dumplings tend to be the Southern preference while Northern variants tend to have fluffy, dropped balls of dough as the dumplings.
My dumplings were made with a batch of biscuit dough, rolled and cut, but no so thin as to be Southern-style rolled dumplings, but not so fluffy as to be Northern-style dropped dumplings. I grew up in New Orleans, which while geographically in the Southern part of the US, is not Southern in either its history or attitude. New Orleans has always been individual, and its always been a true melting pot. How else do you explain the local melding of disparate cuisines, long before the term "fusion cuisine" was invented or became a hipster badge?
Anyway, my bowl of chicken & dumplings led to an internal monologue on culinary history. Meals are often like that with me. Somewhere along the way, I'll wonder about dish -- its origins, history, or how I can create a variation at home.
Tonight's dinner was Chicken & Dumplings. But more than that, tonight's dinner was a bowl of history.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Slipping Away
I'm in the market for a new pair of slippers. The pair I have is still good, but getting to the point that it needs to be replaced. I really love this particular style of slippers; stretchy, satiny material with a nice terrycloth lining and soft, indoor only, suede soles. They fit my slipper needs perfectly. The pair I have I bought in or before 2004, so they have served a long, useful life as far as slippers go.
My first stop on my hunt for new slippers was the website of the manufacturer of this pair. And there I found that particular style of slippers is on sale for ⅓ off the normal manufacturer's suggested retail selling price. That's a pretty good deal. But that got me thinking, and looking around. My web-based research led to the sad conclusion that the style of slippers is on sale because it's being discontinued.
What???? How can they do this to me???? This style of slippers has been around for at least 10 years, by my own evidence, and for a good deal longer than that, as the pair I am looking to replace was not the first pair of this style I have worn out. So, let's say, just for the purposes of this argument that this style of slippers has been around at least 15 years, and probably closer to 20.
Why would the company decide that after 20 years, the time has come to discontinue such a popular and enduring style of slippers? Why do companies of all types of products get the consumer to purchase, and continue purchasing a product only to stop making it? It really is a form of corporate-forced consumer withdrawal.
This phenomenon happens all the time in my life. I am unfortunate enough to suffer from very sensitive skin, and many products make me break out in hives; itchy, painful, annoying, hives. Most often this reaction is due to the product I have been using safely for years, all of a sudden changing its formulation. I innocently buy the product only to break out in hives upon using it. That's usually when I find the manufacturers have arbitrarily changed the formulation just enough to cause the adverse reaction. So I have search out a new product that does the same job, and usually this means trying out a good number of products until I can find one that will not cause me to have an allergic reaction. Most high-end personal goods companies are very good about accepting returns on products to which customers have had allergic reactions. Products sold at mass retailers are far less likely to be able to be returned because of allergic reactions to them. I know this first hand, as I have had to return various products to many of those companies for just that reason. This can cause me to end up wasting a good deal of money on testing out products to find ones that work for me.
I wonder, in this era of litigiousness for anything and everything, why companies are discontinuing or changing their products so frequently and without warning to consumers. Had I known in advance that the company was discontinuing the deodorant that I could use without reaction, I would have stocked up, if only to have something to use while I was finding another product. As it was, I had no warning and the replacement suggested on the website (interestingly enough, a product designated for sensitive skin) made me break out in hives! Now I have to go through the trial and error process to find something else suitable, which with my luck will be discontinued just as soon as I discover it works.
Obviously the slippers are not serious as products that can potentially cause allergic reactions, but the disappointment brought by the discontinuation of them is just the same. The slippers have been in production for at least 20 years, with only slight aesthetic variations. Why would the company decide that a classic and well-selling product needs to be discontinued?
I know, I took marketing and economics in the pursuit of my Business degree, and I understand the theories about product life cycles and planned obsolescence. But as a consumer, the theory really only matters when it crashes into my life. And right now, having to find replacements for favorite products is really crashing my life.
My first stop on my hunt for new slippers was the website of the manufacturer of this pair. And there I found that particular style of slippers is on sale for ⅓ off the normal manufacturer's suggested retail selling price. That's a pretty good deal. But that got me thinking, and looking around. My web-based research led to the sad conclusion that the style of slippers is on sale because it's being discontinued.
What???? How can they do this to me???? This style of slippers has been around for at least 10 years, by my own evidence, and for a good deal longer than that, as the pair I am looking to replace was not the first pair of this style I have worn out. So, let's say, just for the purposes of this argument that this style of slippers has been around at least 15 years, and probably closer to 20.
Why would the company decide that after 20 years, the time has come to discontinue such a popular and enduring style of slippers? Why do companies of all types of products get the consumer to purchase, and continue purchasing a product only to stop making it? It really is a form of corporate-forced consumer withdrawal.
This phenomenon happens all the time in my life. I am unfortunate enough to suffer from very sensitive skin, and many products make me break out in hives; itchy, painful, annoying, hives. Most often this reaction is due to the product I have been using safely for years, all of a sudden changing its formulation. I innocently buy the product only to break out in hives upon using it. That's usually when I find the manufacturers have arbitrarily changed the formulation just enough to cause the adverse reaction. So I have search out a new product that does the same job, and usually this means trying out a good number of products until I can find one that will not cause me to have an allergic reaction. Most high-end personal goods companies are very good about accepting returns on products to which customers have had allergic reactions. Products sold at mass retailers are far less likely to be able to be returned because of allergic reactions to them. I know this first hand, as I have had to return various products to many of those companies for just that reason. This can cause me to end up wasting a good deal of money on testing out products to find ones that work for me.
I wonder, in this era of litigiousness for anything and everything, why companies are discontinuing or changing their products so frequently and without warning to consumers. Had I known in advance that the company was discontinuing the deodorant that I could use without reaction, I would have stocked up, if only to have something to use while I was finding another product. As it was, I had no warning and the replacement suggested on the website (interestingly enough, a product designated for sensitive skin) made me break out in hives! Now I have to go through the trial and error process to find something else suitable, which with my luck will be discontinued just as soon as I discover it works.
Obviously the slippers are not serious as products that can potentially cause allergic reactions, but the disappointment brought by the discontinuation of them is just the same. The slippers have been in production for at least 20 years, with only slight aesthetic variations. Why would the company decide that a classic and well-selling product needs to be discontinued?
I know, I took marketing and economics in the pursuit of my Business degree, and I understand the theories about product life cycles and planned obsolescence. But as a consumer, the theory really only matters when it crashes into my life. And right now, having to find replacements for favorite products is really crashing my life.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Coming Home, Over and Over
Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: hotels
Honestly, I'm not really budget conscious when I travel, and often my trips are indulgences in and of themselves. Most of my travel has been by cruise, but when I'm not cruising, I think my biggest no-questions asked splurge is my hotel. But that does not mean that the hotels are the most luxurious available. It is true that I will always choose convenience and location over price for hotels, but at the same time, I have yet to find a hotel worth $400/night.
So while I'll splurge on hotels, there is a limit to my splurges. Even there I'm fairly brand-loyal to hotel chains, particularly in the US. I'll almost always choose a Hilton Family hotel over anything else, and even then my splurges tend to be in the form of Hampton Inns. I'm pretty low maintenance as far as hotels go. But the locations are more important to me than price, and more often than not, my splurges are guided by what I need. Often I do not need a hotel to have a restaurant, so the no-frills Hampton Inns are perfectly suited to my travel needs. Other times I do need the convenience of an on-property restaurant, and in that case, I'll usually choose a Hilton.
I am very loyal to hotels I have previously used in a particular location. I'm loathe to change once I've stayed somewhere that fits all my needs. As silly as it sounds I feel staying at the same place over and over makes for consistency, and it makes it easier for me to remember where things are in each area. And I like that feeling of coming home to someplace familiar when I return to the cities.
Honestly, I'm not really budget conscious when I travel, and often my trips are indulgences in and of themselves. Most of my travel has been by cruise, but when I'm not cruising, I think my biggest no-questions asked splurge is my hotel. But that does not mean that the hotels are the most luxurious available. It is true that I will always choose convenience and location over price for hotels, but at the same time, I have yet to find a hotel worth $400/night.
So while I'll splurge on hotels, there is a limit to my splurges. Even there I'm fairly brand-loyal to hotel chains, particularly in the US. I'll almost always choose a Hilton Family hotel over anything else, and even then my splurges tend to be in the form of Hampton Inns. I'm pretty low maintenance as far as hotels go. But the locations are more important to me than price, and more often than not, my splurges are guided by what I need. Often I do not need a hotel to have a restaurant, so the no-frills Hampton Inns are perfectly suited to my travel needs. Other times I do need the convenience of an on-property restaurant, and in that case, I'll usually choose a Hilton.
I am very loyal to hotels I have previously used in a particular location. I'm loathe to change once I've stayed somewhere that fits all my needs. As silly as it sounds I feel staying at the same place over and over makes for consistency, and it makes it easier for me to remember where things are in each area. And I like that feeling of coming home to someplace familiar when I return to the cities.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Required Revelry
Recommended site, event or experience: traditional Mardi Gras in New Orleans
I know it's cheating, because for the vast majority of my life, New Orleans was not technically a travel destination for me, but I really do think that everyone should experience Mardi Gras at least once. And not the Hollywood version, but real Mardi Gras, especially the Old Line Krewe parades with flambeaux, mounted officers, and stingy throws from the masked riders.
Mardi Gras not only a festival, but it is woven into the New Orleans Social Season. The Old Line Krewes keep up the old traditions, using the parades as a moving tableaux for the year's theme. They hold tight to their hard-won parade time slots (a valued commodity because the parade season is only 10 nights long and there is a limit to how many parades can be scheduled on any one night).
Mardi Gras is so much more than the drunken debauchery on Bourbon Street as portrayed by the media and Hollywood. It's really a rich tradition of taking the pre-Lent festivities from behind the closed doors of private clubs and bringing it out to the people.
Many things calls themselves "the greatest free show on Earth," but Mardi Gras really is, free and open to the public. As long as you can find a spot along the parade route, you can participate in a tradition 158 years old. But there is more than that. If you wake early enough on Mardi Gras Day, you can find the Mardi Gras Indians with their elaborate, hand-made suits and headdresses as they parade through the streets. And at the same early hour, along the traditional Uptown Route, you can find any of the walking clubs and get paper carnations in exchange for kisses.
There is so much more than the bits the media and Hollywood felt were worth exporting, there is a rich tradition and a living history in the parades and parading organizations. Everyone should experience that kind of celebration at least once in their lives. It really is an amazing show, right there in the street for all and sundry to share.
