Firefly's Lounge Is Now Open

While you 2 recollect your 16th birthdays (of which I have amazingly no remembering of mine ), I'll take a table over near the window there so I can keep an eye on what's going on inside, outside and occasionally in the kitchen when the door swings open.

Might as well stuff some food in me as well, so let me have the pork medallions , carrotts, and the baked tater with sour cream and onions. A pitcher of water would go well with that too.

Hmm? Oh, the salad? Yes, thank you and let's go with light Italian dressing, put that on the side though. thanks!

Hey I see someone is moving up to that piano over there. Free entertainment and good food...

16th birthday - no memory of the day - have to look up the day of the week that year, 1957. Ah, it was a wednesday. I would have just started a job at a hospital after school, would have been my first day. Scary to start, I was taking minifilm xrays (yes...) on patients while wearing a lead apron, plus learning all the paperwork that went with that and suddenly dealing with lots of grownups. The woman who taught me was nice. Her name has evaporated now but I might remember it again. Mrs. Something.

I'm making some carrot cake as we speak (the one I said I was making once before but failed to actually do). I won't frost it until tomorrow (lazy), but then I'll put it on the sideboard... and hope no flies show up.

This one -
I even have the right pan. Actually I have 4 sort of right pans (they're pandoro pans), from when I used to make panettone(s). If you're going to do that, might as well make a few, as it takes a whole bunch of let-it-rise-and-then-wait maneuvers over what I remember as three days and a lot of eggs. Not difficult but involves patience. But it comes out much better than that stuff in boxes if you use your own dried fruit or own candied fruit and that glorious recipe. The easy recipes aren't as good.

Speaking of flies -
today I had to smack three cockroaches to death (they vary year to year here, last summer hardly any, but it was said to be 102 F today already and it's still officially spring), two crickets in the guest bathroom (I like any given cricket, they're sort of cute but I don't want multiples and hard to catch in a glass, and I lost contact with a grasshopper inside the back door (there's a now nationally famous infestation here). No flies, my lady.

Wow, I just remembered her name.
Mrs. Carver.
Bless her heart.

I love the way the cake looks from those pans. How did your carrot cake turn out? What kind of frosting do you put on it?

Flies, ugh. I've been chasing one around my kitchen today. They come into the kitchen from the garage when I go in there to put trash in the garbage can. I usually give them a fighting chance to go back out by leaving the door to the kitchen open for a minute--while hoping that more of their friends and relatives don't take that as an invitation to come in--and sometimes they do fly back out. If they don't leave on their own, I show them no mercy. My best weapon is the daily newspaper folded in half, and I'm most successful in getting them when they land on the window glass--one fast smack usually does it, but it has to be fast.

I think fly swatters are the most useless things.

Do you remember the story of The Brave Little Tailor who killed 7 flies in a single blow? I remember reading, and loving, that story when I was a kid. I also remember seeing the Disney version of the story, with Mickey Mouse, at some time in my childhood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_Little_Tailor

Hope you enjoyed the pork medallions, Sturgis. Our chef is using a new recipe he's created.

Yes, we do have live music here in the evenings. Feel free to gather round the piano, folks.

Any requests you'd like to hear played?

All I wanted was that "sweet 16 never been kissed thing" well I had been kissed, that's it, but there was this guy and I was heck bent on getting a kiss from him on that day, my birthday and so, I did

Where did I go. Mmm... Well, I stayed firstly with a girl who I grew up with who lived originally a couple of doors down for a week or two, then as I had no money, she well asked me to leave, fair enough. So then I applied for a live in baby sitting job. He thought I was 24, I obviously wasn't and he didn't ask. I spent nearly a year there, what a learning experience, two little girls, 6 & 8, the Father a musician obviously on his own. I remember cooking the best Chinese meal I've ever made in my life, even to today had a flair for cooking. I remember making lunches for their school, their rebelliousness well one of them, my Cat (ginger) Cefa and then, my next move, wasn't ready to be a full time Mum, clerical, a Greek Boyfriend, a flat 2 doors down from him, my Mother showing up, him telling her I was no longer her responsibility, the look on her face and well..... needless to say I didn't marry him, though we were together on and off for a lonnnnnng time and my relation with my Mother is great.

Just not back then .

Sorry you asked now?

Just a rebel was I, a rebel.

