A Great Idea for Someone Who is Retiring

I have a friend in Southern California who is retiring.  Well, he has retired.  He is in the process of selling his condo in West Hollywood and has already moved most of his things to his condo in Palm Springs where he will spend his retirement years.  Doesn't that sound divine.  Retiring to Palm Springs, CA.  What a lucky guy.

But now he is going to be even luckier.  Because I got him a little retirement gift.

A gift card from Bristol Farms at their West Hollywood location.  He is always telling me that he likes to stop by Bristol Farms for this or that.  He loves Bristol Farms.  So I thought a nice retirement gift would be a gift card to Bristol Farms.  Here is a link to the Bristol Blog - http://www.bristolfarms.com/blog/ - which is really cute.  I love their header.

Of course, you've got to put the gift card in something.  So I found this funny card.

I thought that was funny.  You can never go wrong with a gift card.  I know some say they feel they are impersonal.  But I don't agree.  Get the card and then do something special with it.  Put it in a pretty box or slip it in a funny card.  I suppose if you buy someone a gift card and then just thrust it at them with "here's your gift card" and turn and walk away, well, that would be a little impersonal.  Make the presentation an occasion and they will love it.

King Crab Legs and Fresh Corn on the Cob

Who doesn't like King Crab Legs.  I don't think I've ever known anyone who didn't.  They are wonderful any time of year.  They aren't cheap, but they are a special treat from time to time.  We decided it was time for just such a treat recently, so we picked up some fresh legs and corn and made dinner.

We got the king crab legs and the fresh corn from our local Shopper's Food Warehouse.  I really like Shopper's.  They have one of, if not the best meat departments of any major chain in our area.  Their seafood department is equally as impressive.  I will not name some of the other majors in the area who pale in comparison.  Shopper's also has a wonderful fresh produce department.  The corn was as fresh as could be and delicious.

Here is how we cook our corn.
 

Fill a large pot with water and place it on the stove with its cover on. There should be enough water that all the corn will be completely submerged.

Turn the stove to maximum heat and wait for the water to come to a boil. Meanwhile, shuck the corn and rinse it under cold water.

Add 1 to 2 tbsp. of granulated white sugar to the boiling water.

Drop the cobs into the rapidly boiling sugar water, being careful not to burn yourself. Allow the corn to cook for 4 minutes.

Remove an ear of corn with tongs and cut off a few kernels with a sharp knife to check for doneness. It should be slightly crisp. The larger the cob, the longer it will need to cook. Don't overcook the corn. Once done, remove cobs and place them in a serving dish. Serve immediately with lots of butter and a shaker of salt.  The sweetness of the corn plus what it takes on during the boil combined with the salt and butter is shear perfection.  A taste sensation for sure.

In the meantime, we used this large enameled pot to steam the crab legs.

This is the perfect boil.  Insert the crab legs into boiling water and replace the lid.  Set the timer for 5 - 7 minutes.  Remove the legs with tongs and drain.  Serve with drawn butter and lemon wedges.

How to make drawn butter:

Drawn butter is wonderful to serve with shellfish like crab or lobster. It can also be used for cooking seafood or in sauces for pasta and more.

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter

Melt the butter over medium heat (do not let it boil). Pour the melted butter into a 2-cup capacity measuring cup. Allow the butter to sit for a few minutes to separate. There will be foam on the top, yellow clarified butter in the middle, and milk solids in the bottom. Skim and discard the foam from the top. Carefully pour only the clarified butter into a small container. Discard the milk solids.  Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

You must have a crab leg boil sometime soon.  You are guaranteed to love it!!

Pollo Campero

We El-Oh-Vee-Ee, love, Pollo Campero.  The problem is, the nearest Pollo Campero is in Laurel, which is not just around the corner.  We found ourselves in Laurel last Friday evening because we had to pick up the monster truck (a.k.a. the Jeep Commander) from the body shop.  Just down Route 1, on our way home, there is a Pollo Campero, so we stopped.

I had the two piece dinner with coleslaw and tortillas.

Polly Campero means "Country Chicken" in English.  I did not know that.  I had to do a little research.  As we know there are plenty of places to go for chicken.  But there is something about Pollo Campero that is different.  I just like the food here better than other such places.  They have a lime chicken that I want to try the next time I am there.  Which could be this very weekend.  I am certainly not averse to driving to Laurel for another visit.