I really can't wait to share it with my dearest -- and we will get there one year.
I know it's cheating, because for the vast majority of my life, New Orleans was not technically a travel destination for me, but I really do think that everyone should experience Mardi Gras at least once. And not the Hollywood version, but real Mardi Gras, especially the Old Line Krewe parades with flambeaux, mounted officers, and stingy throws from the masked riders.
Mardi Gras not only a festival, but it is woven into the New Orleans Social Season. The Old Line Krewes keep up the old traditions, using the parades as a moving tableaux for the year's theme. They hold tight to their hard-won parade time slots (a valued commodity because the parade season is only 10 nights long and there is a limit to how many parades can be scheduled on any one night).
Mardi Gras is so much more than the drunken debauchery on Bourbon Street as portrayed by the media and Hollywood. It's really a rich tradition of taking the pre-Lent festivities from behind the closed doors of private clubs and bringing it out to the people.
Many things calls themselves "the greatest free show on Earth," but Mardi Gras really is, free and open to the public. As long as you can find a spot along the parade route, you can participate in a tradition 158 years old. But there is more than that. If you wake early enough on Mardi Gras Day, you can find the Mardi Gras Indians with their elaborate, hand-made suits and headdresses as they parade through the streets. And at the same early hour, along the traditional Uptown Route, you can find any of the walking clubs and get paper carnations in exchange for kisses.
There is so much more than the bits the media and Hollywood felt were worth exporting, there is a rich tradition and a living history in the parades and parading organizations. Everyone should experience that kind of celebration at least once in their lives. It really is an amazing show, right there in the street for all and sundry to share.
I really can't wait to share it with my dearest -- and we will get there one year.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Fake Food
The more I watch MasterChef or Top Chef type shows, the more I realize I am not a fan of haute or nouvelle cuisine. I do not like little cutesy things done with my food. I'd really rather it be recognizable as what it actually is. And my bouche is not amused by things like salmon cornets. If I want an ice cream cone, I want it to be an ice cream cone, full of sweet, luxurious, creamy, rich ice cream, not smoked salmon and shallot-spiked crème fraîche.
I have come to the decision that I am better at cooking peasant dishes because that's the kind of food I like. And I have no desire to learn how to cook a truffle purée. I don't even like truffles! (They taste like dirt!) I would much rather have a warm, comforting bowl of chicken and dumplings than a plate with three bites of steak that's not even steak drizzled with truffle-infused oil. I don't care how much the plate of art disguised as dinner costs, if I don't like the ingredients, any amount of money is too much.
I appreciate that the chef has learned to turn beets into a sorbet that can mimic the look of Bing cherries, but underneath it all, I don't like beets. Why would I pay $40 for a plate of three tiny not-cherry beets when I'm not going to eat it? Why can't a restaurant do comforting, honest food well? When was it decided that food has to be new and exciting for it to be enjoyable? Why does including expensive ingredients automatically mean a better meal?
For me a well-cooked beef stew, using the cheaper cuts is infinitely better than a poorly prepared Wagyu steak. A well-made French Onion soup is better meal than a smear of onion jam on slices of so-rare-it's-still-swimming tuna with triangles quinoa toast so thin I can see through them. By and large the peasant-style dishes are cheaper for the restaurant as well. Meals at fancy restaurants, of the kind that require tickets instead of reservations, would not be nearly so cost-prohibative were they to serve some peasant food rather than art projects.
Turning beets into ersatz Bing cherries is a skill, but what real purpose does it serve? People who want cherries, but get beets are disappointed, and then nothing has been accomplished but wasting the beets. Fresh, in-season real-cherry cherries could have been served instead. Why does food have to be something it's not? I'm not saying that food should not be pleasing to look at or un-appetizingly presented, but if I have to ask what an ingredient is because it looks like a cherry but isn't, things have gone too far.
A friend once told me that she likes her meat from the grocery to be on Styrofoam platters, wrapped in cling-film and have no discernible resemblance to the animal from which it comes. That's a good point. But in the grocery, you know that when you purchase a package of beef steaks or chicken thighs, you are getting beef steaks or chicken thighs. I just want to know what I'm getting. If I'm paying over $250/person for dinner, I want a meal that does not have to be translated for me to enjoy it. I want peasant food, and I want it to be good peasant food!
I have come to the decision that I am better at cooking peasant dishes because that's the kind of food I like. And I have no desire to learn how to cook a truffle purée. I don't even like truffles! (They taste like dirt!) I would much rather have a warm, comforting bowl of chicken and dumplings than a plate with three bites of steak that's not even steak drizzled with truffle-infused oil. I don't care how much the plate of art disguised as dinner costs, if I don't like the ingredients, any amount of money is too much.
I appreciate that the chef has learned to turn beets into a sorbet that can mimic the look of Bing cherries, but underneath it all, I don't like beets. Why would I pay $40 for a plate of three tiny not-cherry beets when I'm not going to eat it? Why can't a restaurant do comforting, honest food well? When was it decided that food has to be new and exciting for it to be enjoyable? Why does including expensive ingredients automatically mean a better meal?
For me a well-cooked beef stew, using the cheaper cuts is infinitely better than a poorly prepared Wagyu steak. A well-made French Onion soup is better meal than a smear of onion jam on slices of so-rare-it's-still-swimming tuna with triangles quinoa toast so thin I can see through them. By and large the peasant-style dishes are cheaper for the restaurant as well. Meals at fancy restaurants, of the kind that require tickets instead of reservations, would not be nearly so cost-prohibative were they to serve some peasant food rather than art projects.
Turning beets into ersatz Bing cherries is a skill, but what real purpose does it serve? People who want cherries, but get beets are disappointed, and then nothing has been accomplished but wasting the beets. Fresh, in-season real-cherry cherries could have been served instead. Why does food have to be something it's not? I'm not saying that food should not be pleasing to look at or un-appetizingly presented, but if I have to ask what an ingredient is because it looks like a cherry but isn't, things have gone too far.
A friend once told me that she likes her meat from the grocery to be on Styrofoam platters, wrapped in cling-film and have no discernible resemblance to the animal from which it comes. That's a good point. But in the grocery, you know that when you purchase a package of beef steaks or chicken thighs, you are getting beef steaks or chicken thighs. I just want to know what I'm getting. If I'm paying over $250/person for dinner, I want a meal that does not have to be translated for me to enjoy it. I want peasant food, and I want it to be good peasant food!
Normal Quirkiness
Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: polydactyl cats at Hemingway House
This is difficult to answer. I really haven't been to any quirky attractions, at least not in terms of what I think of as quirky. I've never been to see the world's largest ball of twine or to the mummy museum in Guanajuato. Most of the places I've been have been run of the mill attractions. Which is not say that they were not worth visiting, they definitely were.
The most unusual have been the World's Largest Shell Valley in Baie-Comeau, Québec and the copper-roofed Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki. But even those are fairly standard as far as attractions go.
I'm not really one to seek out unusual attractions, mostly I stick to what's in guidebooks or on organized tours. I did want to see Lombard Street in San Francisco, but that's not really quirky, just very crooked.
I know I have wanted to see things my friends and family think are unusual. I wanted to see The Winter Place in St. Petersburg (now part of The State Hermitage Museum), because I wanted to see where Tsar Nicholas II and his family lived, and I wanted to see The Jordan Staircase. It's not necessarily a quirky attraction, but it is a specific and unusual reason for seeing an otherwise normal attraction.
I really have no idea what would be considered the quirkiest attraction. But giving to serious thought, and knowing that it's not the attractions I see that are quirky, more my reasons for going to them, I would say my trips to Hemingway house specifically to see the polydactyl cats. I have no interest whatsoever in Ernest Hemingway's life or works, with the exception of the cats that make his Key West house their home. I watched a documentary on the social world of housecats, and much of the research was done at the Hemingway House, using the polydactyl cats that live there. I wanted to see the cats. I went and I saw the cats. Yep, I think taking a cruise that stopped in Key West solely to see the cats at Hemingway House may qualify as the quirkiest thing I have done on vacation. And I'd do it again too!
This is difficult to answer. I really haven't been to any quirky attractions, at least not in terms of what I think of as quirky. I've never been to see the world's largest ball of twine or to the mummy museum in Guanajuato. Most of the places I've been have been run of the mill attractions. Which is not say that they were not worth visiting, they definitely were.
The most unusual have been the World's Largest Shell Valley in Baie-Comeau, Québec and the copper-roofed Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki. But even those are fairly standard as far as attractions go.
I'm not really one to seek out unusual attractions, mostly I stick to what's in guidebooks or on organized tours. I did want to see Lombard Street in San Francisco, but that's not really quirky, just very crooked.
I know I have wanted to see things my friends and family think are unusual. I wanted to see The Winter Place in St. Petersburg (now part of The State Hermitage Museum), because I wanted to see where Tsar Nicholas II and his family lived, and I wanted to see The Jordan Staircase. It's not necessarily a quirky attraction, but it is a specific and unusual reason for seeing an otherwise normal attraction.
I really have no idea what would be considered the quirkiest attraction. But giving to serious thought, and knowing that it's not the attractions I see that are quirky, more my reasons for going to them, I would say my trips to Hemingway house specifically to see the polydactyl cats. I have no interest whatsoever in Ernest Hemingway's life or works, with the exception of the cats that make his Key West house their home. I watched a documentary on the social world of housecats, and much of the research was done at the Hemingway House, using the polydactyl cats that live there. I wanted to see the cats. I went and I saw the cats. Yep, I think taking a cruise that stopped in Key West solely to see the cats at Hemingway House may qualify as the quirkiest thing I have done on vacation. And I'd do it again too!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Stamps of Approval
Passport stamps, how many and from where: more than one, less than one on every page
I have only ever had two passports, and only then because the first one expired. I am envious of people who have to get new passports or have pages added for additional visas/stamps. I am not one of those people. But I am very proud of my passport stamps. I didn't dig out my passports to count, but I know these are the stamps that are in them:
When I renewed my passport I was very afraid that I would not get the expired one back, and I really wanted it as it head my Russia stamp in it. I was so thrilled when I got my Russia stamp. I really wanted to keep the entry card I got while in Russia, but did not want to risk the penalties for not turning it in upon re-boarding the ship. But there again, I know I have been to Russia so that's enough for me.
I've been told that life changes after you have a stamp in your passport, and it's true. The world became both bigger and smaller in that one action. And for a while I had a quest to get a stamp on each page, but then my quest became more about have meaningful stamps on my passport pages. I wanted each one to be special, not just routine. And so far each one is. I do not know what I will do when passport stamps become routine and everyday for me. But it's a lovely dream to think about sometimes.