I ended up just doing what the photo had, dashing powdered sugar over it. Too hot here (and I generally like working in the kitchen, but not today). Anyway, tastes good. I don't eat much sweet stuff at a time, so I'll end up dividing it and freezing portions.

edit, no, didn't remember that story. Do remember chasing flies back in Los Angeles, but they usually left on their own. Must've been more fun outside.

You had an interesting adolescence. I wasn't ready to fend for myself at 16--I just wanted to drive.

I didn't have much to rebel against at that age. I had the usual teenage skirmishes with my mother, but nothing major, and my parents were both pretty great and fun to be around, and I wanted to stay in school. My best friend in high school was a little more of a rebel than I was, but even her rebelliousness was pretty limited--she once left home for 3 days when she was 16. Her parents were frantic with worry, but, loyal buddy that I was, I refused to tell them where she was, although I kept reassuring them that she was fine and coming home soon. She had taken off to visit a boy she met who lived in another state, and she had never intended to spend more than a day or two with him, and she never saw him again after that.

Tomorrow is the Belmont.

Go Chrome!

Go, Chrome!! I am rooting for you and your jockey, Victor Espinosa. If you don't win, it's ok, you are still one beautiful horse. Travel well..

Just in case you're interested, here's a link to the Sports section of the NY Times, with a number of Belmont/Triple Crown related articles.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/index.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1402102879-3tB6Ox6JI1ClZ3Q5kJxjcQ

So here we are, champing at the bit - me hoping Chrome and all the other horses come out of this race healthy, plus that Chrome wins. Meantime I've got my wretched oven on since my slow cooker is a small one. Making a new-to-me recipe that I'll bring to the table here in case anyone wants a taste. I might not like it either, so don't hold back.!

I gather there is a Belmont cocktail, and I could use a cold one what with all this cooking sweltering. (Oven's at 190F, so not too bad)

The pot roast -
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-red-curry-beef-pot-roast/
I didn't have coconut milk, so added water in its place; didn't have fresh ginger, only pickled so in that went to the mix. I may need to add some more jalapeno..

The Belmont Jewel -
The Recipe:
1.5 ounces of bourbon (Belmont uses Knob Creek)
2 ounces of lemonade
1 ounce pomegranate juice

Shake vigorously with ice and serve in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist or red cherry.

(right now just real lemonade would be fine..)

Forgot the link for the Belmont drink, there's more on it there -
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/how-to-make-belmont-jewel-stakes-triple-crown


Adds, the house already smells good, and I have a poor sense of smell.

Ah, he lost.
So it goes.

I get Coburn's view, had noticed all the resting. It sounds like sour grapes but might be appropriate. On the other hand, that would need to be worked out and probably attract few owners. Among other things, it has always been hard on the horses.

I cheered him on so loudly during the race--"Come on, Chrome!"--but, it just wasn't his day. He never did manage to pull out ahead. Fortunately, the horse isn't concerned with things like a Triple Crown, so I hope he felt just fine after the race. He's still a beautiful horse, and a champ.

Oh I get Coburn's view too, and he might be right. Maybe it would make for a more level playing ground if all those in the Belmont had to run in the other two races as well. I can only imagine how dejected and angry he felt after today's race, but you win some, you lose some. Belmont is a very long track, which is also why it appears to be the nemesis for so many Triple Crown hopefuls. And everyone had said that Chrome was adequately rested before today's race. So, some sour grapes did seem to be involved.

The main problem seemed to be that Chrome couldn't move forward from his position on the inside rail, too many other horses blocked him, so when he was taken to the outside, he never was able to catch up, and being on the outside I don't think was the familiar position he had won his previous races from. It just didn't seem to be his day. He's entitled. I'm glad it was a safely run race, and no one, and no horse, was injured.

I'll gladly take a glass of that Belmont Drink--it sounds delicious.

So, how did the pot roast turn out? That was an intriguing recipe.

Pot roast is still pot roasting, I'm slow at it. At this hour, this may go on for a while. I can, natch, shut it down, but I'm still awake, we'll see. Probably will shut it down for manana. I probably should, just so I don't mess up and leave it all on overnight.

Ok, ok.

I think your life sounded better

At 11, I almost drowned.

At 12, some girl pulled me under the water and sat on me, so she could get to the top, phew breathe FS.