And One More!

I couldn't resist posting this.

Now is that a dachshund with attitude or is that a dachshund with attitude?

And One More Baxter Picture

He is such a lovey.

How could you not be in love with such wonderful little guy.  Some of the horrible things I read about how animals are abused just breaks my heart.  How could anyone abuse an animal?  I can't imagine it.  Any animal.  Anything from a miniature wire-haired dachshund to an elephant.  I just can't imagine it.

So Many Things Going on this Week

We had a busy weekend and we have had a busy week so far.  I think we will start with a few pictures of everybody's favorite dachshund, Baxter.  How could you not love these shots?

I'm not certain what caught his attention, but he was intent on checking out whatever or whomever was out there.  He is such a guard dog.

True Words

We are going to end this week with a picture of a pillow we have hanging from the bedpost in the spare bedroom.

True, true, true.  So as we end the day this beautiful Friday here in the Nation's Capital, I wish you all a great weekend.  We will start afresh on Monday with more projects.

Command Hooks in the Shower

We love Command hooks at Crest Avenue and Dewey Street.  What an ingenious idea.  I wish I had come up with it.  We recently removed some older Command hooks from the shower and upgraded with a new design.  I really liked the way it turned out.  Read on.  We have lots of pictures, so let's get started.

So we decided to go with these "frosted" hooks for hanging items in the shower.

And it was time for a new fog-free mirror.  I find shaving in the shower is much easier and less time consuming that shaving over the sink.

The hooks we had in the shower were Command hooks.  These were nice and they served their purpose for many years, but it was time for an upgrade.  This hook was on one end of the shower.

And this hook was on the opposite end.  This was at the foot of the tub.

As we know, with the Command hooks, you simply pull up on the existing hook to reveal the adhesive strip. Then pull down on the strip and that completely releases the adhesive and the whole thing comes off with no fuss.  Love it!

So, here we are with a clean surface at the shower-head end.

And a clean surface at the opposite end.

This was the mirror I had been using for some time.  It served it's purpose well.  It was designed so that you lifted the mirror part off, filled the area behind the mirror with water and then replaced it.  That kept the mirror from fogging.  A good design and a wonderful product.  But the new Command mirror does not require all of that fussing and it stays fog-free.

Per the instructions, we washed the tiles with Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol before applying the new mirror and hooks.  Let it dry completely.

We had dirty tiles and didn't even know it.

And here we are with a lovely new Command mirror and a place to hang the razor.  So nice and clean looking.

Just under the mirror we have a hook for the back brush.

Here you can see that we centered the items on the tile, one about the other.  The hook at the other end is positioned so that it is on the same level as this hook.

I really like how this turned out.  It is a nice upgrade.  Command products are really wonderful.  They are sold in the big box stores - Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Home Depot.  If you get a chance, check them out the next time you are shopping.  I'm certain you will find a use for them.

Taking Care of Body (And Soul)

These days, we are all taking better care of ourselves.  Better care of our bodies by walking or running or weight training.  Better care of mental health through yoga or faith.  And better care of our skin and hair through an array of great products.  Hey, we all want to look our best.  Even the guys are taking better care of body and soul these days.

In my fathers generation, it was seen as weak and/or effeminate if a man showed interest in caring for his appearance.  And I was taught as a young boy growing up in the south that concerning myself with such things was unacceptable.  But times change.  Young men, indeed men of all ages today have much more freedom to indulge themselves.  Nobody thinks a wit about their husband or boyfriend taking a trip to the spa for a massage and a facial.  In fact, most of the spas I have visited have services, such as facials, specially tailored for men.

In between those times where I visit the spa for a facial, I do it at home.  It is very refreshing.  Especially on a Friday night, after you have had a busy week.  Come home, have a glass of ice cold wine, do a mask and just chill.  That's life, baby!!!  So here is what I am using these days.

I first clean my face with these Wet Cleansing Towelettes from Pond's.  These are not makeup removers. These are just a quick way to cleanse your skin.  Sometimes I put my face over a sink full of hot water with a towel draped over the back of my head to open the pores.  Although I must admit I do not always do this.