I have only ever had two passports, and only then because the first one expired. I am envious of people who have to get new passports or have pages added for additional visas/stamps. I am not one of those people. But I am very proud of my passport stamps. I didn't dig out my passports to count, but I know these are the stamps that are in them:
- Canada (multiple entry & exit stamps)
- Sweden (entry & exit stamp)
- Russia (entry stamp)
- United Kingdom/England (entry & exit stamp)
- Ireland (entry)
- Australia (multiple entry & exit stamps)
When I renewed my passport I was very afraid that I would not get the expired one back, and I really wanted it as it head my Russia stamp in it. I was so thrilled when I got my Russia stamp. I really wanted to keep the entry card I got while in Russia, but did not want to risk the penalties for not turning it in upon re-boarding the ship. But there again, I know I have been to Russia so that's enough for me.
I've been told that life changes after you have a stamp in your passport, and it's true. The world became both bigger and smaller in that one action. And for a while I had a quest to get a stamp on each page, but then my quest became more about have meaningful stamps on my passport pages. I wanted each one to be special, not just routine. And so far each one is. I do not know what I will do when passport stamps become routine and everyday for me. But it's a lovely dream to think about sometimes.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Staying In Camera
Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: nothing really
It was a joke with my co-workers that I would go fantastic places on vacation and never take pictures. I am not really a picture taker. I am trying to be better about it, but I really prefer to experience the world through my own eyes rather than through a view-finder or digital camera screen.
My family has never been big picture takers, and maybe it's because we never really took vacations, but my parents never forced friends or family to experience the comic-torture of sitting through a presentation of vacation slides.
For a while, no matter where I went on vacation, there was a grain elevator. That became a family joke, especially considering when I was growing up, my dad was a recognized expert on the engineering aspects of grain elevators. But even then, pictures were few and far between.
My last few cruises, I have been trying to take pictures of the vistas from the open decks or scenic overlooks. I like to have them as wallpaper for my laptop background. The view from the deck is relaxing and calming.
I've really been better about trying to get pictures, but I'm still not really obsessed with taking pictures on vacation. I'd still rather experience the location through my eyes and not the view-finder.
It was a joke with my co-workers that I would go fantastic places on vacation and never take pictures. I am not really a picture taker. I am trying to be better about it, but I really prefer to experience the world through my own eyes rather than through a view-finder or digital camera screen.
My family has never been big picture takers, and maybe it's because we never really took vacations, but my parents never forced friends or family to experience the comic-torture of sitting through a presentation of vacation slides.
For a while, no matter where I went on vacation, there was a grain elevator. That became a family joke, especially considering when I was growing up, my dad was a recognized expert on the engineering aspects of grain elevators. But even then, pictures were few and far between.
My last few cruises, I have been trying to take pictures of the vistas from the open decks or scenic overlooks. I like to have them as wallpaper for my laptop background. The view from the deck is relaxing and calming.
I've really been better about trying to get pictures, but I'm still not really obsessed with taking pictures on vacation. I'd still rather experience the location through my eyes and not the view-finder.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Menu Plan -- July 22-28, 2014
Tuesday:
Tamale Pie, Ice Cream
Wednesday:
Split Pea Soup, Pull-Apart Rolls
Thursday:
Hot Dog Noodle Casserole, Broccoli
Hot Dog Noodle Casserole, Broccoli
Friday:
Fluffy Oat Bran Pancakes with Berry Compote, Gingerbread Cookies with Marshmallow Filling
Saturday:
Rice & Bean Tostados, Fruit Salad
Sunday:
Crock-Pot Chicken & Dumplings
Monday:
do-it-yourself dinner
Friday, July 18, 2014
La Maison La Plus Gentille
Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: Hôtel Champlain, Ville Québec, Québec, Canada
It's certainly not the swankiest, nor the most expensive, but Hôtel Champlain in Vieux Québec certainly has the nicest staff I've ever experienced in a hotel.
Unless you are staying in a room overlooking Rue Sainte-Anne, the view is largely nonexistent, but the rooms more than make up for that. They are large, comfortable and well-appointed. The elevator is slow, but there is a staircase that serves most non-luggage handling needs. The front lobby is small, but functional, as is the breakfast room, though breakfast is included in the room rate each night. It's a good breakfast buffet too, I'd say Continental breakfast treats predominate, but there are warm, more traditional North American breakfast offerings as well. And there is plenty of hot coffee, tea, and juice to drink in the bright sunny area.
The location of the hotel is perfect as a base for exploring Québec. It's perfectly placed in the middle of most tourist areas, so it's easy to go one way in the morning and then stop off at the hotel before heading out again in the afternoon for more exploring. It's just as easy to pop back in the hotel before checking out any of the myriad restaurants in the area for dinner.
The staff are friendly and helpful, and they easily switch between French and English depending on which language the guests are most comfortable speaking. I would not hesitate to recommend the hotel to anyone in the area. In fact, I cannot wait to go back to Québec and stay again. It really is a comfortable home-away-from-home in Québec.
It's certainly not the swankiest, nor the most expensive, but Hôtel Champlain in Vieux Québec certainly has the nicest staff I've ever experienced in a hotel.
Unless you are staying in a room overlooking Rue Sainte-Anne, the view is largely nonexistent, but the rooms more than make up for that. They are large, comfortable and well-appointed. The elevator is slow, but there is a staircase that serves most non-luggage handling needs. The front lobby is small, but functional, as is the breakfast room, though breakfast is included in the room rate each night. It's a good breakfast buffet too, I'd say Continental breakfast treats predominate, but there are warm, more traditional North American breakfast offerings as well. And there is plenty of hot coffee, tea, and juice to drink in the bright sunny area.
The location of the hotel is perfect as a base for exploring Québec. It's perfectly placed in the middle of most tourist areas, so it's easy to go one way in the morning and then stop off at the hotel before heading out again in the afternoon for more exploring. It's just as easy to pop back in the hotel before checking out any of the myriad restaurants in the area for dinner.
The staff are friendly and helpful, and they easily switch between French and English depending on which language the guests are most comfortable speaking. I would not hesitate to recommend the hotel to anyone in the area. In fact, I cannot wait to go back to Québec and stay again. It really is a comfortable home-away-from-home in Québec.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Thank Georges
Moment when you fell in love with travel: Stepping off the plane in Montrèal
As I said before, I came to travel pretty late in life, well these days anyway. I was an adult, had graduated from college and had a good, steady job before I took up traveling for any kind of pleasure. I had always heard that life was never the same after you had a stamp in your passport. But I really did have to get that stamp to be sure the old saying was right.
Landing in what was then Montrèal-Dorval International Airport (it has since changed its name to Montrèal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport), I was sure I was in the most exotic place I had ever been. Heck, they didn't even really speak English! But it was an adventure, and a largely unplanned one at that.
We had planned to go on a cruise, arriving the morning the cruise left, so really just seeing the city from the airport to the pier -- or actually hotel, because at that time the cruise lines were still holding incoming passengers in hotel conference rooms until the ship was ready for boarding. This was before most cities, including Montrèal, upgraded the cruise facilities and the cruises left from working commercial docks. But Hurricane Georges threatened New Orleans and my father's office generously flew us all up to Montrèal three days early. We spend most of the time in the hotel watching the Weather Channel in French, or catching the snippets of Gulf Coast weather broadcast on Vermont and New York stations -- this was back before weather was news outside of where the weather systems were occurring. (Aside: How the world has changed in 16 years!!!)
But we did head out one day and, at the suggestion of one of the nicest concierges I have ever had, took a GreyLine tour of Montrèal, seeing the sights: Notre Dame Basillica, Olympic Park, the outside stairs, a really cool bank vault built in a cantilevered wing of the building so as to prevent robberies, St. Joseph's Oratory, the overlook on Mount Royal, and other things of note. We found a great pub, and I experienced rugby for the very first time -- France vs. New Zealand; I still can;t tell you who won, but I can say that it is near impossible to figure out what's going on in a game you have never seen before when all the commentary is in a foreign language. I have the best French skills of anyone in my family and still couldn't figure out the game. All I know is when something good happened for France, the bad erupted in cheers (which sound the same in all languages).
Considering all the places I've been since, I didn't really go very far from home, but that first trip really did cement the fact there is a world outside my home and I really am able to go and see and experience it first hand. I really did fall in love with exploring on that trip.
As I said before, I came to travel pretty late in life, well these days anyway. I was an adult, had graduated from college and had a good, steady job before I took up traveling for any kind of pleasure. I had always heard that life was never the same after you had a stamp in your passport. But I really did have to get that stamp to be sure the old saying was right.
Landing in what was then Montrèal-Dorval International Airport (it has since changed its name to Montrèal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport), I was sure I was in the most exotic place I had ever been. Heck, they didn't even really speak English! But it was an adventure, and a largely unplanned one at that.
We had planned to go on a cruise, arriving the morning the cruise left, so really just seeing the city from the airport to the pier -- or actually hotel, because at that time the cruise lines were still holding incoming passengers in hotel conference rooms until the ship was ready for boarding. This was before most cities, including Montrèal, upgraded the cruise facilities and the cruises left from working commercial docks. But Hurricane Georges threatened New Orleans and my father's office generously flew us all up to Montrèal three days early. We spend most of the time in the hotel watching the Weather Channel in French, or catching the snippets of Gulf Coast weather broadcast on Vermont and New York stations -- this was back before weather was news outside of where the weather systems were occurring. (Aside: How the world has changed in 16 years!!!)
But we did head out one day and, at the suggestion of one of the nicest concierges I have ever had, took a GreyLine tour of Montrèal, seeing the sights: Notre Dame Basillica, Olympic Park, the outside stairs, a really cool bank vault built in a cantilevered wing of the building so as to prevent robberies, St. Joseph's Oratory, the overlook on Mount Royal, and other things of note. We found a great pub, and I experienced rugby for the very first time -- France vs. New Zealand; I still can;t tell you who won, but I can say that it is near impossible to figure out what's going on in a game you have never seen before when all the commentary is in a foreign language. I have the best French skills of anyone in my family and still couldn't figure out the game. All I know is when something good happened for France, the bad erupted in cheers (which sound the same in all languages).