At 13.5, some kids as I walked to the shop tried to throw me down the creek bank and well...... The Mother of their friends was walking the reserve and screamed at them........ I was saved.

At 14, I had to defend myself against two girls that came from a home for "bad girls" and I did, and I won.

At 16 I ran away. You heard that story.

At 18 I was held hostage, well I walked out of a toilet and got pushed out a door, punched in the face by a 6 foot something tall Pimp, at a night club attempted to be pushed into a car, saw stars as well as my life flash before me.... But, this dude couldn't push me in the car, I held on for life, a taxi driver saw me, shone his lights, I saw him, & so I let go and ran to him... OMG imagine?

That's it, I became an Adult, and enjoyed my life.

What you go through makes you stronger. No I didn't need medication

EDIT: - Maybe that's my fascination with those that are evil...........and commit massive crimes

Today's Google doodle salutes the World Cup.


I'm not really a soccer fan.

I am, however, a fan of some Brazilian dishes, particularly Feijoada, which is considered the national dish of Brazil. Of course, it will be on our menu during the World Cup.



Lots of recipes for this dish--here's one.
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/cuisines/aroundtheworldin80dishes/brazilfeijoadarecipe/recipes/food/views/Feijoada-Meat-Stew-with-Black-Beans-357150

I've been enjoying the google soccer/futbol doodles a lot.

I watch/pay attention to soccer once every four years. Am gradually learning, not so easy for someone sans tv and generally sans use of youtube (the computer, oh, never mind). With many sports, over the years I got nastybody feelings (an old friend's phrase) about u.s. tv sports announcing.. so many, so loud (even though I'm hard of hearing), so shouty, so never shutting up. Now I find it pleasant to read the Guardian's sports blogs. The writers are often playful, great at descriptions, report what readers are telling them, at least sometimes, and ... in contrast to other websites, I can see the videos. (They must not go through adobe flash).

I've been playing a2k fantasy sports games, and pick'um games, for a long time now. Never win but sometimes get up there in the ranks for a short visit, sort of tantalizing. I learn a lot, have a lot of fun with it. It's a pretty friendly situation. Point being, there is a thread going on now named The A2K World Cup 2014 Striker Fantasy Game, started by fbaezer.

This time there are eleven of us playing, and I guarantee that I know least and am easily the loudest poster. Well, so far; this will go quite a while. Each time before the world cup and the fantasy game I read up; takes me a few days, since I read about the last world cup fantasy game to even get a bit of a clue before I start googling. That was good - at the end of the last one (Pantalones won that), Robert Gentel and fbaezer talked a lot about strategies and behaviors, their opinions, and I could get a glimmer of what they were talking about.

Meanwhile, you know me about Italy - in my reading of great globs of books about the place over, uh, millenia, I've run across three books* that were, at least in part, about italians and calcio (soccer). I have woolly soccer scarves a friend in italian class gave me after her trip there, and my one Italia cap that I bought here in Albuquerque in 2006, treasures they are.

* Tim Parks - Italian Neighbors
- One I've mentioned before by the guy, controversial writer, who died fairly recently that was living next door to Sara Palin and writing a book about her. Anyway, the one I'm forgetting was all about Calcio.
- Tobias Jones - The Dark Heart of Italy; book dense with information, but a rather wonderful third chapter about the Beautiful Game in Italy.

This means I had to pick Balotelli as one of my fantasy strikers.


Food! I'll be back.

The thing about my elementary school, St. Nicholas, in Evanston, is that there were great nuns there. It's true that I've ranted at length about my high school nuns, and well I should as they were nuts (Sr. Mary Anthony, enjoyment of sex in marriage is a mortal sin), but the nuns for the one year I went to a catholic college were also very interesting women that I like in memory, despite my own changes on all that.

Fourth grade geography (was it fourth?, maybe 4th and 5th) - we learned about maps and places and what was going on in those places (somewhat). I think there must have been slide shows, but not sure. I know I pictured some of the places.

This is how I ended up craving to see italy and south america, at nine. Call that a travel bug inset. It affected me a lot, though I seem to be interested in more places than they were. They showed the whole world sketchily, but the emphasis must have been about what they were inclined to know about, as an order of nuns.

Why am I going on about this? I always wanted to see Rio and I love latin jazz of many sorts.