My choice of clay mask - Borghese Fango Mud.  There are a bazillion different products like this on the market.  Some more expensive, some less expensive.  This, in my humble opinion, is the best.

It goes on dark and as it dries it turns a lighter shade of green.  I was near the end of the experience in this picture.  And, the picture is grainy because the lights were very, very low in the room.  As it should be. Friday is two days away.  Start planning your relaxation time now.  Get the wine chilled.  If the mask gets too tight, drink it through a straw.

In these days of tight job markets and fierce competition for those few jobs, taking a few extra steps to look your very best is not only nice, it is imperative.  Enjoy!!!

A Simple Gesture of Kindness

I wanted to share a simple idea that you can put together to brighten someones spirits if they are having a bad day.

A smiley mug filled with Cheese Puffs.  There is no way that this will not bring a smile to someone's face or help to lift them up from a stressful situation.  We sometimes forget that all it takes in life is just a small gesture of kindness to show we care.  So if you have a smiley cup such as this in your cabinet and you are thinking that you will never use it and you are contemplating throwing it out, I say find a spot for it.  You never know when you may need it.  Or when someone you care for may need it.

Sometimes Even We Have Disasters in the Kitchen at WTCA

And so was the case recently when we set out to make Broccoli Soup.  I love broccoli soup.  I even like broccoli soup out of the can.  I have made it before and it was delicious.  But I couldn't find my standard recipe so I found one on the internet, quite by accident.  It was not good.  I'm going to post the pictures because it sounded like it would be fabulous.  I'm even going to give you the step-by-step directions.  But just be forewarned. This ain't your mother's broccoli soup!!

So we started out with all the ingredients.

One pound of chopped broccoli; five cups of chicken stock; one teaspoon of minced garlic; black pepper to taste, one half cup onion; two tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice; and surprisingly, two tablespoons of curry powder.  I thought the recipe was a bit heavy on the curry.  I like curry as much as the next guy, but two tablespoons?  I did not use all of that.

So onto the burner with the chicken stock.

We set the heat to high and put the lid on to help speed up the time to reach the boiling stage.

Then, once we reached the boil, in with the broccoli, onion and garlic.

Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Once done, you are to puree this in the blender or food processor.

In batches, I spooned the content into the Nutribullet and blended until smooth.  The recipe suggests that you add the curry just before processing the mixture in the blender or food processor.  I used a few large pinches, not the entire two tablespoons.

Blend until smooth.

Return the mixture to the pot and add the lemon juice and the black pepper.

With all of the above done, I poured this delicious looking soup into a beautiful glass tureen, crumbled a little raw broccoli in the center as garnish and waited for it to cool to room temperature.  All in great anticipation of sitting down to a delicious bowl of broccoli soup.  When the time was right I grabbed a spoon and gave it a taste.  How do I describe the taste?  Not good.  Horrible.  Awful.  Bad.  Stinky.  Any or all of those words would be appropriate.  For the love of God, don't make this soup.

Spaghetti Casserole

I told you in my previous post that I would share with you my recipe for a very simple, but very delicious Spaghetti Casserole.  When I am planning lunch for the work week, most times I do not want something complex to prepare.  I want what most of us want.  Something delicious and not too expensive or too difficult to make.  This Spaghetti Casserole fits that bill.  It couldn't be easier to make and it is scrumptious. It's also better each day as the flavors meld.

Look how beautifully this turned out.  Just perfect.

Usually when I post anything from the kitchen on WTCA, I post pictures of all the ingredients and then we go through step-by-step as we put it all together.  Well, ... I didn't do that this time.  And here's why.  I wasn't sure this was going to turn out.  I started to get out the bowls and get all the items lined up to photograph and I thought, no, don't do that.  Just make it and see how it turns out.  I should have photographed everything because it turned out wonderful.  So this time I'm just going to give you the recipe and you put it together and it will turn out wonderful for you too.

Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry spaghetti (We used Dreamfields Low Glycemic brand)
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce (We used Classico Marinara and Four Cheese blend)
1 cup (4 oz.) finely shredded Asiago cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mozarella chesse, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Cook spaghetti 2 minutes less than stated on package directions; drain and rinse well.

In a large bowl, combine cooked spaghetti, sauce and Asiago cheese.