Considering all the places I've been since, I didn't really go very far from home, but that first trip really did cement the fact there is a world outside my home and I really am able to go and see and experience it first hand. I really did fall in love with exploring on that trip.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
No Oases in This Desert
Let-down site – why and where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Okay, I'll admit I never thought I would enjoy Las Vegas as a destination; I'm not a gambler, I don't like crowds, and can live perfectly happily without ever seeing stage productions with pyrotechnics or live animals.
That said, I thought I would enjoy parts of being in Vegas. I was wrong. Maybe it was my mistake in sticking to the touristy areas of The Strip and Fremont Street. But I honestly thought maybe it would be possible to be somewhere where it was quiet and peaceful. It wasn't even really all that quiet and peaceful in my hotel room! And I kid you not, there are slot machines between the gates at the airport and baggage claim -- the assault on your senses begins before you even leave the airport.
On top of that, I'd like to say, and for the record, the "Penny Slots" are if not an outright lie, at the very least false advertising. I fully expected to be able to play the "Penny Slots" for a penny. Not so. I needed to put at the very least $1 in the machine and pay at the very least 100 spins. While technically that is a penny ($0.01) per spin, it doesn't mean I can play just one spin for just one penny. I didn't even see an option for 5 spins for a nickel ($0.05) or 10 for a dime ($0.10).
Overall, I was fairly sure Las Vegas would end up being a been there, done that kind of destination for me, but I really was not expecting it to be as bad as it turned out.
Okay, I'll admit I never thought I would enjoy Las Vegas as a destination; I'm not a gambler, I don't like crowds, and can live perfectly happily without ever seeing stage productions with pyrotechnics or live animals.
That said, I thought I would enjoy parts of being in Vegas. I was wrong. Maybe it was my mistake in sticking to the touristy areas of The Strip and Fremont Street. But I honestly thought maybe it would be possible to be somewhere where it was quiet and peaceful. It wasn't even really all that quiet and peaceful in my hotel room! And I kid you not, there are slot machines between the gates at the airport and baggage claim -- the assault on your senses begins before you even leave the airport.
On top of that, I'd like to say, and for the record, the "Penny Slots" are if not an outright lie, at the very least false advertising. I fully expected to be able to play the "Penny Slots" for a penny. Not so. I needed to put at the very least $1 in the machine and pay at the very least 100 spins. While technically that is a penny ($0.01) per spin, it doesn't mean I can play just one spin for just one penny. I didn't even see an option for 5 spins for a nickel ($0.05) or 10 for a dime ($0.10).
Overall, I was fairly sure Las Vegas would end up being a been there, done that kind of destination for me, but I really was not expecting it to be as bad as it turned out.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Souvenir Savon
Keepsake from your travels: Soap
It took me a long time to figure out my favorite souvenir from my travels. But finally I hit upon the perfect thing for me -- soap. I prefer locally, handmade soaps, but I'll be content with any soaps unique to the area. I've never liked shower gel, always preferring to use bar soap for my bathing needs. And handmade, or at the very least, small batch, all-natural soaps are less likely to produce an allergic reaction, so the souvenir soaps are perfect for me. The bonus of having a usable souvenir is that when I shower using my soaps, I get to remember when and where I got it. It's the perfect thing for me.
It took me a long time to figure out my favorite souvenir from my travels. But finally I hit upon the perfect thing for me -- soap. I prefer locally, handmade soaps, but I'll be content with any soaps unique to the area. I've never liked shower gel, always preferring to use bar soap for my bathing needs. And handmade, or at the very least, small batch, all-natural soaps are less likely to produce an allergic reaction, so the souvenir soaps are perfect for me. The bonus of having a usable souvenir is that when I shower using my soaps, I get to remember when and where I got it. It's the perfect thing for me.
Monday, July 14, 2014
3 Days and 10,501 Miles
Journey that took the longest: Melbourne to Québec City
Traveling from my home southeast of Melbourne to Québec City had definitely been the longest journey I have ever taken. I left my house about 6:00 pm on October 8 and finally got off the last plane about 2:30 on October 9, which was a total travel time of 35½ hours, including about 11 hours in the hotel during a layer in Montréal.
I drove the 2+ hours from my house to Melbourne. Then I flew from Melbourne to Auckland; Auckland to Vancouver; Vancouver to Montréal; spent 11 hours in a hotel in Montréal; and finally flew Montréal to Québec City.
It was only four flights, and I've taken trips with more, but those trips took far less time. This was the longest journey I have ever undertaken for a trip. The trip was definitely worth it, but it was a long 3 days of travel -- well, okay 2½ days, but due to the 15 hour time difference between my starting location and my destination, it felt like 3 days.
Traveling from my home southeast of Melbourne to Québec City had definitely been the longest journey I have ever taken. I left my house about 6:00 pm on October 8 and finally got off the last plane about 2:30 on October 9, which was a total travel time of 35½ hours, including about 11 hours in the hotel during a layer in Montréal.
I drove the 2+ hours from my house to Melbourne. Then I flew from Melbourne to Auckland; Auckland to Vancouver; Vancouver to Montréal; spent 11 hours in a hotel in Montréal; and finally flew Montréal to Québec City.
It was only four flights, and I've taken trips with more, but those trips took far less time. This was the longest journey I have ever undertaken for a trip. The trip was definitely worth it, but it was a long 3 days of travel -- well, okay 2½ days, but due to the 15 hour time difference between my starting location and my destination, it felt like 3 days.
Menu Plan -- July 15-21, 2014
Tuesday:
Farmers' Scramble, Enriched Muffins
Wednesday:
Skillet Vegetable Lasagne, Garlic Bread
Thursday:
Stuffed Burger Bundles, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Friday:
Bean Burgers, Corn on the Cob, Grapefruit Sorbet
Saturday:
Corn Dog Casserole, Candied Carrots
Sunday:
Mexican Pizzas, Chocolate Pudding Cake with Ice Cream
Monday:
do-it-yourself dinner
Farmers' Scramble, Enriched Muffins
Wednesday:
Skillet Vegetable Lasagne, Garlic Bread
Thursday:
Stuffed Burger Bundles, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Friday:
Bean Burgers, Corn on the Cob, Grapefruit Sorbet
Saturday:
Corn Dog Casserole, Candied Carrots
Sunday:
Mexican Pizzas, Chocolate Pudding Cake with Ice Cream
Monday:
do-it-yourself dinner
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Why Are We Talking About It?
This weekend, apparently a slow news weekend, the big story on the internet seems to be that Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe came out during an interview with famed interviewer Sir Michael Parkinson.
I am not sure why this is news. I can honestly say that I have never given Ian Thorpe's sexuality any thought whatsoever. His preferences in a mate-for-life matters as much to my life as the choice of the person currently in line in a grocery store in Sofia, Bulgaria.
People's mates-for-life preferences matter only to the people involved. I am not involved with Ian Thorpe in any way whatsoever. I have never met him; to the best of my knowledge our paths have never crossed; and the chances that I will meet him or cross paths in any significant way are slim to none.
The idea that someone coming out is news is yet another example of how far we still need to go to be the perfect society we all think we are anyway. If we all firmly believe that what a person does in their own homes, behind closed doors, with another consenting adult doesn't matter, then we have to stop making it matter.
Let me repeat that, because it's important: For it not to matter, we have to stop making it matter. That means we have to stop asking about it. We, as a society, have to stop making other people's lifestyle choices news. It's not news! It's gossip, and it's not even gossip disguised as news; it's plain and simple gossip, and most often malicious gossip at that.
I never once wondered about Ian Thorpe's sexuality. I never once wondered about the sexuality of the person in line at the grocery store in Sofia either. It doesn't matter. And now that I have said my piece, I am going back to making it not matter. By not saying another word about it.
I am not sure why this is news. I can honestly say that I have never given Ian Thorpe's sexuality any thought whatsoever. His preferences in a mate-for-life matters as much to my life as the choice of the person currently in line in a grocery store in Sofia, Bulgaria.
People's mates-for-life preferences matter only to the people involved. I am not involved with Ian Thorpe in any way whatsoever. I have never met him; to the best of my knowledge our paths have never crossed; and the chances that I will meet him or cross paths in any significant way are slim to none.
The idea that someone coming out is news is yet another example of how far we still need to go to be the perfect society we all think we are anyway. If we all firmly believe that what a person does in their own homes, behind closed doors, with another consenting adult doesn't matter, then we have to stop making it matter.
Let me repeat that, because it's important: For it not to matter, we have to stop making it matter. That means we have to stop asking about it. We, as a society, have to stop making other people's lifestyle choices news. It's not news! It's gossip, and it's not even gossip disguised as news; it's plain and simple gossip, and most often malicious gossip at that.
I never once wondered about Ian Thorpe's sexuality. I never once wondered about the sexuality of the person in line at the grocery store in Sofia either. It doesn't matter. And now that I have said my piece, I am going back to making it not matter. By not saying another word about it.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Special As a Matter of Course
Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: REX, Stranraer Homestead Bed & Breakfast, Holland America Line, Commander's Palace, and Restaurant Pain Béni
This is hard to quantify, if only because it's such a general question. Service is different in different places. I've had great service on flights, in hotels, on the cruise ship, and in restaurants, but it's all different service. And it's hard to pick just one because the expectations are so very different. But then again, I did this as blog posts rather than a quick message board post so I could be more specific and have more time and space.
So, the best service I have ever had on a flight was the puddle jumper flight from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island on REX. It was a quick flight, probably no more than 30 minutes door to door, but even so, the seat had soft lambswool covers, which was very much appreciated in the middle of winter, and the stewardess came around three times offering cookies, water, and mints. It was so unexpected and completely unnecessary, but very much appreciated. I haven't flown REX since then, and I'm sure the policies have changed, but that short flight has become the measure of airline service for me.
Similarly, the service I had at the Stranraer Homestead Bed & Breakfast on Kangaroo Island went above and beyond my expectations. Maybe it's just something about Kangaroo Island. My friend and I were the only guests in the B&B and even so a full dinner was served, as well as a full breakfast the following morning. It was so much more than I expected. There was even a lovely fire was laid for us in the bedroom! Perhaps I had low expectations, but it was just an amazing experience.
On one particular cruise, the service in the Lido Buffet was outstanding. The servers got to know me, by name, and knew what I liked and didn't. I'm a creature of habit on the ships, and soon the servers had my routine down and plates of my favorites ready for me as I came through the line. It may not have been out of the ordinary for the servers, but felt very special to me.
I have to give credit for the best restaurant service to Commander's Palace, for just being spectacular every time I have been. But a special award goes to the waiter at Restaurant Pain Béni in Quebec for taking time with people not as conversant in French as they could be and patiently explaining everything on the menu, and for being such a great, fun server.
Service is one of those things where if it's done well, you should never notice it. It is only when it's exceptional (either good or bad) that you remember and take notice. It should not be that way, but it is.
This is hard to quantify, if only because it's such a general question. Service is different in different places. I've had great service on flights, in hotels, on the cruise ship, and in restaurants, but it's all different service. And it's hard to pick just one because the expectations are so very different. But then again, I did this as blog posts rather than a quick message board post so I could be more specific and have more time and space.
So, the best service I have ever had on a flight was the puddle jumper flight from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island on REX. It was a quick flight, probably no more than 30 minutes door to door, but even so, the seat had soft lambswool covers, which was very much appreciated in the middle of winter, and the stewardess came around three times offering cookies, water, and mints. It was so unexpected and completely unnecessary, but very much appreciated. I haven't flown REX since then, and I'm sure the policies have changed, but that short flight has become the measure of airline service for me.
Similarly, the service I had at the Stranraer Homestead Bed & Breakfast on Kangaroo Island went above and beyond my expectations. Maybe it's just something about Kangaroo Island. My friend and I were the only guests in the B&B and even so a full dinner was served, as well as a full breakfast the following morning. It was so much more than I expected. There was even a lovely fire was laid for us in the bedroom! Perhaps I had low expectations, but it was just an amazing experience.
On one particular cruise, the service in the Lido Buffet was outstanding. The servers got to know me, by name, and knew what I liked and didn't. I'm a creature of habit on the ships, and soon the servers had my routine down and plates of my favorites ready for me as I came through the line. It may not have been out of the ordinary for the servers, but felt very special to me.
I have to give credit for the best restaurant service to Commander's Palace, for just being spectacular every time I have been. But a special award goes to the waiter at Restaurant Pain Béni in Quebec for taking time with people not as conversant in French as they could be and patiently explaining everything on the menu, and for being such a great, fun server.
Service is one of those things where if it's done well, you should never notice it. It is only when it's exceptional (either good or bad) that you remember and take notice. It should not be that way, but it is.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Hot, Hot, Hot
Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Half Moon Cay
I have never liked summer. Well, that's not true. I loved having the time off from school and I loved being able to go swimming, and I even loved spending summers at my grandmother's house as a kid. But I have never loved being hot. I have always hated being sweaty. That's the worst part of being hot to me, that sticky, sweaty, salty, icky, grainy, dirty feeling that comes from not being able to get cool. And it's only worse when there is no relief from the unrelenting tropical sun.
The hottest place I have ever traveled was hands down the Holland America Private Island in the Bahamas. Holland America calls it Half Moon Cay, but is actually Little San Salvador Island. In truth I know neither the actual air temperature nor the feels-like temperature for the day I spent roughly an hour on the island desperately seeking shade or relief from the sun. I was unlucky enough to be on the island about a month after it had re-opened to visitors following a hurricane passing over it. The hurricane caused major damage due to wind, but the far worse damage was due to salt water intrusion. The parts of the island Holland America uses as a base for its passengers were flooded with sea water. As a result of that salty sea water nearly 95% of the vegetation in the built-up areas died. With the exception of three large umbrellas over tables, and the awnings on the buildings there was no shade on the island. I managed to have just enough shade to take off my sunglasses to get a good look at the post card I was buying. But there was no way anyone at the tables was going to give up their place so after mailing the postcard and less than 60 minutes ashore, I was in line on the tender dock to head back to the air conditioned comfort of my cabin.
It may not have been literally the hottest place I've ever visited, but it certainly felt like it. And it may be unfair to judge it as such, due to the hurricane damage. And I know I'll be on another cruise that will call at the private island, and maybe in the intervening years the vegetation has come back or improvements have been made to provide more shade and relief from the Caribbean heat, but the truth is I am no hurry to find out. I can live perfectly happy staying on the ship.
Cups of Pizza Perfection
The other day I developed a real craving for pizza, but not the traditional yeasted-crust restaurant-style pizza at home. I wanted biscuit pizzas. Then I got to thinking, no, I really wanted individual pizza cups, made in a muffin pan with biscuits as the crust. So I checked online and found a few recipes I could use for inspiration, but only for inspiration. They all used refrigerated biscuits and I can't get those here in Australia. Australia, by and large, does not know the wonder that is the biscuit. There are scones, both sweet and savory, but nothing quite like a biscuit. I have gotten used to this, and have even become very adept at biscuits from scratch. Though I miss the ease of refrigerator biscuits.
So, with my craving dictating my menu plan for the week, I set out to develop the perfect mix of fillings for my pizza cups. I know I wanted the filling to be mainly made of sautéed onions and bell peppers with cheese, but I debated whether I should go vegetarian and add mushrooms to the mix, or brown a bit of beef or pork sausage to feed the pizza craving. In the end, I decided to go with beef. Next time I make them, and there will be a next time, I think I'll try pork sausage.
Biscuit Pizza Cups
Biscuits
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup butter or shortening
⅔ cup milk
Filling
1 cup tomato sauce
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
½ onion, diced fine
½ bell pepper, diced fine
2 teaspoons olive oil
½-¾ cup browned ground beef
½-¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
So, with my craving dictating my menu plan for the week, I set out to develop the perfect mix of fillings for my pizza cups. I know I wanted the filling to be mainly made of sautéed onions and bell peppers with cheese, but I debated whether I should go vegetarian and add mushrooms to the mix, or brown a bit of beef or pork sausage to feed the pizza craving. In the end, I decided to go with beef. Next time I make them, and there will be a next time, I think I'll try pork sausage.
Biscuit Pizza Cups
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup butter or shortening
⅔ cup milk
Filling
1 cup tomato sauce
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
½ onion, diced fine
½ bell pepper, diced fine
2 teaspoons olive oil
½-¾ cup browned ground beef
½-¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
- In large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar and sugar.
- Cut in butter or shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add milk and stir until dough comes together in a ball.
- On well-floured board, knead dough lightly until smooth.
- Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness.
- Cut rounds using a cutter at least 3 inches in diameter.
- Re-roll scraps, cutting 12 rounds.
- Carefully stretch doth rounds to fill each cup of muffin pan, pressing up the sides.
- In medium skillet, saute onion and pepper in oil until soft.
- Add browned ground beef, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
- Simmer until mixture thickens slightly and everything is warmed through.
- Carefully spoon beef mixture into biscuit-lined cups, filling to within ⅛ inch of top.
- Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top each cup with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
- Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Cool slightly before enjoying.
Adapted from: Biscuits Supreme, Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 1964 Edition
My Observations:
- As I said, I have to make my biscuits from scratch if I want them, but refrigerator biscuits would would equally as well in this recipe, though I would get the Grands-style jumbo biscuits rather than the regular size ones.
- I really wanted a nice crust, but not too much crust, so I rolled my biscuits fairly before cutting them, and then stretched them thinner still to line the muffin cups. An advantage of this is that you can get a bit more filling in the cups.
- You can definitely use your favorite pizza fillings/toppings, but make sure they are chopped/diced relatively small and that you do not over fill the cups. Do not pack the filling down in the cups, fill carefully and lightly.
- I judged 3 cups as a serving as I planned these with a heavy dessert, but four would make a good meal with no dessert or other accompanying dishes.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Relief in a Tube
Greatest feeling while traveling: the bumps of a landing airplane
I'm not really a great flyer. I worry at every little bump or bit of turbulence. Takeoff terrifies me and landing is not much better. I try to hide my nervousness, but the truth is I am panicking almost every moment I'm on the plane. I accept that flying is the best way to get from here to there, and certain from Australia to the US, but it still terrifies me each time the doors close and the plane pulls away from the terminal. I am always relived when the wheels touchdown and we start taxiing to the terminal. That is the best feeling ever while traveling.
I'm not really a great flyer. I worry at every little bump or bit of turbulence. Takeoff terrifies me and landing is not much better. I try to hide my nervousness, but the truth is I am panicking almost every moment I'm on the plane. I accept that flying is the best way to get from here to there, and certain from Australia to the US, but it still terrifies me each time the doors close and the plane pulls away from the terminal. I am always relived when the wheels touchdown and we start taxiing to the terminal. That is the best feeling ever while traveling.
Crisp Nights
It's winter here in the Southern Hemisphere. And that means it's apple season, well more precisely, apple dessert season for me. Fruit is a weakness for me, I will always overbuy fruit and I can eat fruit until I'm full and then keep going. I really do love fruit -- except mangoes, I can't stand mangoes; and I prefer to leave pears for others, but everything else is fair game. And apples are one of my favorites.
This fall and winter, I have been working on perfecting my spiced stewed apple recipe. I think I have come very close with the spice blend. I started with simply cinnamon, and then decided that I needed a bit more in the mix, so I moved on to the blend that is usually used for spicing pumpkin pies. I went with the larger amount in the range of pumpkin pie spice, but both dearest and I agreed that was too much. So I cut the pumpkin pie spice down to the smaller amount, and added some allspice to the blend and it was perfect.
Because I overbuy the fruit, I had tons of stewed apples leftover after serving the it the first night over vanilla ice cream. Dearest commented that he prefers the apples served hot more than cold, and while I don't agree (I love the stewed apples served any way), I can respect that. So I began to think about what I could do with the leftover apples that would warm them up and still not be just leftovers.
I considered a cobbler, but while I love cobblers, I do not like apples as cobblers. So I flipped through my cookbooks until I found inspiration: Fruit Crisp! It was perfect! It would use the stewed apples, and the last bits of ice cream.
And I was right. It was a perfect dessert for both the leftover stewed apples and to go with the biscuit pizza cups I had for dinner.
Stewed Apples
8-10 medium apples (I use a mix of Granny Smith and Pink Lady)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
This fall and winter, I have been working on perfecting my spiced stewed apple recipe. I think I have come very close with the spice blend. I started with simply cinnamon, and then decided that I needed a bit more in the mix, so I moved on to the blend that is usually used for spicing pumpkin pies. I went with the larger amount in the range of pumpkin pie spice, but both dearest and I agreed that was too much. So I cut the pumpkin pie spice down to the smaller amount, and added some allspice to the blend and it was perfect.
Because I overbuy the fruit, I had tons of stewed apples leftover after serving the it the first night over vanilla ice cream. Dearest commented that he prefers the apples served hot more than cold, and while I don't agree (I love the stewed apples served any way), I can respect that. So I began to think about what I could do with the leftover apples that would warm them up and still not be just leftovers.