Spoon half the mixture into a lightly oiled 11" x 17" glass baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 cup Cheddar cheese and 1 cup Mozarella cheese.

Spoon remaining spaghetti into baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese and Mozarella cheese over top.

Bake 30 minutes or until cheese melts and casserole is hot.

NOTE:  You can cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes if you like.  Make sure to spray the foil with cooking spray and place that side over casserole so it will release from the foil easily.

This delicious casserole can be served warmed up in the microwave or in the oven on low heat.  Or it can be served at room temperature.  I have it at room temperature frequently.  I would not serve it cold.

A New Lunch Bag

Most days of the week, I pack lunch and bring it with me to the office.  It really does not take that much time in the morning.  Most times I prepare it the night before and put it in the refrigerator.  In the morning, I take it out and add things that were not to be refrigerated and off I go.  I think many of us do not realize just how much we spend on lunch every month when we buy it from local eateries vs. making it at home.  The savings can be significant.  Now, am I suggesting that you NEVER go out to lunch again?  Certainly not.  It's fun to go out with a friend or friends occasionally.  Or even to pick up something you have a craving for from time to time.  But if you are wanting to find a place where you can save a little money in the budget, bringing lunch from home even a few days a week will help.

The first thing you will want to do is find a suitable bag in which to carry your lunch.  For too long I have used paper bags from various places to cart my lunch back and forth to the office.  I used a bag from Sprinkles Cupcakes for awhile.  Then I used a bag from Dean & Deluca.  No matter how careful you are, they start to disintegrate.  The handles come loose.  If it rains, they get wet and start to fray at the folds.  I found this very cute bag at Wegman's this past weekend.  It is a nylon, neoprene bag which helps to insulate.

It has a very wide band of velcro which makes for a nice tight seal so it won't open while you are carrying it on the subway.

There is ample room inside to bring a filling lunch.  Today I brought a container of spaghetti casserole, which is delicious.  I will share this recipe with you later.

There was plenty of room left for a sugar free Jell-O pudding and a container of green drink which I made just before leaving the house.

All of these items fit perfectly inside the bag and there was room for more.  But I found this to be quite filling. Wegman's had an assortment of these neoprene bags.  I liked the black for myself.  There were some with geometric shapes, floral motifs, stripes, etc.  There were other solid colors like blue and green.  Whatever your fancy, I would recommend getting one of these bags and putting together some lunch ideas.

A New Lunch Bag

Most days of the week, I pack lunch and bring it with me to the office.  It really does not take that much time in the morning.  Most times I prepare it the night before and put it in the refrigerator.  In the morning, I take it out and add things that were not to be refrigerated and off I go.  I think many of us do not realize just how much we spend on lunch every month when we buy it from local eateries vs. making it at home.  The savings can be significant.  Now, am I suggesting that you NEVER go out to lunch again?  Certainly not.  It's fun to go out with a friend or friends occasionally.  Or even to pick up something you have a craving for from time to time.  But if you are wanting to find a place where you can save a little money in the budget, bringing lunch from home even a few days a week will help.

The first thing you will want to do is find a suitable bag in which to carry your lunch.  For too long I have used paper bags from various places to cart my lunch back and forth to the office.  I used a bag from Sprinkles Cupcakes for awhile.  Then I used a bag from Dean & Deluca.  No matter how careful you are, they start to disintegrate.  The handles come loose.  If it rains, they get wet and start to fray at the folds.  I found this very cute bag at Wegman's this past weekend.  It is a nylon, neoprene bag which helps to insulate.

It has a very wide band of velcro which makes for a nice tight seal so it won't open while you are carrying it on the subway.

There is ample room inside to bring a filling lunch.  Today I brought a container of spaghetti casserole, which is delicious.  I will share this recipe with you later.

There was plenty of room left for a sugar free Jell-O pudding and a container of green drink which I made just before leaving the house.

All of these items fit perfectly inside the bag and there was room for more.  But I found this to be quite filling. Wegman's had an assortment of these neoprene bags.  I liked the black for myself.  There were some with geometric shapes, floral motifs, stripes, etc.  There were other solid colors like blue and green.  Whatever your fancy, I would recommend getting one of these bags and putting together some lunch ideas.