I considered a cobbler, but while I love cobblers, I do not like apples as cobblers. So I flipped through my cookbooks until I found inspiration: Fruit Crisp! It was perfect! It would use the stewed apples, and the last bits of ice cream.
And I was right. It was a perfect dessert for both the leftover stewed apples and to go with the biscuit pizza cups I had for dinner.
Stewed Apples
8-10 medium apples (I use a mix of Granny Smith and Pink Lady)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- In a medium to large saucepan, mix sugar, water, lemon juice, and spices.
- Peel and core apples, cutting into 1-inch pieces.
- Stir apples into pan, making sure all apples are coated with water.
- Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to boiling.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until apples are soft.
- Serve warm, either plain or over ice cream.
Makes 6-8 servings.
This is what I did the first night with my apples, but I had enough leftover for me to have a serving with my oatmeal the next day, and still enough for 4 servings of Apple Crisp.
Apple Crisp (made from leftover stewed apples)
at least 2 cups leftover Stewed Apples
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup flour
¼ cup oat bran
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter, softened
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease an 8- or 9-inch pie pan.
- Spread apples in bottom of prepared pan.
- In large bowl, mix together oats, flour, oat bran, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into oat mixture until mixture resembles wet, coarse sand.
- Gently sprinkle oat mixture evenly over top of apples; Do not press down.
- Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and crisp.
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from: Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book, 2007 Celebrating the Promise edition
My Observations:
- I find that a mix of Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples works the best, but Royal Gala apples are good too. I like to have at least half Granny Smith as they tend to hold their shape better during cooking. All Granny Smith apples would be far too tart in my opinion. Using all Pink Lady or Royal Gala would lead to an applesauce more than stewed apples.
- The spice mix is easily adjustable to your own taste. I like the blend based on a pumpkin pie not only because it reminds me of fall and winter, but because the spices work very well with apples in their own right.
- I find this amount of crisp to be about ¼ cup too much for the pie pan, but that's okay. I just nibbled it up plain, but it would be very nice mixed into oatmeal or yogurt.
- Leftovers of either the stewed apples or the Apple Crisp can be reheated. I would definitely reheat the Crisp in the oven, though it's fine to use the microwave for stewed apples.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Getting There From Here
Favorite mode of transportation: whatever gets me there fastest with the least amount of trouble
This really depends on where I'm going and what I'm doing. Air travel is fastest for trans-oceanic or trans-continental travel, so if I need to get from Melbourne to New Orleans, or San Francisco to Tampa, flying is the way to go.
But once in the city, it really depends on what's happening. I'm not opposed to public transport as long as it's easy to navigate and takes me where I need to go. BART is a great system from San Francisco Airport to the touristy areas of the city. The tram system in Melbourne is great, though the new fare system is ridiculous. The Underground in London and the Metro in Washington, DC are easy to use and understand and go nearly everywhere tourists want to go.
For the experience, I love cruising, but it's hardly a feasible mode of transport for getting from there to somewhere else. Luxury (or even mid-range) cruising is a fantastic experience but it's hardly transport from Point A to Point B.
All I can say for sure is that taxis are my least favorite way to get there from here, everything else depends on my needs and objectives.
This really depends on where I'm going and what I'm doing. Air travel is fastest for trans-oceanic or trans-continental travel, so if I need to get from Melbourne to New Orleans, or San Francisco to Tampa, flying is the way to go.
But once in the city, it really depends on what's happening. I'm not opposed to public transport as long as it's easy to navigate and takes me where I need to go. BART is a great system from San Francisco Airport to the touristy areas of the city. The tram system in Melbourne is great, though the new fare system is ridiculous. The Underground in London and the Metro in Washington, DC are easy to use and understand and go nearly everywhere tourists want to go.
For the experience, I love cruising, but it's hardly a feasible mode of transport for getting from there to somewhere else. Luxury (or even mid-range) cruising is a fantastic experience but it's hardly transport from Point A to Point B.
All I can say for sure is that taxis are my least favorite way to get there from here, everything else depends on my needs and objectives.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Marching Through Time
Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Military Parade in Square outside the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
My Baltic cruise was a dream-come-true trip for me, it included a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia where I go tot tour the Hermitage at The Winter Palace and walk up (and down!) the Jordan Staircase. It was really an awesome experience, and while that was my dream-come-true moment, coming out of The Winter Palace, I was treated to a completely unexpected event.
We exited the Palace onto the square in front of it. While the tour group was re-organizing and searching for the tour bus, everything in the square stopped as a Russian military group marched through the square. I was too far away from the tour guide and the police he was talking to, and would not have understood what was said anyway, so I really have no idea if this was a regular occurrence or a special event for that particular day. Either way, it really was just like the newsreels that were sometimes played as filler in the early days of the History Channel. As much as Russia had moved toward being a more modern country, that military parade was just like stepping back in time. The only thing different was I was experiencing it live in color and the newsreels were grainy black & white film.
My Baltic cruise was a dream-come-true trip for me, it included a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia where I go tot tour the Hermitage at The Winter Palace and walk up (and down!) the Jordan Staircase. It was really an awesome experience, and while that was my dream-come-true moment, coming out of The Winter Palace, I was treated to a completely unexpected event.
We exited the Palace onto the square in front of it. While the tour group was re-organizing and searching for the tour bus, everything in the square stopped as a Russian military group marched through the square. I was too far away from the tour guide and the police he was talking to, and would not have understood what was said anyway, so I really have no idea if this was a regular occurrence or a special event for that particular day. Either way, it really was just like the newsreels that were sometimes played as filler in the early days of the History Channel. As much as Russia had moved toward being a more modern country, that military parade was just like stepping back in time. The only thing different was I was experiencing it live in color and the newsreels were grainy black & white film.
Summer Reading
Take a Break for Reading
The National Literary Trust has a program this summer in London, Books About Town. It's a series of benches, fashioned after open books (though the books are bent back in a way that makes the lover of real books in me cringe), and decorated with designs from famous books.
I think this is one of the most fantastic public art projects ever. Sharing books with the world -- what's not to love? And it's not only sharing a particular book as in the One Book/One City projects. While I really, wholeheartedly believe in sharing books with the world, I really don't like the idea of sharing only one book. The benches share many books with many people. And that's the thing. People have different tastes and to encourage reading, we need to encourage reading, not just encourage reading certain, specific books.
Yes, reading can be social. But first, it's personal. It's the author speaking to the reader through the words on the page. Before you can share it, you have to experience it yourself. And everyone will experience the book differently. And if the experience with one book is bad, it can turn non-readers off reading entirely. That would be a very bad thing indeed. Reading for leisure and entertainment should be encouraged by any means necessary. But that means that people will have differing opinions, and differing likes and dislikes. Not liking a book is not bad, it's just an opinion. Leisure reading has no requirements and forcing one particular book on people can make some readers start the book with a bad attitude.
Well, readers like me anyway. One of the greatest things about finally being an adult to me is No More Required Reading. There are no books that I have to read; there are no tests on what I should have read but didn't; there are no questions about the themes or meanings of things in books that I read. Being an adult means I can read what I want, when I want and not have to worry about reports, presentations, essay questions, or tests! It was the most freeing feeling ever. And it's one reason I have continued reading as much as I do. One Book/One City never appealed to me. The Books About Town public art installation does. It shares many books, including books I love and would love to share with as many people as possible. From Paddington Bear to Hercule Poirot; Alice, through the Looking Glass to Marvin, the Paranoid Android there are characters and stories for everyone. There is a book for every taste in the mix. It's a fantastic public art project. Definitely one of the best I have seen in a long time. And it makes me very sad I'm not going to be in London over the summer to see them for myself.
***During a discussion with friends in and around London, I learned that the National Literary Trust is asking people not to sit on the benches. This is most disappointing. What could be better than sitting on the Sherlock Holmes bench with a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles? And I wonder what the directors expected people to do if not sit on benches? It's disheartening for my fantasy, but I still think the idea of the project is a great one.
***Update: Another friend posted a link to an article in The Guardian indicating people are encouraged to sit on the benches, but climbing, standing, or other potentially destructive behaviors are discouraged. That's fair enough, though I doubt seriously that they will be able to police that, unless an officer is stationed at each bench all the time.
The National Literary Trust has a program this summer in London, Books About Town. It's a series of benches, fashioned after open books (though the books are bent back in a way that makes the lover of real books in me cringe), and decorated with designs from famous books.
I think this is one of the most fantastic public art projects ever. Sharing books with the world -- what's not to love? And it's not only sharing a particular book as in the One Book/One City projects. While I really, wholeheartedly believe in sharing books with the world, I really don't like the idea of sharing only one book. The benches share many books with many people. And that's the thing. People have different tastes and to encourage reading, we need to encourage reading, not just encourage reading certain, specific books.
Yes, reading can be social. But first, it's personal. It's the author speaking to the reader through the words on the page. Before you can share it, you have to experience it yourself. And everyone will experience the book differently. And if the experience with one book is bad, it can turn non-readers off reading entirely. That would be a very bad thing indeed. Reading for leisure and entertainment should be encouraged by any means necessary. But that means that people will have differing opinions, and differing likes and dislikes. Not liking a book is not bad, it's just an opinion. Leisure reading has no requirements and forcing one particular book on people can make some readers start the book with a bad attitude.
Well, readers like me anyway. One of the greatest things about finally being an adult to me is No More Required Reading. There are no books that I have to read; there are no tests on what I should have read but didn't; there are no questions about the themes or meanings of things in books that I read. Being an adult means I can read what I want, when I want and not have to worry about reports, presentations, essay questions, or tests! It was the most freeing feeling ever. And it's one reason I have continued reading as much as I do. One Book/One City never appealed to me. The Books About Town public art installation does. It shares many books, including books I love and would love to share with as many people as possible. From Paddington Bear to Hercule Poirot; Alice, through the Looking Glass to Marvin, the Paranoid Android there are characters and stories for everyone. There is a book for every taste in the mix. It's a fantastic public art project. Definitely one of the best I have seen in a long time. And it makes me very sad I'm not going to be in London over the summer to see them for myself.
***During a discussion with friends in and around London, I learned that the National Literary Trust is asking people not to sit on the benches. This is most disappointing. What could be better than sitting on the Sherlock Holmes bench with a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles? And I wonder what the directors expected people to do if not sit on benches? It's disheartening for my fantasy, but I still think the idea of the project is a great one.
***Update: Another friend posted a link to an article in The Guardian indicating people are encouraged to sit on the benches, but climbing, standing, or other potentially destructive behaviors are discouraged. That's fair enough, though I doubt seriously that they will be able to police that, unless an officer is stationed at each bench all the time.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
The Fourth Fourth
It's the Fourth of July weekend this weekend. And in a way I'm a bit homesick, but in a way, I'm not. I'm not really sure how to feel about that, but I definitely think it means I'm a bit closer to settling in here rather than missing home.
But anyway, Fourth of July. Dearest took the day off and when he scheduled it, he asked me if I had anything specific I wanted to do. I thought about it, and what I would be doing if I were at home in the US. This year I would have been in Arkansas with my mother's expected family for a family reunion, and while I'm sad to be missing seeing everyone, especially my two new cousins (or not so new as one of is almost 2½!). But on an average year, I would have the day off from work, and would more than likely spend it trying to stay cool. I'm not a big crowd person, so I avoid the public festivities. And mosquitoes love me more than anyone else around, so I tend to avoid being outside around dusk to try to prevent being bitten. Lastly, and most important, I am pyrophobic, so I avoid fireworks like the plague. (Yes, I am that annoying neighbor who will, and has, called the police on people shooting off fireworks in areas where it is illegal. Sorry folks, my house is not worth your cheap, 10-second sky art.) Even so, I would have an enjoyable holiday. And there would be food. More often than not, it would be hot dogs. The Fourth of July is made for hot dogs, and not only because of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Hot dogs make a great dinner, and don't make the kitchen too hot. We'd grill them on the indoor grill (George Foreman), heat the chili in the microwave oven, and either boil up some corn on the cob or toss a handful of potato chips on the plate and call it done. The highlight would be dessert, and that would either be an ice cream cake purchased from Baskin & Robbins or one I made from scratch. Either way, it would be a perfect end to the summer meal.
So that would be my celebration at home. And if I had been planning a celebration here, I would probably have gone along those lines, though because it's winter here, I might have traded the ice cream cake in for brownie sundaes (and how good would brownie sundaes be with warm, oozy-gooey Bailey's Irish Cream Brownies? Note to self: save that idea for dessert soon!!) But then again, a festive meal that I did not have to cook or clean-up is an even better idea for the holiday celebration. So that's what we did.
Dearest had planned a surprise for me, though it turned out not to be a true surprise because he asked a couple of friends to help us celebrate and he wanted to clear that with me. That was a fantastic surprise! And I had a great time. He took me to an American-themed diner with real Dr. Pepper, not the UK import Dr. Pepper, but real 12-ounce cans from Plano, Texas Dr. Pepper. I can take or leave sodas and most fizzy beverages (though since moving here, I have developed a real taste for sparkling mineral water), but Dr. Pepper is my big fizzy weakness. If I want a dark fizzy soda, it's always going to be Dr. Pepper, or at a second choice, root beer (not sapsarilla, but root beer, there is a difference). So having real Dr. Pepper was a treat for me.
Also a real treat, beer battered onion rings. Those were fantastic. As was the burger, I had a double cheeseburger, with curly fries. Dearest indulged in fresh mixed Cherry Coke (not the canned stuff, but the soda fountain fresh mixed kind), and a veggie burger with curly fries; while our friends had a double burger with bacon and barbecue sauce and a traditional burger dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and mayo. They were bit leary of curly fries so they had regular fries. One indulged in traditional cream soda and the other in a raspberry soda (like Fanta). It definitely would have been more authentically American if it had been blue raspberry. I have never understood why raspberry things are blue in the US, but more often than not they are.
The diner is way kitschy, but then again, in that it's not unlike Outback Steakouse in the US. Wait, no, it's certainly more authentically American than Outback ever dreams of being. Honestly, Outback could so easily be more authentically Australian -- add beetroot to the burgers, and call them chips not fries, and have a "Parma & a Pot" daily special. Yeah, Outback Steakhouse is a bad imitation of Hollywood stereotypical Australian. The diner dearest took me too was Authentic US Kitsch.
On the whole it was a great night and a perfect Fourth of July celebration, even without hot dogs and corn on the cob. My dearest does such a great job making things as close as possible to home for me. He really goes above and beyond. It makes me feel quite inadequate in comparison. I shall have to do something equally special for him very soon!
But anyway, Fourth of July. Dearest took the day off and when he scheduled it, he asked me if I had anything specific I wanted to do. I thought about it, and what I would be doing if I were at home in the US. This year I would have been in Arkansas with my mother's expected family for a family reunion, and while I'm sad to be missing seeing everyone, especially my two new cousins (or not so new as one of is almost 2½!). But on an average year, I would have the day off from work, and would more than likely spend it trying to stay cool. I'm not a big crowd person, so I avoid the public festivities. And mosquitoes love me more than anyone else around, so I tend to avoid being outside around dusk to try to prevent being bitten. Lastly, and most important, I am pyrophobic, so I avoid fireworks like the plague. (Yes, I am that annoying neighbor who will, and has, called the police on people shooting off fireworks in areas where it is illegal. Sorry folks, my house is not worth your cheap, 10-second sky art.) Even so, I would have an enjoyable holiday. And there would be food. More often than not, it would be hot dogs. The Fourth of July is made for hot dogs, and not only because of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Hot dogs make a great dinner, and don't make the kitchen too hot. We'd grill them on the indoor grill (George Foreman), heat the chili in the microwave oven, and either boil up some corn on the cob or toss a handful of potato chips on the plate and call it done. The highlight would be dessert, and that would either be an ice cream cake purchased from Baskin & Robbins or one I made from scratch. Either way, it would be a perfect end to the summer meal.
So that would be my celebration at home. And if I had been planning a celebration here, I would probably have gone along those lines, though because it's winter here, I might have traded the ice cream cake in for brownie sundaes (and how good would brownie sundaes be with warm, oozy-gooey Bailey's Irish Cream Brownies? Note to self: save that idea for dessert soon!!) But then again, a festive meal that I did not have to cook or clean-up is an even better idea for the holiday celebration. So that's what we did.
Dearest had planned a surprise for me, though it turned out not to be a true surprise because he asked a couple of friends to help us celebrate and he wanted to clear that with me. That was a fantastic surprise! And I had a great time. He took me to an American-themed diner with real Dr. Pepper, not the UK import Dr. Pepper, but real 12-ounce cans from Plano, Texas Dr. Pepper. I can take or leave sodas and most fizzy beverages (though since moving here, I have developed a real taste for sparkling mineral water), but Dr. Pepper is my big fizzy weakness. If I want a dark fizzy soda, it's always going to be Dr. Pepper, or at a second choice, root beer (not sapsarilla, but root beer, there is a difference). So having real Dr. Pepper was a treat for me.
Also a real treat, beer battered onion rings. Those were fantastic. As was the burger, I had a double cheeseburger, with curly fries. Dearest indulged in fresh mixed Cherry Coke (not the canned stuff, but the soda fountain fresh mixed kind), and a veggie burger with curly fries; while our friends had a double burger with bacon and barbecue sauce and a traditional burger dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and mayo. They were bit leary of curly fries so they had regular fries. One indulged in traditional cream soda and the other in a raspberry soda (like Fanta). It definitely would have been more authentically American if it had been blue raspberry. I have never understood why raspberry things are blue in the US, but more often than not they are.
The diner is way kitschy, but then again, in that it's not unlike Outback Steakouse in the US. Wait, no, it's certainly more authentically American than Outback ever dreams of being. Honestly, Outback could so easily be more authentically Australian -- add beetroot to the burgers, and call them chips not fries, and have a "Parma & a Pot" daily special. Yeah, Outback Steakhouse is a bad imitation of Hollywood stereotypical Australian. The diner dearest took me too was Authentic US Kitsch.
On the whole it was a great night and a perfect Fourth of July celebration, even without hot dogs and corn on the cob. My dearest does such a great job making things as close as possible to home for me. He really goes above and beyond. It makes me feel quite inadequate in comparison. I shall have to do something equally special for him very soon!
Dusting Off
My older brother made a comment on Facebook about a haboob in Arizona on July 3 this year. I had never heard the term haboob, so when I Googled it for the definition, I also checked out the images Google suggested.
One of the images was a truly awesome picture of a haboob in 2012 rolling over Phoenix from an article in The Daily Mail (Enormous Dust Storm 2,000 Feet Tall Covers Phoenix Cutting Power to 9,000 Homes, July 26, 2012).
Because I knew very little of the storms, I read the article. Well, at least until I came to this quote:
I voiced this (admittedly ridiculous) idea to my dearest and he ran with it, composing a letter of apology to Senator McCain, suggesting "Let's see if Phoenix really will rise from the ashes."
That might be taking it a bit far, but yes, I think in the interest of global weather, and based on the well-researched reporting in The Daily Mail, we need to destroy Arizona.
(Or, in the alternative, just the ineffective copy editors at The Daily Mail. You would think that in the past two years someone would have corrected the structure of that sentence and the erroneous apostrophe!)
One of the images was a truly awesome picture of a haboob in 2012 rolling over Phoenix from an article in The Daily Mail (Enormous Dust Storm 2,000 Feet Tall Covers Phoenix Cutting Power to 9,000 Homes, July 26, 2012).
Because I knew very little of the storms, I read the article. Well, at least until I came to this quote:
Caused by Arizona's monsoon season which begins in early June and runs through till the end of September, haboob's [sic] only occur in Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Phoenix, Arizona.It was at that point that I abandoned reading the article. I paused to wonder about this phrasing, completely ignoring the incorrect use of an apostrophe. According to my interpretation of the sentence, all the haboobs the world over are caused by Arizona's monsoon season. Following from that interpretation I began to wonder aloud if completely obliterating Arizona would prevent all haboobs in the future.
I voiced this (admittedly ridiculous) idea to my dearest and he ran with it, composing a letter of apology to Senator McCain, suggesting "Let's see if Phoenix really will rise from the ashes."
That might be taking it a bit far, but yes, I think in the interest of global weather, and based on the well-researched reporting in The Daily Mail, we need to destroy Arizona.
(Or, in the alternative, just the ineffective copy editors at The Daily Mail. You would think that in the past two years someone would have corrected the structure of that sentence and the erroneous apostrophe!)
Friday, July 4, 2014
Too Much of Not Enough
Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why: Quebec City, Helsinki, Adelaide, and Las Vegas
There has really only been one place I have gone where I never really need to go back. I got my fill of Las Vegas on my first trip. I really have no desire to return. Admittedly I really didn't see anything other than the ultra-touristy areas of The Strip and Fremont Street. But that was enough for me. I know there are plenty of people who love Vegas, but I just found it loud and assaulting to the senses. I spent a good deal of time in my hotel room, as it was the only place where I was guaranteed some peace and silence. My trip to Las Vegas was really a case of sensory overload from the moment I exited the jetway to the moment I entered it. It may be better outside of the touristy areas, but I really don't have any desire to go back to see.
It's harder to narrow down my favorite destination. So I'm not going to. I have visited three continents and I am going list a favorite city from each. Yes, it's technically cheating, but this is my blog, so I only have to go by my rules.
North America: Hands down Quebec City. I've been on each of my 6 cruises to the area and still have not gotten enough of the city. There are many things I have not seen or experienced and many others I'd love to do again. I'd love to see the city in every season, though the only one I have really missed is winter. I am not sure there is such a thing as too much time in Quebec City.
Europe: The city I wish I had more time to explore and investigate is Helsinki. I really, really enjoyed it and there was so much I missed on my port stop during my Baltic Cruise. I'd like to have unlimited time in the city to just wander around. I'd like to have more than a 5-minute photo stop at the Sibelius monument and the copper-roofed church, whose name I can't remember. Though I had about half an hour wandering through a department store, I'd love more time to investigate more shops and restaurants, though dining is the one thing that worries me. I am not a fan of either reindeer meat or herring, and while it's not Sweden, I'm sure there is more herring on the menu that I'd really prefer. But I am sure any dining nervousness could be overcome if the trade-off was unlimited time in Helsinki.
Australia: As long as it's not the height of summer, my favorite city is definitely Adelaide. I am positive I could not take Adelaide in the middle of summer. I hated New Orleans in the middle of summer, I know I am not going to like the heat and humidity any better just because it's Adelaide! But if it's any cool season, I would love to have days and days in Adelaide to explore and just be. Sydney is just a big city, admittedly with cool accents, but still just a big city. Melbourne is nice, but it has a much more urbane, metropolitan vibe than I am truly comfortable with. I often feel backward and inadequate in Melbourne. In Adelaide, I am comfortable just being boring me. It's small enough to feel intimate, but large enough to offer all the modern conveniences. Yep, I could really get used to being in Adelaide.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Masa, Masa and More Masa
Cuisine (favorite): Mexican, specifically Tex-Mex
This is actually a very difficult question to answer, because it really depends on my mood. And as most of my trips have been cruises, I really haven't tasted too many native cuisines in their countries. I really prefer to be introduced to authentic cuisines through the medium of Americanized versions. If I like those, then I'll maybe seek out truly authentic dishes. I'm not a meat-and-potatoes person as much as I'm a comforting-familiar-food person. It's not that I'm not adventurous, just that I'm cautious in my adventures.
But if we're discussing the ethnic cuisine I want most when I go out to eat, I'd have to say Mexican, in its Tex-Mex variation. There is usually nothing I want more than tamales with a side of chips & salsa or queso dip.
This is actually a very difficult question to answer, because it really depends on my mood. And as most of my trips have been cruises, I really haven't tasted too many native cuisines in their countries. I really prefer to be introduced to authentic cuisines through the medium of Americanized versions. If I like those, then I'll maybe seek out truly authentic dishes. I'm not a meat-and-potatoes person as much as I'm a comforting-familiar-food person. It's not that I'm not adventurous, just that I'm cautious in my adventures.
But if we're discussing the ethnic cuisine I want most when I go out to eat, I'd have to say Mexican, in its Tex-Mex variation. There is usually nothing I want more than tamales with a side of chips & salsa or queso dip.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Glasses in Gardens
Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: Hoegaarden, at a beer garden in Adelaide
This is actually a hard question for me, because I'm not really a beer drinker. Honestly, I'm not much of a drinker at all. I am far more likely to cook with alcohol than drink it. Even at parties and fancy dinners, it's rare that I will drink anything stronger than iced tea. And when I drink, I prefer sweet drinks, what my brother calls "fruity, girly, rum drinks," or sweet hard cider over beer.
I do not think I have ever even had a beer in a foreign country, though on the rare (like I can count them on one hand with fingers left over) occasions when I do drink beer in the US, it's always an import. Hoegaarden is my favorite, and come to think about it, is actually the only beer I've ever had not at home!
No, wait! That's it! I did have one glass of Hoegaarden at a beer garden in Adelaide with my dearest and one of his friends. I had never seen anyone take as much care as the bartender did to pour, or is it pull as it was on tap?, that glass of Hoegaarden.
I guess then that has to be the answer to this question. I still have never seen such care taken with a glass of beer.
This is actually a hard question for me, because I'm not really a beer drinker. Honestly, I'm not much of a drinker at all. I am far more likely to cook with alcohol than drink it. Even at parties and fancy dinners, it's rare that I will drink anything stronger than iced tea. And when I drink, I prefer sweet drinks, what my brother calls "fruity, girly, rum drinks," or sweet hard cider over beer.
I do not think I have ever even had a beer in a foreign country, though on the rare (like I can count them on one hand with fingers left over) occasions when I do drink beer in the US, it's always an import. Hoegaarden is my favorite, and come to think about it, is actually the only beer I've ever had not at home!
No, wait! That's it! I did have one glass of Hoegaarden at a beer garden in Adelaide with my dearest and one of his friends. I had never seen anyone take as much care as the bartender did to pour, or is it pull as it was on tap?, that glass of Hoegaarden.
I guess then that has to be the answer to this question. I still have never seen such care taken with a glass of beer.
Culinary Cultural Confusion
Not long ago I made myself some pasta and sauce, as well as a nice salad of tomatoes and carrots (I don't like lettuce or cucumbers and I didn't have fresh peppers), and a glass of iced tea with lemon for dinner. As I looked at the meal while I was plating it I thought it needed something more. So I opened the 'fridge and found one last piece of naan leftover from the other night. I toasted it and as I put it on a plate, I thought, again, this needs something more. So I pulled out the buttery spread, and spread some on the still warm naan. Not content with the pleasingly melted puddles of buttery spread, I found some Parmesan cheese and sprinkled away. Finally happy with the meal, I took it all to the table, and sat down to enjoy the fruits of my efforts.
As I ate my meal, I wondered: Is it culturally incorrect to have butter and/or cheese on naan? (Yes, I completely ignored the fact that my buttery spread was in reality a vegetable oil-based margarine.)
I always feel guilty when I presented with the option of ham and cheese on a bagel. McDonald's bacon, egg & cheese bagel just creeps me out. I am not Jewish, have never kept kosher (and if I'm honest most likely could not), but still the thought of so willingly violating kosher dietary laws makes me wonder if god is hanging out at the next table just waiting to smite me. I highly doubt that McDonald's bagels are kosher, and indeed, most bagels I have had or seen for purchase are not kosher either, but still, the idea of pork or beef products with or without cheese, on a bagel makes me feel somehow disrespectful to dietary laws I do not observe.
So, in looking at my warm, crisp, buttery, slightly salty Parmesan-topped naan, I had to wonder, was I breaking other dietary laws I know nothing about and do not observe?
As soon as I had finished the meal -- there was no sense letting it get cold while I wrestled with my conscience -- I was off to the Internet to research. And I found: (1) bagels are not Jewish in and of themselves, but they are a traditional bread of the Jews; and (2) Hindu dietary laws make no mention of cow's milk products -- be they butter or cheese.
So to the best of my research, ham and cheese bagels are safe for consumption without being smote, as is buttery, cheese-topped naan. But I am still leery of the idea. Wikipedia may say I am safe, but somewhere, probably hiding in my closet with the nightmare monsters, is a god waiting to smite me for breaking made-up and misinterpreted dietary laws.
As I ate my meal, I wondered: Is it culturally incorrect to have butter and/or cheese on naan? (Yes, I completely ignored the fact that my buttery spread was in reality a vegetable oil-based margarine.)
I always feel guilty when I presented with the option of ham and cheese on a bagel. McDonald's bacon, egg & cheese bagel just creeps me out. I am not Jewish, have never kept kosher (and if I'm honest most likely could not), but still the thought of so willingly violating kosher dietary laws makes me wonder if god is hanging out at the next table just waiting to smite me. I highly doubt that McDonald's bagels are kosher, and indeed, most bagels I have had or seen for purchase are not kosher either, but still, the idea of pork or beef products with or without cheese, on a bagel makes me feel somehow disrespectful to dietary laws I do not observe.
So, in looking at my warm, crisp, buttery, slightly salty Parmesan-topped naan, I had to wonder, was I breaking other dietary laws I know nothing about and do not observe?
As soon as I had finished the meal -- there was no sense letting it get cold while I wrestled with my conscience -- I was off to the Internet to research. And I found: (1) bagels are not Jewish in and of themselves, but they are a traditional bread of the Jews; and (2) Hindu dietary laws make no mention of cow's milk products -- be they butter or cheese.
So to the best of my research, ham and cheese bagels are safe for consumption without being smote, as is buttery, cheese-topped naan. But I am still leery of the idea. Wikipedia may say I am safe, but somewhere, probably hiding in my closet with the nightmare monsters, is a god waiting to smite me for breaking made-up and misinterpreted dietary laws.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Introducing the World
Age you went on your first international trip: 25
When I was a child my parents tell me they firmly believed that "children did not need vacations; they have nothing from which to vacate." I'm not sure whether that was because they actually believed that, or because they wanted some child-free time, or simply because we could not afford the kinds of big family vacations that are common now. In the end it doesn't matter, because I'm not sure I would have appreciated international travel as a child the way I do as an adult. Ohh, sure, I would have had better "What I Did Over Summer Vacation" essays, but I'm not sure I would have been as open and receptive to the experience as I was.
I once read that having a passport changes your view of the world. It's so true. And while my first international trip was only to Canada, it was still international. And it was a great introduction to places that are not the US. I was always aware there was a world outside of the US, and Canada was a great place to start exploring the rest of the world.
When I was a child my parents tell me they firmly believed that "children did not need vacations; they have nothing from which to vacate." I'm not sure whether that was because they actually believed that, or because they wanted some child-free time, or simply because we could not afford the kinds of big family vacations that are common now. In the end it doesn't matter, because I'm not sure I would have appreciated international travel as a child the way I do as an adult. Ohh, sure, I would have had better "What I Did Over Summer Vacation" essays, but I'm not sure I would have been as open and receptive to the experience as I was.
I once read that having a passport changes your view of the world. It's so true. And while my first international trip was only to Canada, it was still international. And it was a great introduction to places that are not the US. I was always aware there was a world outside of the US, and Canada was a great place to start exploring the rest of the world.
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